There are several different types of corn grown in Michigan including Flint corn, Dent Corn, Heirloom, and of course, Sweet corn. Each type has different uses, but for us, Michigan sweet corn is the cream of the crop. According to Michigan Grown Michigan Great, Michigan grows over 86 million pounds of sweet corn each year. This sweet vegetable is a good source of fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants.
Michigan Sweet Corn Recipes
What’s your favorite way to enjoy summer sweet corn? Grilled? Boiled and slathered in butter? Creamed? Served raw in a salsa? The opportunities are endless – or you can try at least 25 Fresh Corn recipes from Serious Eats.
Try this Maque Choux Salad from Chef Ederique Goudia of Detroit Food Academy, featured in our 2021 Local Food Guide:
Maque Choux
Maque Choux (pronounced mock shoo) is a traditional dish of Cajun southern Louisiana. This take includes an array of local fresh ingredients, cutting out the bacon fat for a fresher bite.
SALAD INGREDIENTS
- 2 ears corn, roasted
- 1 red bell pepper, roasted and diced
- 1/4 medium red onion, diced
- 1/2 stalk celery, sliced
- 10 oz cherry or heirloom tomatoes, cut in half
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 5 oz arugula/baby spinach/spring mix
CITRUS VINAIGRETTE
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- Zest of 1/2 orange
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
Roast corn and red bell pepper. You can achieve this either by turning a gas stove on high and placing both corn and red bell pepper directly on the fire or removing corn off cob and dicing bell pepper and placing on a cookie sheet and roasting in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Once the corn is roasted, remove off the cob.
In a medium bowl, combine corn, diced red onion, roasted and diced red bell peppers, sliced celery, cut tomatoes, and salt & pepper.
For the citrus vinaigrette, place all ingredients in a jar and twist on the lid and shake. If you don’t have a jar, whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Pour ½ of vinaigrette recipe into the bowl with salad ingredients and mix. Add arugula/ spring mix/baby spinach and lightly toss. Chill and serve.
The Best Way to Freeze Sweet Corn
Do you love all the fresh produce during the summer? Make it last with your freezer! Follow these steps for freezing sweet corn to last the entire year:
- Remove the husk and silk from your corn
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil
- Carefully add cobs and cook for 2-3 minutes
- Remove cobs from pots and put in bowl of ice water to cool down
- When cool to the touch, cut off kernels from cobs ( tip: we like to place a clean kitchen towel on the counter, then cut down the cob with a sharp knife. Then we gather the towel up and add all kernels to the bowl.)
- Add to freezer bags and remove as much air as possible. (Optional: Add a pat of butter to each serving sized bag )
Check out our other tips for saving summer flavor in this article.
Best Corn Mazes in Michigan
In terms of most acres covered, Michigan corn is tied with soybeans. Much of the corn grown in Michigan is used to feed livestock or create ethanol. Many farms that grow field corn like to have a bit of fun with their acres and draw in crowds with their annual corn mazes!
Looking for the best corn mazes in Michigan? Check out some this fall at our partners:
Search the rest of our directory of Michigan farms with corn mazes here.
Let us know how you enjoy Michigan Sweet Corn! Tag us @ tastethelocaldifference !
Emma Beauchamp is the former Editor in Chief for Taste the Local Difference.
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