Corn with character

3 ways to try corn right now

• Dress your sweet corn like they do in Mexico, and rub the steamed ears with lime wedges, then sprinkle with salt
• Going to New York? Be on the lookout for pastry chef Deborah Snyder's moist fig cake with sweet corn ice cream; check if it's on the current menu at the acclaimed Lever House
• Use blue cornmeal for a twist on regular cornmeal muffins and breads

3 things you may not know about sweet corn

• The average ear of corn has 800 kernels, arranged in 16 rows. There is one piece of silk for each kernel
• The word corn once referred to all grains, but now it's used only for maize
• Archaeological studies have found that corn was grown near Campbellville, Ontario, before the year 1200 AD

1 tip you can't live without

• Instead of salt, try adding a bit of sugar to the cooking water to keep the kernels sweet and tender

1 thing to remember at the grocery store

• Ears should feel cool, not warm. Select fresh-looking green husks with moist, pale yellow tassels, and cook the corn the same day you buy it

1 essential tool for corn

• Serious corn lovers can bake their own bread in Lodge's skillet divided into pie-shaped wedges; alternatively, look for baking pans shaped like cobs

3 varieties of corn to grow on your own

• Hybrid White Cloud white popcorn
• Big Quick bicoloured corn
• Bodacious yellow corn

Read more in Recipes and Country Pantry