Grow Corn for Popping This Summer

Growing corn for popping or grinding into cornmeal is honestly one of the simplest things you can do in your garden. Plant it just like sweet corn—in blocks rather than rows for better pollination. Drop a little piece of fish or a splash of fish emulsion into each hole before you drop in the seed. Since all corn is wind-pollinated, give your stalks a gentle shake each day once the tassels appear—it really helps fill out those ears.

Dry corn—also known as field corn or ornamental corn—stays right on the stalk until it dries. Hold off on harvesting until the plants start turning brown. The longer you let them dry, the easier those kernels come off. That's why you can enjoy the ears as a fall decoration first, stalks and all, before getting down to business. When it's time to shell the corn, I've found that giving the cob a firm twist or snapping it in half makes the job much easier. Then just push the kernels off with your thumbs. Store them in a clean, food-safe jar and you're set.

Popcorn kernels tend to be pointier than those meant for grinding, and you'll get far better popping results with a variety bred specifically for that purpose. For grinding, a decent coffee grinder does the trick nicely. Go coarse for grits or hominy, finer for cornmeal or corn flour. We grew Cherokee White Eagle one year and ended up with the most gorgeous purplish cornmeal—let me tell you, those muffins were the star of our Thanksgiving table!

Keep in mind that cornstarch is made through an entirely different process, though corn flour can often step in as a substitute in a pinch.

Here are some varieties worth considering, along with their colors and what they're best used for:

Grow Corn for Cornmeal and Grits:Bedwell's Supreme White Dent; whiteWade's White Eagle; mixed

Grow Corn for Cornmeal:Cherokee White Eagle; blueStrubbes Orange; orangeNothstine Dent; yellowBloody Butcher; redBlack Mexican Sweet Corn; gray to blackPencil Cob Dent; white

Grow Corn for Corn Flour:Jersey Peterson Blue; blueTennessee Red Cob; red

Grow Corn for Popping:Cherokee Long Ear; mixedDakota Black; reddish blackStrawberry Popcorn; redRed Beauty; red

Gardening Jones is a Pennsylvania-based master gardener. Read herother Horticulture posts hereand learn more atgardeningjones.com/._____________________________________________Grow corn as part of aThree Sisters gardenwith seeds from Renee's Garden.

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