Reduce Waste: How to Make the Most of Your Fresh Corn

Fresh summer corn is simply delicious - it's so fresh and juicy, it goes well in any sauce, casserole, quiche, fritter… and is lip-smacking when just steamed or grilled and slathered with butter, salt and pepper.

No-Waste Corn Hacks

If you, like me, hate wasting food, the main hurdle with fresh corn is the feeling of squandering the cobs and husks… so, here are some ideas to make the most of your corn:

Golden Corn Stock: A Simple Trick

The first and simplest technique is to make a good old stock: add the cobs, husks and silks into a pot of water, bring to a boil and simmer until the liquid turns golden yellow.

Sieve off the solids, which are the perfect candidate for worm fodder in the compost bin. 

The resulting stock has a delicious corn taste that is loaded with nutrients - this is a great way to use up any other veggie scraps to make a lovely flavourful stock!

Tamale Time: Husks to the Rescue

Use the husks for making tamales: make up a tamale mixture and package into the husk, wrap it up nicely and then steam until cooked through.

This is a great option for steaming any veggies or meats (not limited to just tamales!!).

Grill Master Tips: Smoking with Corn Cobs

Smoking meats: If you're a BBQ connoisseur and into smoking your own meats, adding corn cobs to the coals when grilling will impart a subtle flavour to the meat.

Composting Corn Scraps: Feed the Earth

Like all veggie scraps, it's not wasted if they make it into the compost bin: the worms and microbes will thank you, and they'll convert those scraps into beautiful compost to feed your garden.

So, as long as food scraps don't go into the landfill, they still feed someone!