Lots of shucks...52 ears to be exact will yield lots of shucks. A deal(?) for $.43/ear. You who are quick mathematicians know that's $22.50 a bushel--corn has gone UP, as you well know. How much is it where you buy?
On to the important, experience--opportunity to TEACH my offspring about her past and getting my 16-year-old "shucking" soon (with me) a fete in itself. Time alone with my child, woo hoo! And her response when I asked her opinion about helping?...she chimed in, "I think it's weird we have corn to shuck, but I don't mind."
And trust me, she won't "mind" eating it either, 'cause this is SWEET, SWEET white Silver Queen corn from my favorite fresh produce stand, Chadwick's about 3 miles from here. Since I don't have an acre or two to seed, nurture and harvest my own I must rely on the Lord to provide from another source, and I am so thankful for that source. My granny's source was a friend who had his own fields and he would lovingly bring her a couple of bushels after he would harvest--'cause in the "kuntry" folks take care of their elderly and share when the crops are ready.
Granny, my mom and I would rock in the high-back rockers or sit in the porch swing, singing Cokesbury hymns as we worked throwing into the "husk" or "clean" paper grocery bag. Pulling, peeling, picking strings as we went (note: shucking's easier when you keep the corn dry as possible)...washing would take place later in the sink followed by cooking and packing in "Tupperware" for the fridge and freezer.
My plan: blanche it all; cut 3/4 of the batch off the cob, dry and place in Ziploc bags to freeze; leave 1/4 of the bushel on-the-cob for eating this week.
All this corn talk made me think of the Indians who kept this at the center of their existence. They praised corn as one of their gods. I don't praise it as a god, but it is so sweet, sweet to eat and to get toys for the kids. "What?", you say. My granny would sometimes make corn husk dolls for us...(http://www.nativetech.org/cornhusk/dollinst.html. This art can be quite elaborate but our were very simple.
Lord knows I'll have my weight's worth in husks once we're done, so contact me if you'd like some for dolls (or compost). You may be exclaiming, "Husks?!...no way, I want some of the corn."
OK, OK, I'll share if you'll come help shuck--AWWWWW, SHUCKS! you, say?!
"...He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."
