My World Tuesday; Sweet Corn

Yesterday my wife and I paid a visit to the in-laws, they live in a 100 year old stone home surrounded by the glaciated hills of North East Kansas. My wife had promised to "put up sweet corn" when it was time. It was time so we headed out in the pre dawn light for the farm. They are both in their 80s and they still have a garden the likes of which would drive anyone with a green thumb mad with envy. Sweet corn seems to be my father in-laws weakness, each year for the past five he has told my mother in law "this is it for cor, too much work" and every spring she spots him out preparing the ground.  This year he was a bit disappointed with the yield not quite a pickup full.

We arrived and were pleasantly surprised  that the corn had already been picked by weekend guests.
There was still plenty to do. The production line began. My father-in-law and I sat out under a shade tree and cleaned the husks off. We sat and swapped stories as we worked, three hours went by like a New York Minute. I ran bucket after bucket of cleaned corn into the kitchen where my wife and her mom cut the kernels off the cobs and cooked the corn in huge pots on the stove. Soon all the tables were covered with cake pans of cooling corn. We had lunch while it cooled. There really is not much that can compete with fresh sweet corn with a little salt and real butter on it. Fresh cucumber salads, cherries, and sandwiches were the sides.

We finished bagging the corn in pint bags, and into the freezer they went. The work done we sat back and relaxed. My in laws are  remarkable people, they raise just about all of their food, make some of the best homemade ketchup, wine, and pies around.

I hope I am as resourceful when I am their age.

We headed home before dark with a cooler full of corn, with a few pints of blackberries thrown in to act as ice.

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