1 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 1: Hello, I'm ocome Saber production of iHeartRadio. I'm Annie Res 2 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: and unlearn vogel Bum. And today we have an episode 3 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:19,319 Speaker 1: for you about sweet corn. Yes, we do. Was there 4 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:21,600 Speaker 1: any particular reason this was on your mind? Lauren? Uh? 5 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, we were asked to put together a holiday 6 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 2: related episode, and although like fresh sweet corn is more 7 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 2: of a summer thing, I do super associate corn with 8 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 2: all of those like kind of heavy Victorian era fall 9 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 2: winter holiday dishes. 10 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:42,560 Speaker 1: Yes, I do think a lot of people use them 11 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 1: in holiday dishes. Not my family, but I know it happens. 12 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 2: Oh no, your family is anti corn dishes. 13 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 1: No, I just think of it as more of a 14 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: summer thing. I feel like I said that very southern, 15 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: but not we don't usually of corn in the fall. 16 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: I guess. Yeah, that was the thing. 17 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,680 Speaker 2: I like missed fresh corn season this year, and I'm 18 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 2: really mad about it. I just sort of forgot that 19 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 2: it was happening until it was kind of over, and 20 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 2: I was like, oh, curses. 21 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:21,959 Speaker 1: Yeah, my mom she used to be a big I 22 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: can't I can't remember the name. I think it was 23 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: called silver Queen. She had a favorite type of corn. 24 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: All right, Yeah, and when it would come in. I 25 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: think it was more of an Alabama thing than a 26 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: Georgia thing. But she would like drive to get it, 27 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 1: Like she would find the farms. 28 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 2: That had it, and she would drive to get it. 29 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 2: And specific corn let's go. 30 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yes, when it came in season and it was great, 31 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: I like, I loved it. She usually we would just 32 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 1: boil it and eat it that way and it was great. 33 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, have very fond memories of it. Yeah, fresh 34 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: buttered corn is so good. I also am going through 35 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: a life long corn showder phase. It's just perennial. It's 36 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: just all the time, and making it is so satisfying. 37 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:10,800 Speaker 1: You do have to buy whole cobs, and after you 38 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: cut off the kernels, you have to simmer the cobs 39 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: in your stock to get more of the corn flavor out. 40 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 2: Really important part of the process. 41 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: Ooh that is true, because I have had some like 42 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 1: like if you do the seafood boil, you yet the 43 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: corn inn even after all the kernels are removed. It 44 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: as You're right, I've never thought about that. It's nice it. 45 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, it is the little things that bring us through 46 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 2: and we are all in this together. So yeah, let's 47 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 2: talk more about sweet corn. Specifically, we'll have to do 48 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 2: other episodes about other varieties of corn at later times 49 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 2: and days. 50 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, this one was plenty, but yes, I guess that 51 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 1: does bring us your question. Sweet corn. What is it? 52 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 2: Well, sweet corn is a type of grain that's eaten 53 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 2: as a vegetable. The part we eat, the corn kernels, 54 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 2: are the seeds of the plant, and they grow on long, 55 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 2: lightweight cobs, many white to golden yellow kernels in tight 56 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 2: rose on each cob, the whole thing protected by stiff, 57 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,960 Speaker 2: leafy husks. Each kernel has a thin skin and a juicy, tender, 58 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 2: sort of creamy flesh. You shuck off the husks or 59 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 2: buy the cobs shucked, or buy the kernels off the cobs, 60 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 2: fresh or canned or frozen, depending on how you cook it. 61 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 2: The texture can wind up anywhere from crunchy to soft 62 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 2: to chewy, and the flavor is just kind of mildly 63 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 2: sweet and starchy, with a tiny bit of like a 64 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 2: floral grass kind of flavor to it. It can be 65 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 2: eaten simply boiled or steamed or roasted right from the 66 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 2: cob bit of butter and salt on there. It's straightforward 67 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 2: sweetness is also a really good base for strong flavors though, 68 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 2: like hot chili, salty cheeses, heady herbs, and spices. It 69 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 2: can be cut off the cob and cooked alone as 70 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,279 Speaker 2: a side dish, or mixed into salads or stirred into 71 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 2: all kinds of soups and stews and casseroles. You can 72 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 2: keep the kernels whole or chop or blend them to 73 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 2: release more starch and add body to a dish. You 74 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 2: can bake the kernels into corn bread, the flour for 75 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 2: which is made from a different kind of corn, or 76 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 2: blend the kernels into sweet ice cream, or use them 77 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 2: as a topping or condiment on anything from pizza to ramen. 78 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 2: It's it's really multi purpose because it's so simple and 79 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 2: just kind of nice. Sweet corn is all of the 80 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 2: golden warm promise of summer concentrated. 81 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:59,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it really is. And when I was thinking 82 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: about it too, we would shuck the corn like as 83 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: a family on the porn. Oh yeah, like you have 84 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: those kind of memories of getting that fresh corn and 85 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: then having that time together of chucking it and then 86 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 1: enjoying it and all of these all of these multitude 87 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: of ways. But often yeah, just boiled, it does feel like, Yeah, 88 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: this is summer and a container. 89 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:29,719 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, cravings for something I can't get right now again, 90 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 2: I do it to myself, all right, because okay, Yes. 91 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 2: Corn is an annual plant, meaning that it needs to 92 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 2: be replanted from seed every year because although it likes 93 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 2: cool evening temperatures, it does not survive frost like other grains. 94 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 2: Corn plants grow these like grass type stocks. Sweet corn 95 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:51,720 Speaker 2: stalks grow a little bit taller than a tall person. 96 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 2: Each stock has these long, broad green leaves and will 97 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:57,799 Speaker 2: grow it's called a tassel at the top of the stock. 98 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:01,159 Speaker 2: That's the male flour or productive bit of the plant 99 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:05,359 Speaker 2: that produces pollen. It looks like a chunky tassel well named, 100 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 2: but below that usually one or two branches will grow 101 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:11,680 Speaker 2: off of the stock that will develop a cob. The 102 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 2: cob is this like light, tough tissue that grows with 103 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:20,239 Speaker 2: several long, tough, dull green leaves protecting it, and then 104 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 2: many long, skinny, yellow to white strands called silk, all 105 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,919 Speaker 2: connected to points along the cob where the proto kernels 106 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:32,760 Speaker 2: are just starting to develop. The strands of silk poke 107 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 2: out through the top point of the husk and they're 108 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 2: part of the female reproductive bit of the plant, and 109 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 2: their job is to collect the pollen that falls from 110 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 2: the tassel and carry it in to pollinate each kernel. 111 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 2: There can be hundreds of individual kernels on a cob, 112 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 2: each pollinated by its own strand of silk. So if 113 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:54,920 Speaker 2: you ever get a cob with some light gaps or 114 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 2: kind of little shrivel bits where kernels should be, that's 115 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 2: because that particular strand of silk didn't get any pollen. 116 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:05,599 Speaker 2: But yes, if they are pollinated, the kernels will develop 117 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:09,279 Speaker 2: this flexible but surprisingly tough skin to contain all the 118 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 2: water and sugars and other nutrients that make up the 119 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 2: flesh of the seed that a seedling would use to 120 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 2: start a new plant. But suckers, we like eating that 121 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 2: stuff too, yep. Sweet corn is a variety of corn, 122 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:28,200 Speaker 2: or a number of varieties of corn, selected for their 123 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 2: high production of sugar and low production of starch. Other types, 124 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 2: known as field corn, are prized for starch and harvested 125 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 2: after the ears have died on the plant and the 126 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 2: kernels have dried out and converted all of those sugars 127 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:44,679 Speaker 2: into tough starches for storage to feed that potential seedling 128 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 2: that could grow from each kernel. We use field corn 129 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 2: to feed livestock and to process into things like corn meal, 130 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 2: corn starch, corn syrup, ethanol, stuff like that. But we 131 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:58,800 Speaker 2: eat sweet corn as a fresh vegetable, so we harvest 132 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 2: it when it's just mature sure, and the kernels still 133 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 2: have a lot of water and sugar and are really tender. 134 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 2: The corn will start turning those sugars into starch once 135 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 2: the cob is harvested, and that's why sweet corn is 136 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 2: best when it is very fresh, and why you should 137 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 2: keep it chilled and cook it soon when you get 138 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 2: at home. It's also why a lot of sweet corn 139 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 2: is processed for canning or freezing to preserve that sweetness 140 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 2: and tenderness. You could eat field corn and it's just 141 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 2: mature stage. This is called the milk stage because the 142 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 2: liquid in the kernels will look kind of whitish and 143 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 2: milky at this stage, but it still wouldn't be as sweet. 144 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:44,079 Speaker 2: Because genetics is what makes sweet corn sweet. These recessive 145 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 2: mutations of a few different genes can lead to sweet 146 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 2: corn of different sweetness levels anywhere from like five percent 147 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:54,720 Speaker 2: sugar content to like thirty percent, and researchers and farmers 148 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:58,840 Speaker 2: select for those recessive traits. Corn will grow true from seed, 149 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 2: but it can and will cross pollinate with other types 150 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 2: of corn, so you have to isolate different varieties as 151 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 2: you're growing them. And yeah, it is eaten in all 152 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,720 Speaker 2: all dang kinds of ways. In the US, it's definitely 153 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 2: associated with like summer cookouts when it's fresh, and then 154 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 2: when it's processed with like fall or winter feast dishes, 155 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 2: and just like a daily simple side dish. 156 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:27,960 Speaker 1: I guess, yeah, every now and then I get such 157 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: a craving for grilled corn on the cops, like bits 158 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: of charts. 159 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, kernels, oh oh, because. 160 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: I don't have a grill like you can. You can 161 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:45,120 Speaker 1: replicate that in a couple of ways, but it's never 162 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:48,720 Speaker 1: it's not quite the same, so I haven't had it 163 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 1: in forever. 164 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:52,080 Speaker 2: Oh man, all right, we'll. 165 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: Have to savor summer barbecue. 166 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, If I ever make my house into something 167 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 2: vaguely presentable for other humans, I will totally have you 168 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:10,200 Speaker 2: over for a cookout. It'll be great, all right. My 169 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:12,720 Speaker 2: other favorite is girlled beets. They when you get that 170 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 2: jar on a slice of beet. 171 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 1: Oh, oh, it's so good anyway. Crush vegetables, oh so good, 172 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:28,840 Speaker 1: so good. Well, anyway, what about the nutrition. 173 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 2: Okay, corn has a decent smattering of micronutrients and a 174 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,760 Speaker 2: good punch of fiber, but overall it contains a lot 175 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 2: more sugars than most of the other things that we 176 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 2: eat as vegetables, So it's not like the very best 177 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:46,240 Speaker 2: choice of vegetable, especially if you've sort of drowned it 178 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 2: in butter or cream or cheese or all three, because 179 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 2: that's delicious, you know that. Being said, it is nice 180 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:54,040 Speaker 2: to eat things that you like eating, Like, try to 181 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 2: think of corn as a grain, like eat a different 182 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 2: vegetable sometimes. 183 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:01,520 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah. 184 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:05,560 Speaker 2: Also, in case you were wondering, your body really does 185 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:09,320 Speaker 2: digest corn, like at least the inner bits of each kernel, 186 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:13,440 Speaker 2: Like even if you swallow kernels totally whole. Nutrients will 187 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:16,439 Speaker 2: leach out through the skin of the kernel into your 188 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:19,839 Speaker 2: digestive tract. But the skin is made of cellulose, which 189 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 2: we cannot digest. So that's why it passes through looking 190 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 2: very much the same. 191 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:29,880 Speaker 1: I used to think. I just wasn't swallowing you as 192 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:33,840 Speaker 1: a kid. Oh no, you need to chew better, You 193 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:34,680 Speaker 1: need to chew better. 194 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 2: Nope, Nope, that's just that's just how it is all right, well, relief, Yes, 195 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 2: we do have some numbers for you. We do, gosh okay. 196 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 2: So the US does produce the most sweet corn. We 197 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 2: produce so much that although we consume the most, we 198 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 2: still export the most. As of twenty twenty one, the 199 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:57,360 Speaker 2: crop of sweet corn was worth some seven hundred and 200 00:11:57,360 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 2: seventy five million dollars a year. Sweet Corn is, in 201 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:06,920 Speaker 2: fact our sixth most eaten fresh vegetable. About seventy five 202 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 2: percent of what's grown here is sold fresh. Most fresh 203 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 2: corn grown here comes from Florida, Georgia, in California. Most 204 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:19,880 Speaker 2: processed corn comes from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Pacific Northwest. 205 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:23,840 Speaker 2: Kind of generally, in terms of processing, we can about 206 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 2: sixty percent of what's processed and freeze the other forty percent. 207 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 2: There are some corn related world records. The tallest sweet 208 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:39,160 Speaker 2: corn plant on record was grown in twenty twenty one. 209 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:45,600 Speaker 2: It measured forty eight feet and two inches. What that's 210 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:52,120 Speaker 2: fourteen point seven meters. I don't know why that made 211 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:56,960 Speaker 2: me nervous picturing a corn maze made of that. What? 212 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 1: No, nope, I did try to go down the after 213 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: my bragging about my corn maze skill. I tried for 214 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 1: this episode to get to the bottom of it whether 215 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 1: it was related to sweetcorn. It seems like it's more 216 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 1: of a field corn thing, but I don't know. Let 217 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:13,600 Speaker 1: me know, listeners, if you have any. 218 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 2: There were a few other world records that I'm saving 219 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 2: for future corn episodes because I'm pretty sure their field 220 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:22,560 Speaker 2: corn and I think that right, and I think that 221 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:24,800 Speaker 2: corn mazes are part of that. 222 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:26,080 Speaker 1: That would make more sense to me. 223 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, because it does for a caller usually, so okay, 224 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:32,559 Speaker 2: But there is a Goodness record for the most kernels 225 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 2: of cooked sweetcorn eaten one at a time using a 226 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:38,480 Speaker 2: cocktail stick in three minutes. 227 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 1: Okay. 228 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 2: The record was set in twenty eighteen at two hundred 229 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 2: and forty one kernels one at a time with a 230 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:54,960 Speaker 2: blacktail stick in three minutes. 231 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 1: Wow. I gotta tell you. That's one of those things 232 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:04,720 Speaker 1: where Myra is really struggling to process. I'm sure it 233 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: is impressive, but it's very hard to It's just super specific. 234 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, like, sometimes more details help and sometimes they don't. 235 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: Yeah. 236 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:23,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, Okay, here's another one. There's a National sweet Corn 237 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 2: Eating Championship which is held every year in West Palm Beach, 238 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 2: in which contestants eat as much corn off the cob 239 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:34,440 Speaker 2: as they can in twelve minutes. It's a major league 240 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 2: eating event, and professional eater Mickey Pseudo keeps beating her 241 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 2: own records every year. As of twenty twenty four, she 242 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 2: was up to fifty six ears of corn in twelve minutes. 243 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 1: Oh. 244 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:53,360 Speaker 2: I try not to usually use language like this because 245 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 2: I don't want it to mean anyone's experience on this planet. 246 00:14:56,680 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 2: But it is so gross to watch. 247 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 1: Eating cord. I found a whole article about how eating corn. 248 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 1: I think it's from like the nineteen tens, and it 249 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 1: was very funny and it was about like, you can't 250 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:13,360 Speaker 1: be lady like eating corn, so just go just go 251 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:15,640 Speaker 1: for it. Here we are. 252 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:24,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, oh heck, but yeah. This championship is held within 253 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 2: the Greater sweet Corn Fiesta that has been happening every 254 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:31,080 Speaker 2: April in West Palm Beach for the past twenty four years. 255 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:35,280 Speaker 2: Apparently Palm Beach County is the biggest supplier of fresh 256 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 2: sweet corn in the United States. And I say that 257 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:43,320 Speaker 2: with such surprise because I am from I am from 258 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 2: that area, and I had no idea zero. Yeah, that's 259 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:51,480 Speaker 2: like when I still regret this. 260 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 1: By the way, we went to that peanut thing in Dothan, Alabama, 261 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 1: and a lot of my family is from there, and 262 00:15:56,760 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 1: I was like, I had no idea they were so 263 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 1: much with Penis. Yeah, who knows. It's well, here we go. 264 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:09,240 Speaker 2: We never I the like National Peanut Board invited us 265 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 2: out and we interviewed a bunch of lovely humans and 266 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:15,000 Speaker 2: uh and we took a bunch of really interesting like 267 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 2: agro agricultural tours and got to talk to a lot 268 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 2: of really interesting people. And we still haven't done anything 269 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:22,680 Speaker 2: with that audio becas immediately afterwards the pandemic happened. 270 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 1: And yes, to clarify, that is my regret. We had 271 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 1: a great time. The regret is that we the pandemic 272 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: happened right after that and really made it difficult because 273 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: those those episodes are so rewarding. We love doing them, 274 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:40,960 Speaker 1: but they do take more time and effort. 275 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 2: And yeah, absolutely for for all of for for us 276 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 2: and for Andrew and so. But yeah, maybe maybe someday, yeah, yeah, 277 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 2: maybe our peanut Day is coming. Sweetcorn we're doing. We're 278 00:16:57,480 --> 00:16:58,400 Speaker 2: in the middle of an episode. 279 00:16:58,520 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 1: Here we go. There. 280 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,720 Speaker 2: There are, in fact, a lot of sweet corn festivals 281 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 2: around the United States. I couldn't find within the first 282 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:12,160 Speaker 2: several Google pages. Any outside of the US, But that's 283 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:15,919 Speaker 2: probably a locality situation. I'm sure that they exist somewhere 284 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:22,120 Speaker 2: else anyway. Normal Illinois holds a sweet corn circus every August. 285 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 2: Illinois State University has like a robust circus program, and 286 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 2: so the students perform wrestling and acrobatics and aerials and 287 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:36,600 Speaker 2: like fire shows and there's corn. Seems super cool. I 288 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 2: love a circus anyway. A festival in Millersport, Ohio has 289 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 2: been running since nineteen forty seven. It is now a 290 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:48,520 Speaker 2: four day festival every August that boils up literal truckloads 291 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:52,440 Speaker 2: of corn cobs in two thousand gallon vats. The website 292 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:54,240 Speaker 2: says it's irresistible. 293 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 1: Oh yes, oh yes, I love it. 294 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:02,439 Speaker 2: Have to say the corn puns. Like these folks have 295 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:04,480 Speaker 2: been doing it a lot longer than I have, Like 296 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 2: we have some big shoes to fill. 297 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 1: In our. 298 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:11,840 Speaker 2: In our title an episode description. 299 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, we. 300 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 2: Do another festival in Hoopston, Illinois. I hope I'm saying 301 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,199 Speaker 2: that right. It happens over Labor Day weekend. It just 302 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:27,840 Speaker 2: celebrated its eightieth year in twenty twenty four. They do 303 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 2: have a pageant a lot of these do have pageants, 304 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:32,800 Speaker 2: from which eight contestants have gone on to win the 305 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:33,720 Speaker 2: Miss America pageant. 306 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:35,680 Speaker 1: Yeah wow. 307 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:38,800 Speaker 2: They also hold a pretty baby contest for a year 308 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:40,639 Speaker 2: to three year olds called Cream of the Crop. 309 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 1: It's pretty good too. 310 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:52,320 Speaker 2: Another festival in West Point, Iowa holds a shuck fest 311 00:18:52,359 --> 00:18:54,280 Speaker 2: a few days before the main event, in which the 312 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:56,719 Speaker 2: community comes together to shuck the corn for the ensuing 313 00:18:56,760 --> 00:19:01,160 Speaker 2: festival as fast as they can some twenty five thousand 314 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:07,719 Speaker 2: years in about an hour fifteen. Wow, that's about twenty 315 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:08,719 Speaker 2: tons of corn. 316 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:10,680 Speaker 1: That's wild. 317 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:15,439 Speaker 2: They and several other festivals that I read about use 318 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:17,360 Speaker 2: an antique steam engine to cook. 319 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 1: All of that corn. 320 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 2: And then yeah, there's one in sun Prairie, Wisconsin that's 321 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:29,399 Speaker 2: been running for seventy one years now that serves up 322 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:31,400 Speaker 2: about eighty tons of corn every year. 323 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:35,040 Speaker 1: That's a lot of corn. 324 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 2: It's quite a bit of corn. It's an impressive amount 325 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:40,000 Speaker 2: of corn. 326 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:43,040 Speaker 1: Stunning. I'm stunned. 327 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:52,480 Speaker 2: Oh but interestingly enough, sweet corn isn't that old. This 328 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 2: is a relatively new phenomenon. 329 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: It is, and we will get into that. But first 330 00:19:57,840 --> 00:19:59,440 Speaker 1: we're going to get into a quick break for word 331 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:11,280 Speaker 1: from response and we're back thank you, sponsor. 332 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:12,159 Speaker 2: Yes, thank you. 333 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:17,719 Speaker 1: Okay, so yes, because corn is a humongous topic, we 334 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:21,919 Speaker 1: are focusing on a specific varietal. It did remind me 335 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 1: of when we did Rice and I ran into before 336 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 1: physics for the first time. I ran into that again 337 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 1: researching this, and I was like, oh no, no, no, glad, 338 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:34,159 Speaker 1: we broke this down. Yes, I'm still sorry about that. 339 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:39,720 Speaker 2: Oh gosh, we were younger back then, we were still learning, 340 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:43,640 Speaker 2: still are, but much much further to go back then. 341 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:48,760 Speaker 1: But yes, ancient corn goes back to prehistoric times, likely 342 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 1: to what is now South America and Mexico, and it's 343 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:57,040 Speaker 1: believed it spread and hybridized up through Central America and 344 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:00,320 Speaker 1: then later from there in North America. Lots of research 345 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:05,800 Speaker 1: still going into that. While sweetcorn had undoubtedly occurred before 346 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 1: amongst people that grew it, it either wasn't desired or 347 00:21:10,119 --> 00:21:13,680 Speaker 1: it was too difficult to consistently cultivate, or both, though 348 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:16,439 Speaker 1: I'm sure the record we have is incomplete around that. 349 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 1: There are a few known instances of indigenous communities that 350 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:23,959 Speaker 1: did purposefully grow for it, though, like the Hodenashani in 351 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,959 Speaker 1: what is now Upstate New York. According to some sources, 352 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:31,680 Speaker 1: the Holden Ashane people developed the original strain of sweetcorn 353 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:36,000 Speaker 1: in seventeen fifty and they called it Poppun. However, it 354 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:39,439 Speaker 1: wasn't grown often because the sugar converted quickly to starch, 355 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 1: so it just didn't last long. 356 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 2: Yeah. 357 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:45,520 Speaker 1: Some records indicate that this varietal of corn was being 358 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: commercially grown in Pennsylvania in seventeen seventy nine. A weekly 359 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:55,080 Speaker 1: publication in Plymouth called The Old Colony Memorial featured this 360 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:59,920 Speaker 1: question submitted by a reader in eighteen twenty two. Quote 361 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:03,159 Speaker 1: where came the sweet corn? And at what time was 362 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:07,360 Speaker 1: it introduced? Which side note? I just liked that at 363 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:10,199 Speaker 1: the time people were writing in, Yeah, you about the 364 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:10,919 Speaker 1: sweet corn? 365 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:12,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, wentz came the sweet corn? 366 00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: And here here we are today as proodcasters and a 367 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:21,960 Speaker 1: farmer wrote in with an answer, Oh yes. According to 368 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,399 Speaker 1: the writer, they observed this corn in New York in 369 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:29,120 Speaker 1: seventeen seventy nine. According to them, it was pretty popular 370 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:31,320 Speaker 1: and it seemed to take off fairly quickly where it 371 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 1: was grown, and recipes utilizing sweet corn proliferated in American 372 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:40,719 Speaker 1: cookbooks around this time. Writings from the eighteenth century indicate 373 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 1: that it was popular cross class lines, especially in late summer, 374 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:46,800 Speaker 1: people ate it off the cob as a street snack 375 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 1: and at nice dinners, perhaps with the aid of doilies. 376 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 2: Oh I love that right, I need my corn doilies. 377 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:56,719 Speaker 2: Where are my corn doilies worn? 378 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:01,120 Speaker 1: There is a corner of the internet you can go 379 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 1: to that I found doing this sweet search more on 380 00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:10,200 Speaker 1: that in a second. Googles for later. Fun googles for later, 381 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 1: but unfortunately not so fun ing. Seventeen seventy nine is 382 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:19,399 Speaker 1: also the same year George Washington ordered the decimation of 383 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:22,199 Speaker 1: the crops of indigenous peoples who in any way aided 384 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:25,800 Speaker 1: or allied themselves with the British during the Revolutionary War. 385 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:29,720 Speaker 1: Many were killed, those who weren't were forced to flee 386 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:34,040 Speaker 1: their livestock and crops were destroyed. It is very likely 387 00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:39,600 Speaker 1: that sweetcorn was stolen during this campaign after years of 388 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:44,960 Speaker 1: selective breeding and earning that knowledge from the indigenous peoples, 389 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:47,360 Speaker 1: and that's where a lot of sweetcorn at the time 390 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 1: came from. And of course that history is often erased 391 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:56,040 Speaker 1: and the credit stolen. So important note when it comes 392 00:23:56,040 --> 00:24:00,320 Speaker 1: to canned corn. A cookstove manufactured by the name of 393 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 1: Nathan Winslow out of Portland, Maine, came up with a safe, 394 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:08,040 Speaker 1: efficient method of canning corn in the eighteen thirties. First 395 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:10,679 Speaker 1: the kernels were removed from the cob, then they were 396 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:13,240 Speaker 1: placed in a canon heated to kill any bacteria, and 397 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:16,359 Speaker 1: then they were hand sealed inside. Nathan and his brother 398 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:21,000 Speaker 1: launched their successful canned corn factory in eighteen thirty two. 399 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:24,399 Speaker 1: I tried to because I got a lot of mixed 400 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:28,120 Speaker 1: up dates about not that but canned corn in general. 401 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:32,880 Speaker 1: And I think creamed canned corn is like a nineteen 402 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 1: fifties name. That was when a lot of people were 403 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 1: like in nineteen fifties, And then I found all this 404 00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 1: stuff saying no, it was definitely definitely eighteen thirties, So 405 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,960 Speaker 1: I think that was probably canned cream corn. But anyway, 406 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:51,080 Speaker 1: according to Food and Wine, a woman named Mary Donnelly 407 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: filed a patent for a corn fork in eighteen ninety seven. 408 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 1: And Lauren, this is where I suggest you go if 409 00:24:57,640 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: you need to just catch it. 410 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:02,240 Speaker 2: This is this is my corn corn doily moment. Because 411 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:03,840 Speaker 2: we're talking about corn spears now. 412 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 1: They are very very fancy ones. So it was sort 413 00:25:09,119 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 1: of like a pacifier handle shape with three prongs. This 414 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:16,480 Speaker 1: early one. Later in nineteen oh nine, Carl Baummeisler filed 415 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:18,560 Speaker 1: a patent for a different type of corn holder that 416 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:22,640 Speaker 1: was more of like a miniature sword. Okay, ye stabbed in. 417 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:25,399 Speaker 1: But the problem was, like it took a lot of force. 418 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:30,560 Speaker 1: In the fifties, this design evolved into the one that 419 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:32,359 Speaker 1: many of us are familiar with now, the one that 420 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:35,520 Speaker 1: I used growing up, which are like the little mini 421 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:37,840 Speaker 1: corn on the cobs. That's the sap of it. 422 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it's it's a shape of a corn cob 423 00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 2: and you stick and it's got little prongs and you 424 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:46,280 Speaker 2: stick the prongs into your real corn cob in order 425 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:47,000 Speaker 2: to eat it. 426 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:51,080 Speaker 1: It's great. I love it. It's so funny. It's bizarre. 427 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 1: But I guess it is clear, like, oh, this is 428 00:25:53,840 --> 00:26:00,240 Speaker 1: what this is. This is probably corn related. But yeah, 429 00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:03,399 Speaker 1: the corn holder innovation was not done. In nineteen seventy seven, 430 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:07,639 Speaker 1: Larry Ridinger and George Specter came up with a sort 431 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:10,240 Speaker 1: of corkscrew design because again there's still like an issue 432 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 1: of if the cob was particularly tough yea for so 433 00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:17,480 Speaker 1: they were trying to come up with something that was 434 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:22,520 Speaker 1: like a little easier. Sure, later companies started offering holders 435 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 1: that you inserted before cooking so that the consumer could 436 00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:31,520 Speaker 1: avoid touching the hot corn altogether. I've never seen. 437 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:33,400 Speaker 2: This, No, And I would think that they would heat 438 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:38,679 Speaker 2: up just as much as the corn in the boiling process. 439 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:40,280 Speaker 1: But I think. 440 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:43,400 Speaker 2: I don't know materials science. 441 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:46,680 Speaker 1: There's no way of finding out. 442 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:46,840 Speaker 2: No. 443 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:55,200 Speaker 1: Zero and then corn science. A corn geneticist working at 444 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:59,399 Speaker 1: the University of Illinois named John Loughnan started experimenting with 445 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 1: two genes corn, discovering that one type of kernels stored 446 00:27:03,359 --> 00:27:06,640 Speaker 1: four to ten times more sugar. And he published these 447 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:09,880 Speaker 1: findings at nineteen fifty three, but people didn't really pay 448 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:13,440 Speaker 1: much attention to them at first, so he started producing 449 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:18,320 Speaker 1: varieties of sweet corn himself, including the Golden Cross Bantam. 450 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:23,320 Speaker 1: He released these varieties through the Illinois Foundation Seeds, Incorporated 451 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:27,919 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty one. Other professors across the country started 452 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:31,280 Speaker 1: developing their own varieties too. I always love when we 453 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:33,399 Speaker 1: get to use a varietal name and like, I know 454 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:36,200 Speaker 1: people in the farming industry are like. 455 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:38,320 Speaker 2: Oh that are like, oh yeah, that one, that's my favorite. 456 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 1: It's like when I say, like a random Star Wars 457 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:42,639 Speaker 1: thing and no one gets it, but I get it. 458 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:48,439 Speaker 1: But I feel like that's kind of the farmer's version. Yeah. Yeah. 459 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:51,560 Speaker 1: In the nineteen seventies and eighties, corn growers and crop 460 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 1: scientists started selectively breeding sweetcorns so that the corn both 461 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:59,240 Speaker 1: produced higher levels of sugar and delayed the decay of 462 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:02,480 Speaker 1: the conversion of that sugar to start so that it 463 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:05,679 Speaker 1: occurred at a much slower rate, and that that in 464 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:10,680 Speaker 1: turn boosted the previously short shelf life right right, Yeah. 465 00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:14,120 Speaker 2: Basically, like I think that there are three different genes 466 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:16,919 Speaker 2: that we know of that are responsible for the sugar 467 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:20,320 Speaker 2: production and shelf life of the sugar in sweet corn, 468 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:23,840 Speaker 2: and so during this time people were just like finding 469 00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:27,280 Speaker 2: them and starting to develop different hybrids while selecting for 470 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:33,480 Speaker 2: those things. Yes, production of sweet corn for processing in 471 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:36,359 Speaker 2: the United States has been in a steep decline though 472 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:39,160 Speaker 2: for a couple of decades, Like a quarter less was 473 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:42,480 Speaker 2: grown in the twenty oots than in the nineteen nineties 474 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:45,280 Speaker 2: and a third less in the twenty teens than in 475 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:49,560 Speaker 2: the twenty oots. And the reasons for this are complicated. 476 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:54,680 Speaker 2: Americans are switching away from canned foods to more fresh 477 00:28:54,720 --> 00:29:00,640 Speaker 2: and frozen foods. They're also eating less sweet corn in general. Also, 478 00:29:00,880 --> 00:29:04,120 Speaker 2: due to climate change, it is riskier for farmers to 479 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:07,040 Speaker 2: grow corn if they're relying on rainfall, if they don't 480 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:11,880 Speaker 2: have irrigation systems set up, and research into new hybrids 481 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 2: is intense and ongoing, especially as right climate change is 482 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:19,720 Speaker 2: making growing conditions in some traditional areas less ideal. 483 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:27,680 Speaker 1: Yep, yep. And there are several indigenous organizations and projects 484 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:31,280 Speaker 1: about restoring and revitalizing Native American food ways and crops, 485 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 1: including corn varieties like sweetcorn. So I highly recommend looking 486 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:43,480 Speaker 1: those up because they're being really cool important stuff. Yeah. Yeah, 487 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:47,920 Speaker 1: there's a lot, a lot to unpack with this one, 488 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:50,600 Speaker 1: a lot of different routes we could have gone down, 489 00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:52,520 Speaker 1: but I think that's what we have to say about 490 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:54,160 Speaker 1: steatcorn for now. It is. 491 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:56,360 Speaker 2: We would love to hear from you, though, all of 492 00:29:56,400 --> 00:30:04,040 Speaker 2: your corniest memories, anything you've got to say about it. Sorry, 493 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:09,840 Speaker 2: I'm sorry. We do already have some listener mail for you, though, 494 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:11,360 Speaker 2: and we are going to get into that as soon 495 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:12,880 Speaker 2: as we get back from a quick break. For a 496 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:25,080 Speaker 2: word from our sponsors, and we're back. Thank you, sponsor, Yes, 497 00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:28,520 Speaker 2: thank you, And we're back with listeners. 498 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:40,840 Speaker 1: By sunshine summer, even though we're fast approaching winter. Yes, well, 499 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:45,680 Speaker 1: this brought us a spot of joy, I will say, yes, 500 00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 1: this is an absolute banger. So we asked in our 501 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:57,520 Speaker 1: pumpkin short uh in passing, I was like, somebody needs 502 00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:02,680 Speaker 1: to make a pumpkin patch version of Monster Mash, and 503 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:06,160 Speaker 1: listener Ruth came through, came through. 504 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:15,120 Speaker 2: Oh my goodness, Yes, And and I will say that 505 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:18,240 Speaker 2: the like, the like, like like diction, the like cadence 506 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:22,440 Speaker 2: of the lyrics of the song Monster Mash are a 507 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:27,080 Speaker 2: little bit tricky. I did watch a few versions of 508 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:30,640 Speaker 2: the original performance of it. If you have never seen 509 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 2: Bobby Pickett performing Monster Mash, you need to look that 510 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:39,000 Speaker 2: up because he is just absolutely hamming all of the 511 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 2: facial like like like beyond what I even considered possible. 512 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:47,000 Speaker 2: He is really hamming it up and it's gorgeous. So 513 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:48,440 Speaker 2: recommend that. 514 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:53,000 Speaker 1: Yes, it is my favorite. It's I think it's my favorite. 515 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:55,480 Speaker 1: It's definitely one of my favorite Halloween songs. And like 516 00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:58,440 Speaker 1: just when I like, even though I could just hear 517 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:01,240 Speaker 1: it my head, like a touch of it, like yes. 518 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:06,920 Speaker 1: Also shout out to uh recent what we do in 519 00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:11,920 Speaker 1: the Shadows episode where Laslow looked at the camera and said, 520 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:15,720 Speaker 1: very seriously, I fear it will be a monster mash. 521 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:23,480 Speaker 1: All were still a graveyard smash. It was so good. 522 00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:30,160 Speaker 1: Blessed not Mary. Yes, So I wasn't planning on singing 523 00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:32,160 Speaker 1: my part. I don't know what you're going to do. 524 00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:34,680 Speaker 1: I was just gonna read it with a little. 525 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:38,000 Speaker 2: Bit of a yeah, try to get the inflection. Yeah, 526 00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:39,800 Speaker 2: all right, we're on the same page. 527 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:40,240 Speaker 1: Great. 528 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:43,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't think anyone needs a singing anymore than 529 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:48,480 Speaker 2: we already do in the. 530 00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:53,719 Speaker 1: Yes, agreed, all right. I was working in the patch 531 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:57,520 Speaker 1: late one night when my eyes beheld a weirdish sight. 532 00:32:58,120 --> 00:33:02,239 Speaker 1: These people with hammers began to rise, and suddenly, to 533 00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:06,040 Speaker 1: my surprise, they did the smash. They did the pumpkin smash. 534 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:09,440 Speaker 1: The pumpkin smash. It caught on in a flash. They 535 00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:14,520 Speaker 1: did the pumpkin smash. Then composting was such fun. The 536 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:19,880 Speaker 1: smashing had just the gun. The guests included Peter Piper 537 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:23,360 Speaker 1: with his wife and his son. They came to a smash. 538 00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:26,920 Speaker 1: They came to a pumpkin smash. The pumpkin smash down 539 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:32,120 Speaker 1: to a messy smash. They did the pumpkin smash. Lauren, 540 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:36,160 Speaker 1: take it away. How can I compete with that? How 541 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:39,200 Speaker 1: can I follow that out? Okay? 542 00:33:39,800 --> 00:33:43,280 Speaker 2: Who down from a hilltop a voisted ring. It was 543 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:46,560 Speaker 2: Midbuster's atom with a great big thing. He goes, hey, 544 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:49,200 Speaker 2: I just came to say, you gotta see me smash 545 00:33:49,280 --> 00:33:53,160 Speaker 2: with my trebichet so he could smash a long distance smash. 546 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:57,400 Speaker 2: He did the smash, He did the pumpkin smash. You 547 00:33:57,440 --> 00:34:00,160 Speaker 2: gotta admit it's a crazy plan, but the pumpkin and 548 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:02,480 Speaker 2: smash is the hit of the land. If you want 549 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:04,920 Speaker 2: to join us, you can smash too. When you get 550 00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:07,000 Speaker 2: to the patch, tell them save or sent you and 551 00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:10,319 Speaker 2: you can smash. You can pumpkin smash. It's a real 552 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:13,160 Speaker 2: smashing time. Yes, come on and smash, Come on in 553 00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:20,200 Speaker 2: pumpkin smash. Beautiful, beautiful poetry, absolute of art. 554 00:34:21,320 --> 00:34:23,120 Speaker 1: Thank you so much. Truth. 555 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:30,719 Speaker 2: This was a real again the little things, it's the 556 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:34,440 Speaker 2: little thing. I'm not calling this this achievement little, but. 557 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 1: If the joy it brought us was enormous, so uh 558 00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:45,160 Speaker 1: and that it is important in these times. So thank you, 559 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:49,799 Speaker 1: thank you, thank you, thank you. Honestly, like, if we 560 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:52,640 Speaker 1: have more time, I put like I make this whole hit. 561 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:56,800 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, oh yeah, I mean you know, like like 562 00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:59,120 Speaker 2: like as we've talked about on the show before, like 563 00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:02,480 Speaker 2: super producer. You're Andrew and Dylan are actually both quite 564 00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:06,400 Speaker 2: talented musicians. They are, and so like we could we 565 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:13,360 Speaker 2: could do this. It sounds like an excellent use of 566 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:18,040 Speaker 2: our time. It does, I'm saying seriously, you. 567 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:25,280 Speaker 1: Know, I'm laughing because I believe you entirely. Well, always 568 00:35:25,520 --> 00:35:33,279 Speaker 1: send any songs. Uh yeah, this was really fun, so 569 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:38,960 Speaker 1: thank you. Yes, you can send any any songs, our 570 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:43,479 Speaker 1: puns or recipes or thoughts our suggestions are a way. 571 00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:46,720 Speaker 1: You can email us at hello at savorpod dot com. 572 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:47,960 Speaker 1: We're also on social media. 573 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:51,879 Speaker 2: You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Yes, 574 00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:53,640 Speaker 2: that's where we are and we do hope to hear 575 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:56,880 Speaker 2: from you. Savor is production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts 576 00:35:56,880 --> 00:35:59,319 Speaker 2: from my Heart Radio, you can visit the iHeartRadio app, 577 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:02,120 Speaker 2: Apple podcast Tests, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 578 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:05,000 Speaker 2: Thanks as always to our super producers Dylan Fagan and 579 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:07,239 Speaker 2: Andrew Howard. Thanks to you for listening, and we hope 580 00:36:07,239 --> 00:36:16,720 Speaker 2: that lots more good things are coming your way.