Yellow Corn

Yellow Corn

Nutritional Value

Yellow corn is a significant resource of Vitamin A. As corn kernels mutated from white to yellow, they acquired chemicals called cartenoids. Of these cartenoids is beta carotene, which produces Vitamin A. Very little attention has been emphasized on yellow corn’s significant beta carotene levels until the early 21st Century. Yellow corn, easy to grow in developing regions of Africa and Latin America, where corn is heavily relied upon as a food source, could actually keep millions of children from going blind. Yellow corn is now being bred to have at least 10 times higher the amount of beta carotene than average sweet corn varieties.

Description

Description/Taste

Yellow corn is a variety of sweet corn. Its ears are wrapped in tightly bound lime hued husks with silks and a tassel that extend out from the tip. The yellow kernels are packed in tight almost uniform rows. A single ear of corn can contain up to 400 kernels. Freshly harvested yellow corn at its peak ripeness is sweet, offering flavors of almond and sugar, the kernels so succulent, the skin pops as you bite into it. As the corn matures, the kernels lose their milky consistency giving way to a starchy and doughy consistency. At this point, the corn is considered a grain crop and is best suited for processing or feedstock.

Seasons/Availability

Yellow corn is available year-round.

Current Facts

Corn, scientific name Zea mays and known outside of English languages as simply maize, is a member of the grass family Gramineae. It is technically classified as a grain crop, though when harvested young it is treated as a vegetable. Its stalks produce a cob of seeds, which are better known as the kernels, though by botanical definition they are the individual fruits of the plant. Yellow corn is just one cultivar among thousands of corn varieties, heirloom, hybrid or genetically modified. Yellow corn is an evolutionary mutation of white corn. Most yellow corn in the commercial marketplace is a hybrid variety developed in the 20th century. The first hybrid yellow sweet corn, ‘Redgreen’ was released by the Connecticut Agricultural Experimental program in 1924.

Applications

The less sweet corn is cooked, the better the flavor and texture. Yellow corn can be roasted, grilled, blanched, steamed, or pureed. Its bright and sweet flavors lend well to pastas and salads. It pairs well with tomatoes, basil cilantro, lobster, pork, chiles, truffles, shelling beans, cream, nutty cheeses, peas, summer squashes, fennel, citrus and scallops. Yellow corn is dried and ground into flour for baked goods, tortillas, cereals and used as a crust/crisping agent for dishes both savory and sweet. Corn is also used for oil, as a sweetener in foods and beverages and as a base for beverage alcohol.