How big is a bushel of corn?
In this brief article, we are going to answer the question,”How big is a bushel of corn?”, and discuss what a bushel of corn is, the nutritional profile and health benefits along with the potential downsides of corn.
How big is a bushel of corn?
A bushel of corn is approximately equal to 56 pounds. * inch corn ears consists of about half a pound equivalent of shelled grain corn. The amount of corn can be estimated by counting the total corn ears in 3 different furrow strips of 100 ft divided by two which equals the no. of bushels in an acre.
Small or broken corn ears are considered as half ears and more than 8-10 bushels in an acre needs a good devised strategy to prevent the excess grazing of corn by cattles.
What is “a bushel of corn”?
A bushel of corn is a measurement unit which is used to measure dry crops in the agricultural sector. This term is used as reference to the standard weight of crops. The weights of different crops are obviously different so the bushel will also vary.
What is the nutritional profile of corn?
½ a cup of corn consists of about 80 calories, 15 grams carbohydrates, 1-3 grams of protein and 0-1 grams of fat and around 2.5 grams of fibre. Other compounds which are found in compounds that boost the nutritional value of corn include ferulic acid, anthocyanins, zeaxanthin, lutein and phytic acid.
What are the health benefits of corn?
Corn is beneficial for eye health because of the presence of zeaxanthin, and lutein, which are the predominant forms of vitamin A in corn.
Corn is also beneficial in the prevention of diverticulosis, a disease of the large intestine, where pouches form in the initial part of the large intestine cousin symptoms such as cramps, flatulence, bloating and even bleeding in some cases.
Potential downsides of corn
Some antinutrients in corn can have adverse effects on human health. Phytic acid for example hinders the absorption of essential minerals such as calcium, iron and zinc from food. Even if you take the minerals in high amounts, with food sources containing phytic acid, the minerals will not be allowed to be absorbed and used by the cells.
Instead, they will be directly excreted from the body. To reduce the phytic acid content in corn, it should either be soaked, sprouted or fermented to reduce levels.
Contamination of corn by fungi leads to the production of mycotoxins, which can increase the risk of cancers, neural tube effects which lead to disability and death. Corn also contains zein, which is a type of gluten and is not suitable for those who cannot digest the gluten protein such as patients with celiac disease.
Also the fibre in corn helps to attain a feeling of fullness which results in decreased intake of calories and therefore decreased weight gain. Adding butter, cheese, oil, caramel, slat and cream may just add to the empty calories which will eventually lead to weight gain.
Corn should properly be stored, either freezed, or if the corn is cooked, leave the husks on and put the cobs in the fridge. The corn should be consumed within five days.
What are the types of corn?
There are four main types of corn
- Sweet corn – which has a mildly sweet taste and comes in yellow or white or a combination of yellow and white colours.
- Popcorn – which pops when exposed to heat as the moisture inside the popcorn gives off steam. Pressure inside the kernel increases causing the kernel to explode.
- Flint corn – also known as Indian corn is a type harder than sweet corn and comes in red, white, blue black and gold colours.
- Dent corn – as the name suggests, this type of corn has a dent at the top, and is mostly used for the feed of animals but is also used in tortillas and grits.
Other FAQs about Corn that you may be interested in.
Can you eat canned corn without cooking it?
Conclusion
In this brief article, we answered the question,”How big is a bushel of corn?”, and discussed what a bushel of corn is, the nutritional profile and health benefits along with the potential downsides of corn.
