Sweet Corn Ripe 327 



wonder; their eating habits or their dietary troubles? For all 

 of them have the latter. And none of them looks to be par- 

 ticularly well fed. Too, there's more than a hint of neu- 

 roticism in their advocacy of minced-up, raw foods. 



But then, I take my stand with those who frankly enjoy 

 eating good food, and who are up to enjoying sweet corn for 

 breakfast several times a week during its season. 



Not sweet corn which has been picked the day, or several 

 days before. Corn which has been off the parent stem more 

 than an hour or two has lost its caste as a breakfast treat. 

 What I write now is addressed to those who are lucky enough 

 to have their own vegetable gardens, or who, at least, aspire 

 to be in that fortunate position some day. 



The recipe for cooking sweet corn on the cob starts like the 

 old rule for making hare soup: "First catch your hare. . . ." 

 First draw some fresh cold water into a large pot and put it on 

 to boil. Then go forth into your own garden and choose some 

 ripened ears of corn. The silk at the ends of the ears will be 

 dry and brown and break off easily in your hand. But the 

 husks will be green and moist. Bring in the ears and when 

 the water is boiling rapidly, pull off the husks and filaments 

 of silk and drop the ears into the pot. Cover and boil, un- 

 salted, for three minutes. 



It is not epicurean fanaticism which insists that sweet com 

 begins to lose its flavor immediately after it has been picked. 

 There is a scientific reason back of the statement. The tender- 

 ness of the corn is due to the low quantity of starch in the 

 kernels. The flavor is due to the large amount of sugar. While 

 the ears are on the stalk, the enzymatic activity is constantly 

 converting the sugar in the kernels to starch; but also, at the 

 same time, new sugar is constantly coming into the ears from 

 the leaves. When you pull the ear, you do not stop the enzy- 

 matic transformation of sugar into starch. But you do cut off 

 the compensating supply of new sugar. The longer the corn 

 stands, after pulling, the tougher, the starchier, and the less 

 flavorful must it become. 



