Baboon Achievers, Food, gardening, Nature, Stories, Weather

Sweet Corn or Bust!

45 Comments

Today’s post comes to us from Ben.

My sweet corn finally got ripe. It’s not good. But Dammit, I’m going to eat it!

I get sweet corn from the seed corn dealer. Two small bags slightly bigger than what you’d pick up from Fleet Farm in the spring.

I use the first bag as I test the planter as I start corn in the spring.

I divide the seed into 3 rows of the planter and then plant the sweet corn testing depth and the monitor and just making sure the planter is working properly.

This year, the first 50’ I had the depth wrong so the corn never emerged. And the last 75’ was next to the pasture and woods and the deer ate all that before it even got tassels. But I kinda expected that.

Then I plant all the rest of my regular corn. And then, before switching the planter to soybeans, I plant the second batch of sweet corn. Some years that might only be 3 – 7 days. This year it was about 2 weeks between batches.

I plant the second batch in a different field, close to the house and on the other side of the field from the trees and deer.

This year with the weather being so cool, it took a long time for that second field to get ripe. The bottom of the ear was tough and the top and middle were just OK. I don’t know if was the variety of the sweet corn or just the way it ripened. And there was a lot. 12 rows 100’ long. I knew it was too much but I take a lot to the my siblings and I freeze some and I invite others. This year, I bought corn earlier to freeze as I didn’t know if mine would ever get ripe

But darn it; I look forward to sweet corn all summer and I’ll be darned if I’m going to not eat it just because it doesn’t taste good!

Sigh.

But I think I’ve had enough corn this year…

What do you do even though it’s a dumb idea?

45 thoughts on “Sweet Corn or Bust!”

  1. Well, I keep buying food like I have a distance runner in the house. I either need to cut back on the shopping or take up distance running 😉

    Did buy a baker’s dozen of sweet corn at the market this last weekend thinking I would eat some and freeze the rest.

    Going to try roasting the corn (which is how we like to eat it) instead of boiling it and freezing it that way.

    I’ll let you know.

    Liked by 4 people

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        1. Don’t keep going all day. I removed a Spam comment earlier this morning. It looks like WordPress isn’t smart enough to have figured that out.

          Liked by 5 people

        1. We don’t get much spam. I think this is maybe the third one I’ve ever seen. And MiG, you are correct – since you had replied to the spam comment, when I deleted the comment itself your reply went bye-bye as well.

          Liked by 1 person

      1. Well, I am freezer loading that corn against when he is home on break as I know he is going to want chili with cornbread :).

        Carleton does a long winter break after first trimester (which means wisdom teeth can be done and over before Christmas), so I’m stocking up for that.

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  2. Rise and Shine Baboons,

    My list of dumb ideas and behavior is mighty long:

    *Putting tiles in the living room 17 years ago after inspiration from HGTV. The floor was uneven and it did not work resulting in putting down a laminate which was better than carpet.

    *Adopting a barn kitty.

    *Trying to live in a small town after grad school–I found big city life suited me well and the adjustment back to small town felt like life in a fish bowl.

    It goes on from there but I will spare you the details.

    Liked by 8 people

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  3. I’m going internet tv….sounded smart or at least not so dumb until I tackled it.

    I’m great with my Apple iPad(easy-simple)…& I used to have a lot of patience for setting up electronic equipment.

    However…in effort to get away from cable or satellite companies which we pay ridiculously high monthly fees due to husband’s NEED for various sports channels…I convinced him I’d do internet. I get several free channels from Apple….easy to put on my iPad…so why not the ‘smart’ tv? Didn’t work that way…one needs an Apple tv to receive those channels at no extra cost.
    Hours of research and complete mind mush and we now have “Roku”, “sling” …HOURS of getting a new Internet address and password so that I could upload various free channels …..and frustration to the point of tears. I think my brain had become numb and gone stupid so I had to let it go for a day.

    We now have the channels husband wants BUT cannot record. (that is another product I have but need geek squad assistance to simplify the manufacturers directions.). Once all the necessary items are purchased to enable our ‘independence'(hah!)…we should be ‘saving’ about $100 monthly….

    Liked by 3 people

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    3. Oh I get that. I get depressed if I think about the money we spend monthly on internet and cell phones these days.
      I’m not ready to give either one up, but gosh that’s a big expense we didn’t have 30 years ago.
      Course, for that matter, what expenses did I have 30 years ago we don’t have today? Besides diapers and daycare. Quick: somebody write a blog about that! (Not it!)

      Liked by 3 people

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  8. Yes, Happy Birthday, Anna.

    I suppose planting a too big garden every year counts. Like Mig, we also have too much food in the house. You never know, though, when a threshing crew might stop by.

    Liked by 7 people

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  9. I do or have done so many things that were dumb ideas. Today, while driving during late rush hour (something I usually try to avoid), I was in the left lane…and discovered that the left turn lane was closed, meaning that drivers in front of me who had to turn left had to use the regular left lane and that meant traffic in that lane was held up. I wasn’t in the right lane because that was right turn only and I needed to go straight ahead. I missed my opportunity to go around the left turner in front of me so there I sat, through several lights, while everyone behind me zipped around. I guess the dumb idea was trying to drive somewhere, where there was road construction here and there) while it was still rush hour but doggone it trying to avoid rush hour means a lot of hours in a day that you have to not drive and sometimes driving is the best way to get to where you’re going. Especially if you’re lugging camera equipment around.

    Liked by 1 person

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  10. OT – my trip to Duluth was canceled, so I’m looking for good places to go to take pictures, get outside and explore nature, and all that stuff. Anywhere around the Twin Cities area, or even a day trip. Any suggestions?

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    1. I know a photographer who has gotten a lot of really beautiful pictures around Pig’s Eye Lake in St. Paul. It’s not a popular spot , because, a) it’s called Pig’s Eye, and b) it’s right by the sewage treatment plant. But it’s a lovely spot, with abundant wildlife.

      Liked by 2 people

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      2. Ooh, thanks, Linda. That looks intriguing. And thanks for the link to the photographer’s website. She has some lovely photos.

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      1. I’ve been to the part that is accessed by Old Cedar Ave., but not to any of the other sections. I should try out some of the other areas.

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  12. I try to fix something old or buy something used instead of buying something new. Occasionally it works out, but mostly I just have a lot of stuff around that needs fixing or cleaning. It would make sense if I had the time. Or the talent for it.

    Liked by 4 people

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  13. Lately it feels like believing people who say they will help with problem X or help find a reason why N happens is a fool’s errand. But like that guy in that book who keeps chasing a whale, I will persevere…

    And perhaps have a second piece of birthday cake. Thanks for the birthday wishes!

    Liked by 4 people

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  15. great post ben
    i sure like your writing voice
    do you do the yellow and white mixed corn that’s so popular now?
    i do lots of stupid stuff
    it’s a main catagory of stuff i do well
    i live a stupid life and engage
    i love being my own boss but i’m bad to work for
    i have new found gluten and dairy issues but i find eating other stuff messes me up too but i push onward. then pizza smells so good and cheese in general finds it’s way into my mouth so ask i gurgle and cramp i celebrate the week when i felt good a month or two back
    my time spent on devices is not a good representation of my true feelings about prioritized importance
    i ride s motorcycle with no helmet because i like it which i know is stupid but i do it anyway
    i could continue but that would be stupid too

    Liked by 2 people

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