Tuesday, July 8, 2014

It's sweet corn time!

It is sweet corn time here at our house.  We had such high hopes to be able to sell sweet corn this year, but I guess the Good Lord had other intentions.  We didn't get the BT spray ordered in time and so it had worms in it of course, and I just don't feel right trying to sell it with worms in it. and we didn't get as good of a stand as we needed to supply us and be able to sell.

The way we put our corn up is the old fashion way of cream style corn.  It is a lot of work, but it is well worth it.   There is nothing like a skillet of corn in the middle of the winter to remind you of the summer.

This years corn field!  We plant a mix of G90 and Silver queen.  

This is the first pulling that we did.  The mix of G90 and Silver Queen gives you a mix of yellow and white cobs.



I cut my corn of the cob and scrape it.

This is the secret to cream corn.  I "milk" the cobs.  As you cut the corn off you put it in water and then ring the water out of them, what you get is a white milky looking substance.  You use that to add back into the corn when you place it on the stove to blanch it.  You have to add water anyway or you will scorch it.  And by doing this, you are adding the startchy water back and it will make for a much creamier corn.  And besides you don't won't to waste anything from these little cobs of gold!!

Finally it is blanching time!  I can not tell you how long this step takes, but it is a while.  Slow and steady so you don't scorch it.  When you begin to smell it and it turns a slightly different color then you know that it is blanched long enough,  

I think everyone in the south has their own way of doing corn and this is just my own little version.    It is one of our family favorites!

God bless ya,
Tara

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Homestead Happenings this week~

Well we have been busy with the usual summer stuff this week, I have been busy canning beans and putting up squash and the likes.  The boys have been busy washing calves and of course going fishing.  We didn't make it anywhere Friday for the 4th, because unfortunately cows and gardens don't know when it is a holiday.  We also couldn't go off far, because our tires are wearing out and we ordered new ones, but they have not come in yet, so we had to stay close to home.  We decided on Saturday  to just go to a lake nearby and just grill some burgers and let the kids have fun for the day.  Even though it was not what we intended, it turned out to be a great day.

Cora likes her beans cooked or raw, and just look at those dirty knees!  Country girls need a little dirt on their knees!

Cora is cheesing for the camera!

Cora had a blast at the lake she just loved the sand. 


JC had been begging for days to go swimming and he was having a blast!

Even though he like to swim, he couldn't resist playing with Cora's sand toys!

We decided to do burgers for lunch and of course, the grill master had to take over!

Dad was down in his back so his job was just to chill out and watch the boats go flying by and wishing he had one!
Ready to go home for the day!  We had a great time!

What great blessings I had for the week!

God bless ya,
Tara