Creamed Corn

[Dark Rumor]

Does any grow corn to make cream corn, if so what variety do you grow?

My mother always uses field corn from the local farmers in South Georgia.

Any tips for growing corn in a raised bed?

[Tormato]

Country Gentleman, a "shoepeg" type, is traditionally used for creamed corn. I'm not going to go to that M*A*S*H episode where Father Mulcahy screams at the cook for creaming the fresh corn on the cob. Wait, I just did.

[b54red]

My advice is to buy a few crates of fresh corn to cream and don't use your raised beds for growing corn. I did it a few times early on and regretted it because it sapped the beds so much. Corn is such a heavy feeder it will lower the level of your beds soil by an amount that you probably will not be too happy with.

Bill

[Black Krim]

Sandhill has a huge corn selection. Perhaos reading thru the listings will reveal a good choice for creaming.

In the 70's, my mother made creamed corn from whatever she grew. Likely a modern type, as catalogs carried the new varieties.

[Nan_PA_6b]

"country gentleman" is a shoe peg type that's creamy, lending itself to creamed corn, so says Mother Earth News.

[Dark Rumor]

Thanks to everyone who responded, I have ordered Country Gentleman and I have requested a recommendation from Sandhill.

[FarmerShawn]

Hmmm. I always thought creamed corn was more related to preparation technique than variety. If you steam nice, young sweet corn cobs, cut the kernels off, then scrape the cob to get the cream, you've got creamed corn. But then, I am a lifelong New Englander, so what do I know? 😉

[Black Krim]

lol, my mother a Mainer, used a special ctter/creamer that made creamed corn from every swipe of the fresh ear of corn..... a 40 year old memory...

[Dark Rumor]

I am sure there are different ways to prepare corn, creamed corn in south Georgia uses field corn since field corn was standard market crop. When sweet corn is creamed it is to watery and does not make what we call cream corn in South Georgia. When you cream field corn you have to add a little water when cooking it.

[imp]

We had always used a sweet corn for table corn, either for creamed or whole or as whole ears Would save up the corn cobs and make a stock with them, reduce it and use as needed later. used some of the stock to make the creamed corn by reducing the corn stock more, adding fresh cut off kernels and corn milk, and the cream or raw milk to the stock, cooking it briefly, and adding a cornstarch slurry and butter and cream to the pot, Salt and Pepper, a touch of onion powder and a thyme sprig or two. Heat to serving temp and until as thick as desired, remove thyme sprigs and eat.

[GoDawgs]

I can't address the creamed corn question as I rarely make the stuff. All sweet corn grown here gets cut off the cob, tray frozen and bagged.

Most of the sweet corn is grown in traditional rows with some toying around with double rows. However I have grown an early variety called Spring Treat, popcorn and a flint corn (it was a test) in a raised bed.

The beds are 4'x18' and I make 7 circular "hills" or plantings in a bed. I put a stake in the center of the bed and the other hills are 27" apart on center going down the bed each way. Then I plant the seed in a 9" radius from the center of each circle. Seedlings are thinned to 7-8" apart around each circle. Then I mulch well once the early weeds have germinated and been lightly hoes out. It's worked pretty well, generating enough plants close enough together so that there's not a pollination problem.

This was Spring Treat:




For fertilizing I just use a small hand hoe, pull soil back next to each plant and drop some fert in there. It doesn't take too long to do the bed but I sure wouldn't do that for long rows!

Before I came up with this for the bed I played with various other methods like planting short rows across the bed or long rows running down the bed. It's problematic fertilizing and pulling soil to the plants.

If you have a spare bed and no other way to grow corn, give it a shot!

Bill, I don't understand the lowering of soil level if you grow corn in a bed. It doesn't happen here. I dig up the stalks and bang all that soil off the roots on the back of the shovel before tossing the stalks into the cart. No soil loss that way.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by GoDawgs

I can't address the creamed corn question as I rarely make the stuff. All sweet corn grown here gets cut off the cob, tray frozen and bagged.

Most of the sweet corn is grown in traditional rows with some toying around with double rows. However I have grown an early variety called Spring Treat, popcorn and a flint corn (it was a test) in a raised bed.

The beds are 4'x18' and I make 7 circular "hills" or plantings in a bed. I put a stake in the center of the bed and the other hills are 27" apart on center going down the bed each way. Then I plant the seed in a 9" radius from the center of each circle. Seedlings are thinned to 7-8" apart around each circle. Then I mulch well once the early weeds have germinated and been lightly hoes out. It's worked pretty well, generating enough plants close enough together so that there's not a pollination problem.

This was Spring Treat:




For fertilizing I just use a small hand hoe, pull soil back next to each plant and drop some fert in there. It doesn't take too long to do the bed but I sure wouldn't do that for long rows!

Before I came up with this for the bed I played with various other methods like planting short rows across the bed or long rows running down the bed. It's problematic fertilizing and pulling soil to the plants.

If you have a spare bed and no other way to grow corn, give it a shot!

Bill, I don't understand the lowering of soil level if you grow corn in a bed. It doesn't happen here. I dig up the stalks and bang all that soil off the roots on the back of the shovel before tossing the stalks into the cart. No soil loss that way.

Dawg you are definitely losing volume but don't see it like you would in a raised bed with sides. I have raised beds with wood sides and the lose of soil is very noticeable if you grow corn or even another heavy feeder like Brussel's Sprouts will lower the soil level. I have been gardening in raised beds with sides for over 40 years and after a few very successful beds of corn I decided it just wasn't worth the loss of volume that needed to be replaced and not only that it increased the sandiness of the soil by taking out so much organic matter. The other heavy feeder that will lower a bed is large types of okra like Cowhorn but I don't plant many plants and they are far apart so it isn't as noticeable as when growing a bed full of corn.

In our family we have always used mostly sweet corn for creamed corn. My uncle who used to plow his corn with a mule would plant between a half acre and an acre every year of sweet corn for creaming and the rest was planted in field corn for drying and feeding his animals. My mother would take all us kids to visit when the corn was ready and for a couple of days we would all shuck corn and cream it with a corn grater and my aunt and mother would blanch it, bag it and freeze it. When we got done we would take back a large ice chest full of bags of creamed corn.
I loved visiting my aunt and uncles farm except for corn creaming time.

Bill

[Dark Rumor]

Originally Posted by b54red

In our family we have always used mostly sweet corn for creamed corn. My uncle who used to plow his corn with a mule would plant between a half acre and an acre every year of sweet corn for creaming and the rest was planted in field corn for drying and feeding his animals. My mother would take all us kids to visit when the corn was ready and for a couple of days we would all shuck corn and cream it with a corn grater and my aunt and mother would blanch it, bag it and freeze it. When we got done we would take back a large ice chest full of bags of creamed corn.
I loved visiting my aunt and uncles farm except for corn creaming time.

Bill

My job was to pick and shuck the corn and my mother and aunt would scrap the corn with a knife and corn grater. It was a lot of hard work for the two of them, but cream corned, butter beans and peas were a major part of our diet growing up in the 60's and 70's.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by Dark Rumor

My job was to pick and shuck the corn and my mother and aunt would scrap the corn with a knife and corn grater. It was a lot of hard work for the two of them, but cream corned, butter beans and peas were a major part of our diet growing up in the 60's and 70's.

Brings back memories doesn't it?

Bill