Fresh Blue Jade corn. Aren’t the little ears so cute?
Today I arrived back from my vacation, and harvested my Blue Jade corn. I was worried that my corn would pass its prime while I was in Idaho, and it did. It was still edible, but a bit chewy and starchy. But it sure looked beautiful roasted up!
Blue Jade is one of the rare heirloom sweet corns available. It’s a dwarf variety, suitable for containers, reaching about 4 foot tall at the tallest. Though the Seed Savers website said this variety bears 3-6 miniature ears per stalk, I only got 1-2. The kernels, which are steel blue at maturity, turn jade green when boiled.
You can preview and purchase Blue Jade corn at Seed Savers’ Exchange.
Since I prefer baking my corn on the cob, I wondered if the corn would retain its color if baked. Most vegetables lose at least some color when boiled in water (and some vitamins, as well.) Not only did it retain all its color, but the blue intensified. It’s beautiful.
Missy’s Baked Corn on the Cob:
- Shuck an ear of fresh sweet corn
- Roll the ear in softened butter. For extra flavor, you can mix herbs such as fresh pressed garlic, or anything from your spice cupboard, in the butter.
- Wrap the cob in aluminum foil, the same way you would wrap a baked potato.
- Bake at 350 degrees for at least 30 minutes, but no more than an hour.
- Allow to cool before serving. These retain their heat very well.
Since they retain heat so well, they are perfect for taking to picnics. I have baked corn, tossed it in a paper bag, and served it warm two hours later. Baked corn on the cob retains and enhances the sweetness of the kernel, plus it allows you to add different seasonings.
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About Marissa Ames
I’m a working mom, a devoted wife, an author and a homesteader. I spend my free time eating lunch.
My homesteading story began 180 years ago, with pioneering ancestors who made drastic changes to preserve faith and values. With each generation the plot repeats: A diligent father works long hours to provide for his family. An innovative mother fills in the gaps while striving to uphold her faith and values. Children follow in their parents’ footsteps, returning to proven methods when modern times fall short on promises of a better life.
Now my husband and I live the lessons taught by our parents, working to support our family through conventional careers in addition to urban farming. We raise chickens and other poultry, rely on large-scale urban gardening, and get through the winter with canning and food preservation. In the spring and summer we grow food; in the fall we preserve it; in the winter we make cheese and soap and chronicle the year’s experiences.
I began the Ames Family Farm blog on a whim, mostly to secure the name in case I took my talents further and started a greenhouse or an educational system. What came to fruition exceeded my own ambitions. Now I share my experiences through Ames Family Farm, Countryside and Backyard Poultry Magazines, other publications, and social media. I speak at conventions and work with school gardening projects, advocating sustainability and backyard chickens in urban settings. Mostly, I offer what I can as friends and acquaintances seek help with gardening or homesteading endeavors.
My current books in progress include Huntsman, the third book in the Tir Athair medieval fantasy series, and a homesteading series to help budget-minded urbanites enhance their living spaces to save money and advocate a healthier, happier way of life. I continue to contribute to Countryside and Backyard Poultry through it all.
I believe homesteading is meant to save money rather than cost more. That gardening enhances health and joy as well as cutting costs, that canning and food preservation are keys to self-reliance when bad times hit. That everyone has the ability to homestead. Even if you live in a high-rise apartment and cannot keep chickens, you can make cheese or sew clothing. Even in a food desert you can budget and preserve food to protect your health and way of life.