Corn is arriving for the season

Emily Gojmerac

Reporter

Corn is a great sweet treat for anyone this time of year.

We Grow of Westboro does three plantings every year. This is the first round. They pick the corn the morning of the Farmer’s Market.

Corn likes fertile soil that is well drained and prefers to be planted in a block style to increase pollination.

Corn can be prepared in a variety of ways: you can peel back the husk of the cob, peel the fine hairs away from the cob, cover the cob back up with the husk and grill it to caramelize the flavors. You can boil it and eat it right off the cob also.

Corn can be preserved numerous ways, including freezing, canning, drying, pickling, or salting. Preserving corn is a good way to extend summer into fall and winter. Canning and freezing are two popular methods especially for today’s sweet corn varieties.

Recipe to try: Corn Salsa

INGREDIENTS 5 ears fresh corn OR 3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed 1/3 cup red onion minced 2 tablespoons jalapeno seeds and ribs removed, then minced 1 red bell pepper cored, seeded and finely diced 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons lime juice salt to taste INSTRUCTIONS

•If using fresh corn, shuck the corn. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat. Place the corn on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until corn is tender and charred. Use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cob.

•If you’re using frozen corn, skip the grilling step.

•Place the corn, red onion, jalapeno, red bell pepper, cilantro, lime juice and salt in a large bowl.

•Stir gently to combine.

•Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day before serving.