Field corn
Encyclopedia
Field corn is maize
of varieties that (in contrast with sweet corn and popcorn
) are not, in the United States
, grown primarily for consumption as human food in the form of fresh kernel
s. More than 98% of corn-growing land in the U.S. is in use for field-corn production.
Principal field corn varieties are:
Field corn is not generally regarded, in industrialized societies, as desirable for human food without commercial pre-processing. An exception is "roasting ears", similar in appearance to corn on the cob
, although it is necessarily roasted (rather than boiled or steamed as is usual with sweet corn), and is neither tender nor sweet even after the roasting.
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
of varieties that (in contrast with sweet corn and popcorn
Popcorn
Popcorn, or popping corn, is corn which expands from the kernel and puffs up when heated. Corn is able to pop because, like sorghum, quinoa and millet, its kernels have a hard moisture-sealed hull and a dense starchy interior. This allows pressure to build inside the kernel until an explosive...
) are not, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, grown primarily for consumption as human food in the form of fresh kernel
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s. More than 98% of corn-growing land in the U.S. is in use for field-corn production.
Principal field corn varieties are:
- Dent corn
- Flint cornFlint cornFlint corn, is the same species as, but a different variant of maize...
- Flour corn, including blue cornBlue cornBlue corn is a variety of maize grown in northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States, particularly in the states of Arizona and New Mexico....
(Zea mays amylacea) - Waxy cornWaxy cornWaxy corn was found in China in 1909. As this plant showed many peculiar traits, the American breeders long used it as a genetic marker to tag the existence of hidden genes in other maize breeding programs...
Uses
Large-scale applications for field corn include:- Livestock fodderFodderFodder or animal feed is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock such as cattle, goats, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. Most animal feed is from plants but some is of animal origin...
, whether as whole cobs (for hogs only), whole or ground kernels, or (after chopping and ensilageEnsilageEnsilage or silaging is the process of preserving green food for livestock in an undried condition in airtight conditions, either in a storage silo , or in plastic wrapping. The fodder which is the result of the process is called silage....
) the entire above ground portion of the unripe plant - CerealCerealCereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
products including breakfast cerealBreakfast cerealA breakfast cereal is a food made from processed grains that is often, but not always, eaten with the first meal of the day. It is often eaten cold, usually mixed with milk , water, or yogurt, and sometimes fruit but sometimes eaten dry. Some cereals, such as oatmeal, may be served hot as porridge...
s, corn meal, hominyHominyHominy or nixtamal is dried maize kernels which have been treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization.The English term hominy is derived from the Powhatan language word for maize. Many other Native American cultures also made hominy and integrated it into their diet...
and gritsGritsGrits are a food of American Indian origin common in the Southern United States and mainly eaten at breakfast. They consist of coarsely ground corn, or sometimes alkali-treated corn . They are also sometimes called sofkee or sofkey from the Muskogee language word... - Other processed human-food products including starch, oil, and sweeteners
- AlcoholAlcohol (disambiguation)An alcohol is an organic compound in which a hydroxyl functional group is bound to a carbon atom.Alcohol may also refer to:*Specific alcohols:**Ethanol, the chemical compound commonly known as alcohol...
and corn whiskeyCorn whiskeyCorn whiskey is an American liquor made from a mash made of at least 80 percent corn.The whiskey is typically run off to high proof and cut to not less than 40 percent alcohol by volume. It does not have to be aged; but if so, it is aged in new uncharred oak barrels or in barrels previously used...
Field corn is not generally regarded, in industrialized societies, as desirable for human food without commercial pre-processing. An exception is "roasting ears", similar in appearance to corn on the cob
Corn on the cob
Corn on the cob is a culinary term used for a cooked ear of freshly picked maize from a cultivar of sweet corn. The ear is picked while the endosperm is in the "milk stage" so that the kernels are still tender...
, although it is necessarily roasted (rather than boiled or steamed as is usual with sweet corn), and is neither tender nor sweet even after the roasting.