Pop and Parch Heirloom Corn

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Weed. Control weeds and conserve soil moisture with deep mulching.

Feed. When plants are 6 inches tall, apply rotted manure, grass clippings or a liquid fish fertilizer to provide nitrogen. Repeat the process when they reach about knee high. Experiment with traditional varieties to learn their needs in your climate and soil.

Pests. If earworms are eating more than their share, wait until the silks begin to turn brown and try applying a few drops of mineral oil where the silks emerge from the husk. Under extreme pest pressure, Bt (Bacillus thuringensis) is a useful organic control.

Drying. If possible, allow the ears to dry on the plants until the husks become brown. If this is not possible because of wet weather or impending frost, harvest the ears and dry indoors by spreading them out at room temperature in a place with good air circulation. Dont apply excess heat as it can cause uneven drying or overdrying, which will affect the corns pop-ability. Flour corns are very susceptible to molding after harvest, so be sure to dry the ears immediately after harvesting. If the moisture content of the kernels is too high, they wont parch properly. Youll be able to tell that the ears arent dry enough if the kernels dont come off easily when you try to shell them, or if the bases of the kernels break off and remain on the ear.

Husking. Separate the kernels from the cobs and remove any remaining material (chaff) by winnowing with a fan or in the wind. Pour the kernels from one bowl to another until the chaff has blown away and the seeds are clean.

Storing. Store the cleaned seeds in a tightly sealed jar or other container, and keep it in a cool, dark place. Whole parched corn should keep for at least a month at room temperature. If your corn is not popping well after its been stored for a while, try adding a tablespoon of water to a loosely filled jar of corn and shaking it every day for a week to add moisture.

Eating. For a fresh taste and healthy snack, once your corn is popped or parched, try adding brewers yeast, herbs or chili powder instead of butter and salt.

The Magic of Maize

Ten years after Emigdio Ballon (shown at left), a native of Bolivia, introduced me to parched corn, I ran into him again in Tesuque Pueblo, N.M. He was teaching young pueblo members how to grow food for the community and tending a crop of ‘Supai Red’ parching corn. I went to examine the crop, and at first glance, the plot was fairly unimpressive. The plants were short, unevenly spaced and not well-weeded. But once we got into the field, I realized the plants yielded more on larger ears than any others I’d seen from this variety. With the crop nearly ready for harvest, Emigdio peeled back the husks of several ears to check for dryness. Each was more beautiful than the one before, their kernels shining like gems.

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