Cooking Corn on the Cob the Right Way

A SPRING SUMMER AND FALL TREAT!

Although it is a bit early for fresh grown corn from here in NC, this is a great time of year for corn on the cob!

Throughout history, corn has been a favorite, but sometime in the more recent past some people have lost sight of how to cook corn. We’re going to go over the two most popular ways, and then one of those will be eliminated because it is like episode 4 of Star Wars!

THE WRONG WAYS TO COOK CORN

Never use a microwave to cook corn (or nearly anything else – they’re great for popcorn and reheating soup).

The other wrong way to cook corn (but admittedly way better than the microwave) is to boil the corn. This is a good standard, but once you have corn prepared the proper way you will never want to go back to boiling!

THE RIGHT WAY TO COOK CORN

That’s right, there is really only one correct way to cook corn – by roasting it! It is best in a grill – you don’t even have to shuck it if it still has the husk on it, just toss it on the grill and turn every 5 – 7 minutes for about 20 – 30 minutes. This will depend on how hot your grill is, and how well done you like the corn.

Add caption

If it does not have the husk on it, wrap the ears of corn in tinfoil, cook on the grill, and with this you can take the corn out of the tinfoil for the last 5 – 7 minutes and cook directly over the grill for a nice seared treat, like the picture below.

If the husk is still on, once it is done cooking it is very easy to peel the husks back and pull out the corn hairs, then cut off the tail end of the ear for easy handling!

The oven also works quite well (if it’s raining for instance); just preheat to 400 degrees, then follow the above directions!

HOW TO EAT IT

There are many more ways to properly eat corn than there is to cook it (you know my ideas on that subject), but I have to say there is one way to eat corn which I do most often; but first, a few other ideas!

From Mexican street corn to butter and cinnamon sugar to bacon and basil toppins, I like to look at what other people are doing but really the sky is the limit when it comes to corn on the cob – in this link, you can get some great recipes for the Mexican Street Corn and others:

https://www.thekitchn.com/5-must-try-delicious-ways-to-liven-up-grilled-corn-tips-from-the-kitchn-205793

BUTTER AND SALT

Yes, I know – it’s an old standard. But old standards are old standards for a reason, and the simple deliciousness of spring corn cooked on a grill, then liberally coated with actual butter and salt is sublime. ACTUAL BUTTER, folks!!!!!!!!!

We hope we have given you some great ideas about the best way to make corn, but in the end it is a treat that can fill many different flavor needs in a delicious, and healthy as well!!! (if you use enough butter)

This post has been brought to you by Maiden Tire & Wheel - if you need tires for your lawnmower, rototiller, farm wagon or trailers or your cars and trucks, call now or visit www.maidentire.com

Growing a simple garden - there is plenty of time!

GROWING A SIMPLE GARDEN IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK

With more people staying at home as this year slowly ticks by, many people are thinking more and more about starting a small home garden.

We think this is a great idea!

Like many things, gardening can be easy and cheap or complicated and expensive – today we are going to concentrate on easy and cheap!

DON’T WORRY – IT’S NOT TOO LATE!

Even though it is the second half of May, there is still plenty of time to establish a garden – we will go over some of the crops and methods here, and I will supply some great links on some more specific information. In fact in North Carolina and a lot of southern areas a fall crop is available for all kinds of plants!

Don’t worry! If you don’t have any tools, gardening tools are pretty simple – the maximum you need are a shovel, a hoe and a hula hoe (for weeding once the garden is established). If you don’t want to dig a small plot, hire a local handy-man or go with container gardening!

Containers are easy to build and not super expensive, such as this one:

https://www.wayfair.com/outdoor/pdp/gracie-oaks-buckingham-wood-raised-garden-w003038440.html?piid=1107936670

This bed is 71” long by 35” wide and 5.5” deep, and is suitable for all kinds of vegetables and flowers. It is only $119 dollars online, but is not deep enough for some vegetables, especially carrots, potatoes or other types of tubers or root vegetables.

However you do it, whether you break the earth with a shovel and hoe (as seen in the picture below) or use raised beds, the first thing you will want to do is think about what veggies you like and eat on a regular basis.

When using a shovel, start by digging up the earth in the outline of the plot you want to construct, and then turn the earth of inside that area. Once all the earth has been turned by shovel, break up those chunks with the hoe. A great way to use the old grass is to throw the grass/root sections in a pile or wheelbarrow and compost them, they will make great nutrients the next year you build your garden, and since the soil will already be broken up it is very easy to turn the earth each year in your plot. 

Some crops, such as carrots, radishes and lettuces are cool weather crops and it is probably to late to plant them, but there is plenty of time to plant tomatoes, peppers, artichokes, and vine plants such as cucumbers, squash and zucchinis.

I personally like scattering my veggies out and incorporating them with my flower beds, and there are many flowers which actually help garden veggies grow (for instance, marigolds help tomato plants by keeping away insects and treating the soil naturally against certain types of molds). This is called companion planting, and it also really dresses up your garden beds. You can learn more about companion planting here!

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/companion-planting-guide-31301

SEEDS OR NURSERY PLANTS?

This is where things can get expensive – it is a lot easier to grow nursery plants as opposed to planting seeds, but the cost can be quite a bit higher. For a normal tomato strain, such as an heirloom or a nice Roma, it is usually less than three dollars for a packet of at least 25 seeds (some veggies such as lettuce often come in 100 seed cou

nts).

Compare that with plants of various sizes – you can find small seedlings of many different plants for 3 – 4 dollars per plant (sometimes less than that), but the larger the plant is the more expensive it will be. An 18” tomato plant can run up to $15 - $16 dollars, but there is a certain satisfaction to seeing the plants in the ground and ready to go.

It also makes weeding easier.

But there is another sense of satisfaction in seeing the seeds you plant coming up out of the ground in neat little rows and seeing how the plants form themselves as they grow. It does take a little more effort in weeding until the seeds reach a certain size, but a few minutes at the end of the day is well worth the effort, and helps you keep a close eye on the growth of your plants.

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

Growing flowers and veggies can be a lot of fun, but it can also be aggravating – from rabbits and other animals eating the plants to various diseases and rots, and sometimes just poor soil, growing a garden can be a lesson in humility, but it is a lesson well learned, and the rewards in my experience are much greater than the (inevitable) failures and pitfalls.

There is something deeply satisfying about seeing a plant that you planted and tended producing food which you eat at your table, and it is a great lesson for children of any ages to actually see how some food is produced.

The larger plant to the left is squash, the smaller plants are a bush bean

There is more than enough time this year, and if you don’t want to do much just get a few large pots (3 – 5 gallons) for some tomatoes, peppers, or other veggies. Smaller pots are great for herbs, and these are great to add to any recipe – I plant sage, oregano, basil, cilantro, parsley and rosemary each year, and it is a great way to spice up nearly anything you are cooking – some sage and oregano added to a jarred tomato sauce gives it a whole new, full and rich flavor.

You can find a great list of the most popular herbs here:  https://www.delallo.com/blog/fresh-herbs-spices-primer/

Gardening can be easy and fun, and it is more than satisfying once you start eating the fruits of your labor – so take advantage of the outdoors, whether you are in a condo with a small patio or small front yard or you live in a house with a yard big enough for a big garden, it is great fun, great exercise and in the end a delicious lesson on how nearly everyone used to live, by growing the food they would eat themselves.

 For lawnmower tires or tires for your yard tractor, car or truck, come see us at Maiden Tire & Wheel!

Getting The Most Mileage Out Of Your Tires

Make Your Tires Last!

Many things on your car can cause your tires to wear out more quickly than they should; work out shock absorbers or struts, worn out suspension parts, or just a car which is not properly aligned. 

These types of problems can make tires wear out much quicker than normal, and generally result in very specific type of wear - this is why it is so important to inspect your tires on a regular basis (at least once a week check both edges of the tire; this can help catch any potential problems before the tire is destroyed from uneven wear.

Even if your car is perfect mechanically, though, tires will wear unevenly if they are njot maintained. 

There are two areas that are easy to ignore - tire pressure, and making sure the tires are properly rotated at the recommended intervals.

35x1250R20 Mud Tires in Maiden, NC

Pump 'em Up!

Check on your tires for the proper inflation; many cars recommend a lower tire pressure than the tire manufacturers - you should always used the recommended pressure that is on the tire, not what the car says. Over pressurized or under pressurized tires will make the tire wear more quickly (over inflated tires will wear out in the middle of the tread, under inflated tires will wear out on the inner or outer edge).

That is an advantage of cars with TPMS sensors, but it would not hurt to occasionally check your tire pressure to make sure it is in the recommended range.

Tire and wheel packages in Maiden NC

Rotate Rotate Rotate!

Rotating your tires is one of the easiest routine maintenance duties on your vehicle to forget, but rotating the tires properly is the most important thing you can do to make sure your tires last as long as possible - most tire manufacturers recommend rotating your tires every 6000 miles or so.

You will want to refer to your tire's manufacturer to see how often they recommend rotations. Another important thing to remember about tire rotations is that if you do not have your tires rotated on schedule, it voids any tread wear warranty that may have come with your new tires. 

Keeping your tires rotated and properly inflated can extend your tire life as much as 1/3 further than you would normally go without doing those things, which can add up to a lot of money over the life of your car.

For rotations, and deals on new tire and wheel packages, Maiden Tire & Wheel has been serving folks that need tires in Maiden NC for 10 years!

Custom Tires and wheels in Maiden NC