Corn chowder using fresh corn question

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

larry_stewart

Master Chef
Joined
Dec 25, 2006
Messages
6,171
Location
Long Island, New York
When I make corn chowder, I usually use canned corn, but i just saw a video recipe that used fresh corn, and after separating the kernels from the cob, she boiled them separately first prior to adding them to the soup.

My question is, why not just add them to the soup and let them cook in there?
Is it a starch issue?

Just curios
 
Beats me Larry. It seems to me you are losing a lot of the corn flavor to the first boil that will never make it into the chowder.

I'd add it directly and just make sure it's tender before you take it off the stove.
 
I always used fresh corn whenever making chowder. Never heard of cooking it separately. After removing the corn, I even used the cobs to flavor the cooking liquid.
 
Last edited:
Well, I have yett again ot be taught something different at DC. In my neck of the woods, it is mostly Native Americans who make and eat corn chowder; and it's a favorite at powows and get-togethers. But we don't use sweet corn in our chowder. We use hominy. It is a delicious version and as with most recipe of this kind, everyone makes theirs a bit differently.

i would expect that the double cooking of the corn was originally used to soften the corn kernal, making it edible. Hominy is usually soaked in lye to soften the corn kernal, then washed and boiled, or steamed. Te flavor is more reminiscent of the fresh tortilla flavor, rather than sweet corn.

That's my guess.

sweet corn is to be steamed in the husk, have the husk removed, slathered in butter, dusted with salt, and eaten from the com. If I'm going use seet corn for other perposes, i get the best canned corn I can find, with as few additives as possible. I look for brands that list corn, water, and salt in their ingredient list. The kernals are sweet and crisp, and hte can juices are used to add flavor to the recipe.

hope this is useful information.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
I've never made corn chowder, but I'd go for it with the fresh sweet corn. What have you got to lose? The fresh corn in the chowder may be crisper, but I don't see a problem with that.

Play with your food! :chef:

CD
 
I have used both canned and fresh corn for Corn Chowder. No first boil. Cut from the cob, use the back of a knife to get all the corn milk from the cob after the kernels have been removed. There is so much flavor in that corn milk. If you want additional corn flavor, steam the cobs in a small amount of water and add to the chowder.

When I make corn chowder, I buy whole kernel and cream style corn. And sometimes if I have a couple of fresh ones, I add them also after all the kernels are removed along with the corn milk. I do remember my mother used to give the empty cobs to my father to bury deep in the dirt for her kitchen garden.

We did have a compost pile, but most of the food stuff went right into the garden during the summer months.
 
Larry, did she add the cream or half-n-half when the corn was added? The only thing I can think of is the high fat content of either of those (compared to broth or water, which is what corn is usually cooked in) might inhibit the corn cooking and softening somewhat?
 
She is not using the corn as the base of the chowder. Only as an additive. I too would probably use Creamed Corn and extra kernels, after all I want it to taste like corn - even if there were no kernels!

After reading the recipe and order of ingredients added, I would be inclined to call it Chowder with Corn, Cheddar and Bacon.
I bet if you remove the kernels from hers it would not taste like corn at all!
 
Back
Top Bottom