Courtesy of S. Mailloux from Flickr
Neither the autumnal equinox nor the back-to-schools sales signal autumn in our house. We are all about summer. We embrace it even on its hottest days; anticipate it much as a child with Christmas. In our house, autumn starts the day the beloved husband comes home with a long face announcing that there will be no more fresh corn-on-the-cob. That happened this week.
Courtesy of floridapfe from Flickr
Personally I love most vegetables. Ah…but the beloved husband who claims to like different vegetables is very partial to corn. During the winter we eat frozen corn and during the summer we have fresh corn. This is a very serious endeavor. The earliest corn comes in from Mexico or someplace very south, like Chile. It starts in May. It’s not bad but with the time in transit, it’s not like local corn. Then the corn starts moving up, Florida, Georgia, Carolinas and then….local! To me local corn also means festivals, concerts in the park, beach weather, picnics — all good things.
We have local corn from late June to October 1. The beloved husband buys it. There is a science to it. The place to purchase changes based on where the corn is coming from. No
Courtesy of Nate from Flickr
one else is allowed to clean it either. No one gets the silk off properly. He even has special tools for cleaning it.
I have tried to convince him to switch it up – maybe one trip corn, next trip asparagus – to no avail! The man wants his corn. It’s not all bad to have the season end. It’s time for apples, pumpkins, soups and stews and soon, wonderful navel oranges.
It’s amazing what defines seasons for people — for some, it’s their children’s activities, for others, it’s sports. For us it’s all about the food!
Views and Mews by Coffee Kat 
What kind of special tools exist for cleaning corn? I haven’t heard about that one.
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A knife what looks like a boning knife (for cutting the husk end of the corn) and a silk brush. Oh, and not just any silk brush. It took a couple tries until he found the right one and then he bought three. I should have taken pictures!
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Since your beloved husband loves his corn, I hope he is purchasing it from the best corn growers in the “Valley”. “Newhard’s Corn Shed” in Ruchsville. This corn, the last of the season bought this week, makes the 2-hour jaunt to my house all season long and I can’t just bring a dozen home to enjoy with the family, I now have to bring several dozen for the neighborhood’s enjoyment. During mid summer this corn is so sweet you can eat it right off the cob on your way home. If you haven’t tried it…..now you have something to look forward to all winter long. They start there corn in March under plastic so they have an early crop.
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Oh, yes. He goes to Newhard’s whenever they are open. It is the best! He gets the earlier corn from Wegman’s when they start shipping it in. Good, but not as good.
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Being an outside person – spring and summer is spending time putzing in the flower beds – exchanging plants – sitting back and enjoying the pond and all the activity that flowers and water bring to the yard. So when Fall arrives there is a sadness – mine is not based on corn alone but it is one of them along with the shorter days and less flowers. Now if Spring was to start on January 2nd it would make the corn and flower season start earlier – so Kate -can you work on that? I truly enoy your blog!!!!!
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I’m on it. Not sure how to do it except move! If only there was a place where it was truly temperate all year round with enough rain and no excessively hot summers. If anyone knows of that place, let us know.
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