Articles

Corn

CORN is a legume & its use is restricted for Passover. Corn remains a very important commodity in present-day America. The "sweet corn" ranks second in economic importance and is grown principally for human consumption. Heat coverts the sugar present in the kernels to starch, causing it to lose its sweetness quite quickly. The "baby-corn" is edible in its raw state (it's definitely much sweeter in its raw state). There are many different uses for corn; Cornstarch, Cornmeal, Corn flour, Corn germ, Corn oil, & of course Corn flakes. Cornstarch is obtained by extracting the starch from the endosperm of the corn kernel. The cornstarch is used as a gelling or thickening agent. Cornmeal & Corn flour are obtained by grinding dried corn kernels. The germ is removed before grinding. Cornmeal adds a slightly crunchy texture to cookies, muffins, cakes, & bread. Corn oil is pressed from the kernels & goes through a multi-step process. Corn oil has a smoke point of 340F as unrefined oil, and 450F as refined oil. The refined corn oil is lighter in color that the unrefined corn oil.