How much corn is in an ear? (+5 types of corn)
In this article, we will answer the question “How much corn is in an ear?”, and how to store corn?
How much corn is in an ear?
One corn cob contains corn in the range of 1 cup to ½ cup depending on the corn variety and size. However, an average-sized cob will typically yield ¾ cup of corn.
The nutrition profile of corn
Apart from the seed coat, corn kernels hold immense nutrients.
- A 100g yellow variety of corn has 96 calories. Corn is high in carbs and scratch is the most abundant carb comprising 28-80% of the dry weight of corn. Sweet corn is relatively high in sugar having contrary to regular corn that has only 1-3% of it.
- 9-15% of the dry weight of corn is made up of fiber consisting of hemicelluloses, lignin, and cellulose.
- Corn contains 10-15 zein proteins. Zein proteins are considered incomplete proteins but are used for various applications.
- Corn contains oil in little amounts i.e. only 5-6%. Corn oil is extracted from corn germ and increases its shelf life as well as lowers bad cholesterol level due to Vitamin E and phytosterol content.
What are the different types of corn?
Sweet corn
As the name suggests, this variety has a higher sugar content than other varieties. It is picked at the milk stage and must with eaten fresh on the cob or either canned or frozen to preserve its freshness or else the corn loses its sweetness and toughens.
Field corn
Field corn is also called dent corn and has two types namely dent and flint. This variety of corn has a tough shell and could be white or yellow in color. It is used as livestock feed or refined foods.
Flour corn
This variety is soft and has a higher starch content in the endosperm. It is ground to make corn flour and has wide applications in the baking industry.
Popcorn
A kind of flint corn having a tough hull and a soft starchy endosperm. Popcorn has a moisture content of 14-20% and it explodes when exposed to heat.
Flint corn
This variety is used for the same applications as field corn. Flint corn has a hard exterior(hence the name) and soft endosperm tissue.
Can humans digest corn?
It is safe to say that we can partly digest corn. For this, you must understand corn anatomy. Three of the most important parts in corn anatomy are the endosperm, germ, and pericarp. The endosperm contains about 95-98% of the corn starch, the germ is the embryo and the pericarp is the outer husk that protects the corn kernel.
Our body can easily digest the starchy part i.e the endosperm but it is unable to break down the pericarp because it lacks the necessary enzymes and gut bacteria to do the job. The pericarp is made up of cellulose. The enzyme that breaks down the pericarp is called xylanase and is present in herbivores, birds, and other living beings.
How to store corn?
Refrigerating corn on the corb
In order to keep corn on the cob fresh in the storage, keep the following things in mind.
- Always refrigerate your corn if you are not going to consume it immediately. The low temperature of the fridge will keep the content of the simple sugars high whilst slowing down their breakdown into bland tasting starch.
- Do not remove the husk. You can remove the outermost dirty leaves but keeping at least a few leaves intact will lock the moisture inside the corn kernels.
- Wrap a plastic sheet around the corn on the cob. Wrapping too tight will result in collecting water inside that will lead to fungal growth, so, keep it a little loose.
Freezing corn on the cob
There are two ways to freeze store corn on the cob.
- Simply place the corn on the cob with the husk intact inside the freezer bags. Label and store for about 8 months.
- The second method is to blanch before freeze storing. For this, blanch the corn on the cob in boiling hot water for 4 minutes. Remove from the water and let it sit in ice-cold water for 4 minutes to stop the cooking process. Now remove the corn kernels off the cob and store them in a freezer bag. Store in small portion sizes and label the bags.
Refrigerating cooked corn
To store cooked corn or corn leftovers, wrap the corn in a thick aluminum foil. Place it in a clean and dry air-tight container and store in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Other FAQs about Corn that you may be interested in.
Can you eat corn on a keto diet?
Conclusion
In this article, we answered the question “How much corn is in an ear?”, and how to store corn?
