After deciding to make corn cob jelly, I watched some videos of people who had different ways to Cut corn off the cob. This guy has got it down! I could never handle this method, but maybe I could find someone who could lend muscles.
This method for shucking corn is really easy. Exbf always shucked corn for me no matter how many I had. Of course, I usually had no more than two dozen ears.
As I watched videos, I was struck by the terms people used. It was almost as they had never seen corn before. I really don't think these terms are regionalisms.
Shucking corn was called "peeling corn." Yes, we peel the husks back, but we don't say we are going to "peel corn."
Kernels were "corn seeds." I know that is technically true, but she did not use "kernels" like everyone else did.
Corn silk was called "the little hairs on the corn seeds."
Your turn
How do you shuck your corn? Have you ever used these terms rather than "shuck," "kernels," and "silk"?
I don't.
ReplyDeleteUrspo
DeleteSo, you are the person who buys the shucked corn in the grocery?
I cut both ends off then pull the husk off trying to get as much silk off at the same time, then turn the ear of corn in my damp hand to get the rest of the silk removed.
ReplyDeleteProbably the terms used was because many if not most people under 30/35 don't buy fresh food, don't know how it comes from nature so the simplest terms must be used. Just listen to kids in the produce section or look in people's carts at what they buy. It's quite an education into today's generation.
Tom,
DeleteI cut off the bottom and peel/pull off the shucks. That way, there is less silk left behind. Well, that is the way I have exbf cut it. He does that because he is nice, plus I won't and cannot do the rest of the meal along with shucking corn. He is afraid of the kitchen, but I have him do this outdoors, so it does not seem too much like cooking.
I certainly agree. But, who is going to listen to a youtube video when it is obvious the person is a newbie or careless enough not to care to learn.
At times I have watched a video just to see how someone sews an item differently than I do. When I hear a woman barely out of her teens refer to the good side and bad side of fabric, I no longer listen. It horrifies me to think how communication will occur in the future if some common terms are not used.
Lots of younger people in the produce dept are buying pre-sliced apples, grapes already taken from the stem, WM has increased these pricey offerings since Publix came to town.
My daughter explained that she sent apples from home and her daughter would not eat them at school when they turned brown. I thought she could treat them with fruit fresh, but she works and rears two kids in NYC, so I could not argue my point to an overworked person.
I'm from the north and we said shuck corn.
ReplyDeleteSonya Ann,
DeleteThank you! When I heard the woman say "peel corn," I did a mental double-take.