Aw Shuck, It’s Corn

One thing about living in the south is the ability to shop at our local fresh produce stand several times a week.  They stock all the fresh fruits and vegetables you could want.  We love being able to get items here in Florida that aren’t available until July in the Midwest.  During my latest trip, memories of summers in Kansas came upon me as I put sweet corn on the cob in my basket.

It was late July or early August and I had to be all of ten years old when my folks brought home several dozen ears of corn that they planned to freeze.  There was a neighbor boy my age that had come over to play and my parents put us all to work shucking the corn.  As we sat in a circle of lawn chairs in the back yard with a huge trash bag in the center, we all got busy.  We were each a few ears in when we noticed that Ralph was having difficulty.  He was trying to shuck his ear upside down!  As he had already fallen behind, we immediately set him straight!  There was no slacking allowed in this family!

Freezing corn was something my family did every summer.  Another fond memory of mine was stopping to pick up corn on our way to a Kansas City Royals game one summer Saturday afternoon a few years later.  We lived an hour out of town so after the game, we had a long drive home.  Instead of waiting until Sunday to begin the freezing, we unloaded the car and got to work as soon as we arrived home.  My parents, brother and I were running around the kitchen, shucking, blanching, cooling, cutting (some but not all), stuffing and placing bags in the big deep freezer in the garage.  At five o’clock in the morning, we were gathered around the kitchen table eating buttered corn on the cob with silly smiles and laughter.  Although we were exhausted, it was a great family moment.

I hope that you all have fond memories of precious family moments.  I am blessed as I have many.  I wish you all the fresh, shucked, sweet corn your life can handle.  I’m still filling my freezer.