When going to the market for corn, remember: the queen of the fields is not only food, but also fodder. Many people are interested in the question: what is the difference between them, and is it possible to cook and eat the cobs of forage crops?
Feed corn is used as animal feed, and the technology for its cultivation is somewhat different from the technology for cultivating food grades. Forage crops are grown mainly for green mass, although cobs also have their uses. To grow feed crops, more fertilizers are used, which is strictly prohibited for food crops.
However, the bulk of fertilizers is concentrated in the trunks and leaves of plants, while the cobs contain a minimal amount of harmful substances. Therefore, forage varieties can be safely eaten, although such food is significantly inferior in taste to sugar.
How to distinguish feed corn from food corn
There is a hypothesis that corn is the most ancient grain plant on Earth. This cereal is used for cooking; domestic animals are fed with cobs and grain. Breeders have developed a large number of varieties for different purposes. All of them are edible for humans, but edible corn is tastier and healthier.
Difference in appearance
In order not to make a mistake when choosing and purchasing cobs on the market, we will consider the features of each type of cereal.
Feed corn has:
- long cobs;
- the grains are bright yellow or orange.
Edible (sweet) corn is characterized by:
- thick ears;
- large poured grains of milky or pale yellow color.
The photo shows food and feed corn.
Difference in taste
The grains of the forage crop are denser and less sweet. In cooking, they are used mainly for side dishes, soups, and popcorn. When cooked, they acquire a bland, neutral taste, characteristic of many cereals. Boiled corn has a bright yellow color and a rich aroma.
Advice! You can taste the grains. In a sugar crop, with the same degree of maturity, they will be more watery, soft and sweet.
Edible corn is more suitable for snacks and salads. It is much sweeter, softer and juicier than feed.
Lifehacks to distinguish between types
To determine the type of corn, lightly press the grain with your fingernail. The skin of the sugar will burst and the juice will flow out. The feed grain will be crushed, but there will be no juice.
Simple measurements will help determine the type of cereal. The length of the cobs of sweet corn is about 15 cm, the length of the cobs is about 25 cm.
Differences in chemical composition, properties, applications
The grains of any corn are very healthy: they contain vitamins E, A, PP, C, group B. The nutritional value of sugar cereal is 180 kcal per 100 g, feed value is 220 kcal. There are much more mono- and disaccharides in food. The vegetable is rich in boron, silicon, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, magnesium, copper and iron.
Sugar is used exclusively for human food, while fodder has a wider range of applications: medicine, industry, energy.
Reference. Corn silk is used in medicine for diseases of the liver, gall bladder, and genitourinary tract.
A significant portion of feed maize is used to feed the population of developing countries in Africa.
Places of growth
Corn is not the most demanding plant; it is widespread throughout the world. But for some varieties, a certain climate is preferable.
Fodder corn grows everywhere in temperate climates, and with normal humidity and well-fertilized soil it produces a good harvest.
Edible corn is more demanding. It ripens well in the southern regions, where throughout the growing season the temperature is maintained at 21-27°C during the day and at night around 14°C.
Application of feed corn
The purpose of the fodder crop is to be used as food for both humans and animals, and for the production of medicines . However, the main area of application is high-calorie pet food. About 2/3 of the crops grown go to feed livestock and poultry. Plants are generally harvested after the grain has fully ripened.
For which animals and how to use
Pets whose food includes corn:
- horses;
- cows and other cattle;
- small livestock (goats, sheep);
- pigs;
- birds (chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys).
Corn provides energy for cattle and pigs. Compared to other grain feeds, most of the nutritional value of the cereal is used, since the starchy grains take a long time to pass through the food tract of animals.
For birds, cereal is the main type of food. It supplies xanthophylls that improve the color of egg yolks, making them bright and rich. Due to linoleic acid, eggs become larger.
Types of corn feed:
- chopped cobs;
- whole grain;
- crushed;
- extruded;
- air;
- micronized;
- high humidity;
- flakes.
In Russia, fodder crops are more often used in the form of crushed cobs and crushed grain, including as part of compound feed. Addition to food begins from the stage of milky-waxy maturity of the cereal.
By eating corn, livestock and poultry quickly gain fat. Therefore, a moderate amount of such food is recommended for breeding animals.
Application of food corn
Sugar plant varieties cannot be stored for long periods of time; they are grown for culinary use and processed quickly.
How to cook properly
Boiled corn is a famous snack. In order for the cob of this cereal to be tasty and retain its beneficial properties, it is important to cook it correctly.
The cobs are cleaned of damaged and dirty leaves, leaving only a few thin ones. Only the dark upper parts of the stigmas are removed. Preserving a certain amount of leaves and hairs during cooking allows you to obtain more aromatic and tasty grains.
Important! For uniform cooking, use cobs of the same size. Large ones are cut into 2 parts.
The cooking time of the cereal depends on its ripeness. Young corn is cooked like this:
- Take a thick-walled pan and fill it with filtered water.
- Add granulated sugar (1 tsp per 1 liter of water), bring the solution to a boil.
- Add the cobs and bring to a boil again.
- Reduce heat and cover the pan with a lid.
- Cook for 15–20 minutes.
- After cooking and cooling of the corn, remove the remaining leaves and stigmas.
Another way: first completely clean the cobs and cook them in a pan, the bottom and sides of which are lined with leaves.
When cooking, the cobs should be completely under water. Floating vegetables should be turned over periodically, otherwise they will not cook evenly.
Reference. The Bonduelle variety is mainly used for baby food. Its cooking time is the same as for young cereals.
Ripe edible corn has bright yellow grains that are firmer and richer in consistency. They cook for about 30 minutes. To obtain loose and soft seeds, boil the cobs for 40–45 minutes. It takes 3-4 hours to prepare the fodder grain.
It is not recommended to salt grains during cooking: salt helps the grains release liquid, so they become tough and less juicy.
Only after complete cooking is the cob sprinkled or rubbed with salt. You can brush the corn with butter or dip it in melted butter. The hot vegetable, smeared with a slice of lemon and sprinkled with salt, is also tasty.
Other cooking methods
There are many traditional and unusual recipes for preparing grains. In Russia, the cereal is most often used as part of various salads, appetizers and snacks . Cornbread, tortillas and porridge are popular.
It's very easy to make your own popcorn in the microwave, oven, or even on the stove. For these purposes, feed corn or special varieties are used to prepare puffed grains.
The simplest recipe for making popcorn: place the grains in a preheated frying pan, cover with a lid and microwave for about 4 minutes. Remove when the corn stops popping. Add butter and vegetable oil, salt and other ingredients to taste.
Grilled corn on the cob is popular in America. The simplest side dish is cereal baked directly in the leaves.
Good additions:
- butter with herbs;
- it is also with garlic and spices;
- mayonnaise with chili powder and garlic.
One of the street food dishes in India is charcoal-grilled cobs seasoned with lime juice, salt and cayenne pepper.
Tasty and healthy salads are made from lightly boiled corn and cooled with cold water. Fresh grains are also used in salads, mixed with onions, herbs, various vegetables and legumes.
A tender casserole with bell and hot peppers is prepared from fresh sweet seeds. There is even a recipe for cereal pudding with pumpkin.
What is feed corn
The nutritionally valuable crop is grown not only for grain production. Feed corn is a strong and tall plant, exceeding human height. The height reaches 3 m, in rare cases - 6-7 m. The green mass of this cereal is used as vitamin feed for livestock and birds.
Forage corn varieties produce many leaves due to lateral shoots. Such plants are harvested before the seeds ripen, crushed and sent to feed cows, pigs and birds. The crushed mixture is preserved and silage is obtained, which is stored in specially equipped places.
Unlike other types of corn, feed corn is used only for its green mass. Its grains are less tasty and juicy, they are harder and unsweetened.
Features of cultivation
To get the optimal crop yield, you need to know the rules for growing it:
- corn is undemanding to crop rotation ; it can grow in one place for several years in a row. Potatoes, legumes and winter crops are also considered good predecessors;
- Suitable soil for the plant is chernozems ; it grows a little worse on sandy loams, peat bogs and loams. Clay, acidic, salty soils, as well as wetlands are not suitable for cultivation. Soil acidity is better than neutral;
- to obtain grain and silage, they begin to sow when the ground warms up to +10...+12°C to a depth of 10 cm. Cold-resistant varieties can be sown a little earlier, at +8...+10°C. Sowing dates usually fall in the first half of May;
- seeds should be planted to a depth of about 5–7 cm . It is better to do plantings not in long rows, but in squares. This will ensure better plant pollination;
- the culture loves moist and breathable soil , so you need to ensure regular watering and loosening;
- Shoots appear in two weeks , and to prevent weeds from drowning out the plants, weeding must be done. This should be done carefully so as not to damage the roots. In the future, you need to remove weeds once or twice;
- Organic and mineral fertilizers are most important at the beginning of the growing season , during the formation of heads of cabbage and the milky maturity of grains. The crop requires more fertilizer than other grains. To obtain 1 ton of grain and the corresponding volume of green mass, 30 kg of nitrogen and potassium, about 10 kg of phosphorus and 8 kg of calcium and magnesium are consumed. Norms are calculated depending on the composition of the soil, the presence of organic matter and previously growing crops;
- Harvesting for grain is carried out when the final maturity of the cobs is reached , when the leaves turn pale and begin to dry out. The moisture content during this period is minimal. The cob should be harvested earlier, before the fruits begin to wither and wrinkle, and when pressure is applied to the grain, a milky liquid is released.
Important! Corn can produce side shoots that need to be removed so that nutrients are spent on the formation and growth of ears, and not on the growth of green mass.
