Good behavior is tossed out the window in the produce department
- Scott Daniels: We Ate Well and Cheaply
- June 23, 2018
- 1227
Let me speak up for the folks who do their best to make sure we have a steady supply of fresh, seasonal, interesting produce. When you think about it, it’s no small feat to source enough vegetables and fruits to make sure everyone from Tallahassee to Pasadena has all the tomatoes, onions, apples and peas they could ever need.
So it must be exasperating, at this time of year especially, to see so much of it go to waste in our hands before it ever leaves the store or market. Passing by the bins of fresh corn, it’s hard to not feel sorry for the person who is charged with keeping the supply stocked up and inviting. The corn offered for sale often looks like it’s been raided by starving survivors of the zombie apocalypse.
I don’t mean to scold, but goodness, why do so many of us toss good behavior out the window when we see ears of corn at the store? At times, as much as a third of the ears in the bin are half stripped of their husk and tossed aside.
I don’t understand how this practice got started or why. Once peeled like that, an ear has lost its protection against the air and will quickly dry out and become unsalable, though I imagine after being manhandled and stripped bare it won’t ever get chosen by anyone, dry or not. I’m not really sure what you’re looking for as the discarded ears look perfectly fine.
So the produce manager must factor in human damage to the corn she sources, and that can’t be a good thing for the price she has to charge us. Many stores have clearly given up the battle, providing a trash can for husks, hoping you’ll go ahead and peel the whole thing and keep it.
I’m sure you wouldn’t walk into a Gap store armed with a seam ripper, prepared to pull apart five pairs of pants in search of … what? A missing inner stitch?
There’s really no need to go peeling an ear of corn to decide if it’s OK to take home. Here’s a better way:
Look at the silks. Are they still fresh looking at the base? Is the bunch of silks sticking out the top a light or medium brown? These are signs the corn is fresh. If the silk has turned quite dark or the husk shows signs of browning, it’s probably past its prime. You can pull a tiny bit of the husk aside to check, but there’s no need to peel the dumb thing.
Smell the silk end. Does it smell like fresh corn?
Finally, you will be able to tell if it’s missing a lot of kernels by gently pressing the outer husk. And if you get your dozen ears home and find that one or two of them have one or two missing kernels, the world will not end. I promise.
This applies throughout the produce department. Try not to spoil the grocer’s merchandise when you choose what to buy. I find thumb indents in a sizable number of the tomatoes I see. Let your nose and eyes do the work; you’ll quickly see and smell if a tomato is overripe or a potato or onion in the sack is off.
We’ve been grilling a version of Mexican street corn you might want to try. After peeling the ears, brush with melted butter, dust with paprika, cayenne, an herb of your choosing, etcetera, and place them over the hot coals and turn frequently until charred a bit. Sprinkle some grated cheese on top as soon as you take them off. We’ve found asiago to be our favorite so far, but the summer is young.