Jul

7

Corn can be confusing.

Posted by Annie Mueller

July 7, 2007 |

My husband loves corn muffins and corn bread.  In fact he likes anything corn. He’s not big on the vegetables in general.  We often debate about whether or not corn is a vegetable at all.  I say it’s not and even if it is, it’s largely indigestible and loaded with sugars.  And therefore, he can’t count it as a serving of veggies in his diet. He says, “Well, what is it, then?”  A grain. . . I think.

So, I did some looking to find out.  This article from the New York Times says, yes, it is, a grain (duh) and offers some explanation about how our produce gets categorized one way or the other: 

“The criteria is whether it comes from the reproductive part of a plant or the vegetative part of the plant,” Dr. Pritts said. “If it comes from the reproductive part of the plant, it’s a fruit. If it comes from the vegetative part of the plant, it’s a vegetable.”

Botanically speaking, corn is a caryopsis, or dry fruit — popularly known as a grain.

Dr. Pritts allowed that corn, like a tomato, is eaten like a vegetable, “so to a normal, everyday person, it’s a vegetable.”

So, there you have it, argument resolved. Hubby, if you are reading this–no using grains in place of “real” vegetables!

CORN MUFFINScorn.jpg
This is a great basic recipe.  Use it as is or experiment with it—add some bacon bits, jalapenos, or cheese. Yum it up to your liking!

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour (to make it a bit heartier, you can do half white, half wheat)
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup veg oil
1 cup milk (soy or cow’s)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line muffin pan paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir gently to combine.
3.  Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
4.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Here’s a cool resource for you.  Traditional Native American recipes—corn and otherwise!


Comments

2 Comments so far

  1. Joe on July 7, 2007 4:05 pm

    Oh, i love corn muffins, of course smothered in butter….:)

  2. Summer on July 8, 2007 12:19 am

    You know, I never thought about it before. But you’re right. Corn kernels are a seed, not a veggie.

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