Corns need to be cooked with proper care. If you overcook it, you would lose its crunchiness. So, the question is how long to boil corn.
The time it takes to cook corn is short. But, the perfectly cooked corn requires a few steps. These steps start with the corn you buy. You need to search for corns (i.e. on the cob) that have green husks. These husks are great indicators of freshness and crunchiness. So, keep off from buying corns that have dried husks. How can you differentiate them? It is fairly easy. These dried husks sport a brown colored exterior and in general the cob appears dull.
Now, the answer to the hot, boiling question is 4 to 8 minutes. Yes, all it takes is only that much time to boil corn. So, after buying corn on the cob with green husks, store it in your refrigerator if you are planning to boil it later.
Before boiling, you need to take the husks off and the yellowish strings. The leaves are gentled pulled to gain access to the kernels inside. Wash the corns thoroughly. You may still find some threads attached. Remove them as well while washing. Corns come in full sizes and hence you may need a big vessel to hold them all. In case you only have smaller vessels, you may cut the corns.
For boiling, use a fairly big mouthed vessel. Pour water into it and bring it to a boil. Now add a spoonful of salt and drop the corns. As the water in your vessel is already boiling, take needful care to drop the corns slowly.
The answer to the key question is put to use now. If you need crunchy corns, let it boil for 4 minutes. On the other hand, if you are in need of softer kernels, let it stay on boil for 6 to 8 minutes. You may need to have a timer set for the finishing time.
Never forget that the corns are now very hot to handle with bare hands. So, remember to always use tongs while removing corns. These corns are ready to be served. You may want to add some sea salt and butter to make it a tasty delight. If you have leftovers, store them in a container and keep it refrigerated. It is possible to store it upto 5 days. Always make sure the container is airtight all through the storing period.
Addition of corn to your cuisine can effortlessly enhance the tastiness of your dishes. The calorific value of boiled corn is 96 calories per 100 grams.
Corn is also blessed with a lot of nutritional benefits. The key benefit is its high fiber content. The abundant fibers help prevent digestion related problems such as inability to pass stools, hardened and pelletized stools. In fact, the fiber content in corns can provide upto nearly 20% of your daily needs of fiber. The fiber content in corns can make your stools to become soft and bulkier. Consumption of corns is highly recommended for ailments such as chronic diarrhea as well as irritable bowel syndrome (widely referred as IBS).
The kernels also have plentiful antioxidants. These are found to possess cancer fighting properties – especially cancer in the colon, and have also found to keep off age-related disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
The kernel has the nutrients to fight chronic disorders such as hemorrhoids. Boiled corns are also found to retain niacin and thiamine – the key components of vitamin, especially vitamin B. Niacine provides for nourishment and prevents disorders such as dementia and dermatitis. It is also a great way to prevent chronic diarrhea. On the other hand, thiamin boosts your cognitive capabilities by promoting health of nerves. Apart from vitamins, boiled corn can be a great source for various essential minerals for your body.
These minerals include copper, zinc (richly available in some sea foods as well), iron, phosphorous (good for renal health and also helps prevent osteoporosis or impairment of bones), manganese and magnesium (endowed with benefits such as bone health as well as cardiac health). On top of it all, it has the rarest of minerals such as selenium; an uncommon nutrient.
Boiled corn is also a great food to be consumed during pregnancy. Carrying mothers can supply folic acid to their womb through the regular intake of corn. Folic acid ensures better nerve health of new-born babies, and can resolve underweight among babies. However, corns can add to your weight –especially adults; this is mainly due to the high calorific content in its kernel.
In general, eating corn is found to improve your overall health. This may be due to the presence of rare antioxidants as well as vitamins – especially vitamin E. It can also reduce your cholesterol level through its anti-atherogenic properties; decrease risks of anemia (owing to rich iron content in corn). Corn helps absorb iron and help form red blood cells in abundance. These properties are attributed to the presence of beta carotene as well as vitamins such as vitamin A in greater proportion. The same nutrients (i.e., vitamin A and beta carotene) can also help in yielding better skin health.
With such wholesome benefits in these yellow kernels, it is not a good thing to pass the corn. As all it takes is only 4 to 8 minutes to make it ready to eat, it is easy to avail all the benefits of corn.