This year I did not "put up" any frozen corn but I sure did cut a lot off the cob for stewed corn.It is just the two of us and you know it is a lot of work to cut it off and freeze, so I just make it when we want some. It seems to be in the store all the year round now too, but NOT as good as local sweet corn in the summer. But to be perfectly honest with you, I do miss fixing it with my mama and her sisters and everybody taking some home to freeze and save for Thanksgiving and Christmas. That seems to be the two special occasions when we all expect and really want it, isn't it!!
Well, here in eastern North Carolina this is the way I leaned to make it...or watched it being made for many years by my mama and grand mamas...I kinda figured it out on my own about 5-6 years ago.
Stewed or Creamed Corn
Shuck and remove the silks from 6 ears of corn
Cut the corn off of each cob but NOT too close
Next, go back and scrap each cob, on all sides, with the edge of a smaller knife
and here is where the "cream" comes from.
My Aunt Bobbi would say "Kathy, you are cutting it too close"
EVERY time I cut, I can hear her telling me this as a reminder!!
A puddle of pure gold!!
Mix this all together and put in a frying pan and 1/2 cup water,
add salt and LOTS of black pepper
and the good stuff, bacon grease!!
YES, bacon grease.
I save the grease from frying bacon in the mornings and even blot it on paper towels...
isn't that funny...then I add it back!!!
Make a roux by adding about 1/8 cup of flour and putting about 1 T of grease
on top...it will melt in as it begins to cook.
I have found these three to be the key ingredients
and do not skimp on any one of them...
taste and add more salt & pepper as it cooks.
I think a lot of black pepper makes it perfect.
Stir and it will melt in as it cooks.
Here it is after cooking for about 30-40 minutes.
One of our family favorites...
Blessings all,
Kathy
Isn't it interesting how family recipes differed? We blanched it on the cob. Sliced it from the cob as you do. Then we froze it in bags until we were ready for a meal.
ReplyDeletePersonally, the only thing I do with sweet corn is allow my daughter to purchase several ears a year from the farm store across the field from us (Schwebach Farms), wrap it in plastic wrap, and cook it in the microwave. (I'm allergic to corn in all it's forms, so I don't eat it---must be from growing up in the midst of all those corn fields!)
Yummy, thank you for the share. My Grandmother made it with butter and bacon drippings, and no pepper, but I bet I'd like yours, too ~
ReplyDelete:-}pokey
I didn't put up any corn this year either. We love it fresh on the cob or taken off the cob and just frozen in packages. I wonder if the creamed corn is a southern dish? Nancy
ReplyDeleteI imagine that it is southern and made with the roux to extend it a bit too...
DeleteWe love corn. I freeze some every year, but you are right that now we can get it year around. I lived in Ohio so am partial to their corn. :) But now that I am in Texas must say they have some good corn too. I have never fixed it as you do...although I do scrape the cob as you instructed. My husband loves black pepper and bacon, so would like this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI do cream corn much the same way but with a little sugar and less pepper, I will have to try it your way! You can't go wrong with a little bacon drippings in everything
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh Kathy, this brought back so many memories. My Alabama great-grandmother always kept a little tin can by her stove for all the bacon drippings she saved and added it to almost every dish she made. When that wasn't added, you put in salted fatback, as I recall. I bet your creamed corn dish is absolutely delicious.... I could almost taste it through the photos. Your Sunday lunch looked beautiful. Your table was set so pretty. Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDelete