Stewed Dried Corn

Serves 8

If you never had dried corn you really must give it a try. It goes back to the days when drying was used to preserve vegetables through the winter. Dried corn has a rich, nutty flavor, very different from fresh. I was fortunate to have access to a large amount of fresh ears of corn years ago and dried a bunch in my dehydrator. It was great and lasted for several years in an air-tight container. Alternately, there are dried corn products available. We have always used John Copes, which is the only brand I have ever seen. But that was in Pennsylvania. Where I live now, all I can find are the precooked canned or frozen versions and, like most packaged foods, they are not quite as good as what you make from scratch. I sometimes have friends or relatives mail several boxes to me, or I order from an online source. This recipe is for stewed corn, but dried corn can also be creamed or added to soups. Additionally, it can be baked like a corn pudding, as in the Dried Corn Casserole in the similar and related recipes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried sweet corn (see notes below)
• 3 to 4 cups boiling water (see notes below)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, preferably unsalted, or to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup regular or evaporated milk (see notes below)

Place corn in large saucepan. Add boiling water and soak for approximately 1 hour, but no longer. Add sugar, butter, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the milk and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Serve immediately or keep warm over a very low heat.

Notes: The dried corn I purchase used to come in packages that contained 2 cups of corn. However, like most products, the packages have gotten smaller, so just add enough boiling water to completely cover the corn and less of the remaining ingredients as desired. My mother always used evaporated milk in this recipe. It adds a richer flavor, but regular milk is equally good. Stewed dried corn reheats very well. Leftovers, if there are any, are great as is or added to a pot of soup.