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Оглавлениеencyclopedia of mexican vegetables
This encyclopedia covers, in detail, growing and preparing Mexican vegetables and herbs. Each vegetable is listed under its most common English name (which is often derived from its Spanish name), followed by the Spanish name, any alternate common names, and the Latin name. For major information on soil preparation, mulching, composting, and pests and diseases, see Appendices A and B in the back of the book. For further information on saving seeds, see page 4.
A number of seed companies carry Mexican or equivalent varieties of vegetables and herbs, as you will notice in the Resources section (page 102). As a side note: According to Craig Dremann of the Redwood City Seed Company, to locate some of the old Mexican vegetable varieties we need to look overseas. Many vegetables that were taken from Mexico generations ago show up in other countries still close to their ancient form. Two such examples are ‘Ronde de Nice,’ the round zucchinis common in France; and Costoluco-type fluted tomatoes from Italy. Therefore, you will find a number of varieties listed here that don’t sound the slightest bit Mexican. For hard-to-find plants, I include source information under “Varieties.” In addition, if you are searching for any edible plant, hard-to-find or otherwise, I highly recommend the ultimate source book, Cornucopia II: A Source Book of Edible Plants, by Steve Facciola.
AMARANTH
Amaranthus hypochondriacus, A. tricolor, A. cruentus, A. gangeticus
AMARANTH, A VALUABLE STAPLE of the Aztecs, was discouraged by the Spanish because it was associated with their sacrificial ceremonies. Nevertheless, these easily grown and nutritious plants are still enjoyed by modern-day Mexicans. Some types are grown for their leaves; other are grown for their edible and nutritious seeds, or grain. Leaf amaranths grow to about 18 inches. Grain amaranths are dramatic plants in the garden. With their large red or yellow plumes, they can reach 7 or 8 feet in height.
How to grow: Amaranth, a tropical annual, glories in warm weather. Start seedlings after all danger of frost is past. Plant seeds ⅛ inch deep, 4 inches apart, in full sun and rich, well-drained soil. Plant the large grain amaranths in blocks with the rows 1 foot apart to prevent lodging (falling over); thin the plants to 1 foot apart. (If the plants start to lodge, place stakes and strings around the planting.) Plant the leaf types 6 inches apart and thin seedlings to 1 foot apart. Keep amaranths fairly moist. Generally, all amaranths grow with great enthusiasm. Cucumber beetles are occasionally a problem.
To harvest for greens, select the young, tender leaves and shoots. In the north, harvest the grains after the first frost; in mild-winter areas, wait until heads begin to drop their seed. Cut the tops and lay them on a tarp to dry for about a week; protect against rain and heavy dew. To thresh large amounts of grain, lay the dry heads on a sheet or tarp, cover them with another sheet, and dance on the top layer to knock the shiny seeds free. For small amounts, you can rub the seed heads on a screen or lightly beat them in a bag to remove the seed. Use an electric fan to separate the seeds from the lighter chaff as you pour them into a bowl. Wear gloves, as the flower heads can be rough and to prevent the red varieties from staining your hands.
Burgundy grain amaranth ‘Hopi Red Dye'
Seed saving: Amaranths are primarily wind pollinated and readily cross-pollinate. To prevent cross-pollination, put cloth bags over the flower heads. Tape or tie the bags closed around the stalk. As the plants bear both male and female flowers, they self-pollinate with the bags in place. When the dried heads are ripe, cut them off and thresh as above.
Varieties
The leaves and seeds of all varieties can be eaten, but the leaf types have the tastiest leaves and the grain types more seeds. Native Seeds/SEARCH carries several varieties from Mexico; Abundant Life Seed Foundation and Bountiful Gardens carry many amaranths.
Grain Amaranths
‘Alegria’: grown in Mexico for its blond seed, which is used for the traditional confection called alegria
‘Golden Giant’: 110 days; 6 feet tall; golden flower heads; grown for its white grain and edible young leaves; high yielding
‘Hopi Red Dye’ (‘Komo’): 120 days; to 6 feet tall; reddish purple leaves, black seeds
‘K432’ (‘Plainsman’): 95 days; high-yielding variety from Rodale Research; light pink seed heads; good quality grain; carried by Johnny’s Seeds and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
‘Mayo’: 90 days; red-flowered, black-seeded variety from Sonora; grain used for pinole and atole and young leaves for quelites (greens); available from Bountiful Gardens
Leaf Amaranths
‘Merah’: 80 days; crinkled green and red leaves
How to prepare: Select young, tender leaves and shoots to use as you would spinach. Amaranth leaves are often served in a manner similar to other greens in Mexico (quelites)— namely, cook briefly in a large saucepan in the water used to wash them, or boil or steam them. Slice the cooked greens. Briefly sauté onions, chiles, and garlic in a little oil; add the amaranth and heat. Serve as a side dish or tuck in a tortilla with a little cheese. Add the mild-tasting leaves to soups and stews at the end of the cooking time.
The flavor of amaranth grain is quite mild and nutty, and it’s high in protein. Amaranth flour contains no gluten, so it must be combined with wheat flour to make raised breads. The seed can be popped like popcorn; stir ½ cup of seeds in a hot, dry frying pan until popped (about 30 seconds). Mix with honey to create alegria, a traditional confection from central Mexico. The seeds can be ground and added to moles and breads.
BEANS, SNAP, SHELLING, AND DRY
(FRIJOLES)
Phaseolus spp.
FAVA BEANS (HABAS, BROAD BEANS)
Vicia faba
RUNNER BEANS
P. coccineus
TEPARY BEANS
P. acutifolius
MOST OF THE WORLD’S BEANS are native to Mexico and are a staple food there. Fresh beans, particularly fava beans, during Lent, are served in a number of dishes, but cooked dry beans are the most common form.
Runner beans grow on large vines covered with spikes of scarlet red flowers. These flowers are followed by long string beans that are eaten fresh, or, later in the growing season, by the large shelled beans.
Tepary beans are an ancient bean type cultivated for centuries by the Papago Indians and other desert dwellers. Teparies are extremely heat, drought, and alkaline-soil tolerant. They are also very nutritious.
How to grow: The majority of cultivated beans are annuals that must be planted after all danger of frost is past.
Standard Snap, Shelling, and Dry Beans
Most beans have similar needs—namely, full sun and a good, loose garden loam with plenty of added humus. Sow seeds of bush beans 1 inch deep in rows 18 inches apart; thin to 6 inches. Pole beans need a strong trellis to climb on. Plant the seeds 1 inch deep; thin to 8 inches apart. If the plants look pale at midseason, fertilize with fish emulsion. Beans are best watered deeply and infrequently. They have their share of pests, including bean beetles, beanloopers, whiteflies, aphids, mites, and cucumber beetles. Anthracnose and leaf spots diseases are most prevalent in humid climates.
Harvest snap beans when the seeds inside are still very small and the pods are tender. For a continual crop, make sure to keep all beans harvested. Alternately, let the dry-bean varieties mature for a harvest of dry beans. See Harvesting Dry Beans, on page 25, for complete instructions.
Fava Beans
Fava beans are in another genus and grow in a different manner, as they prefer cool conditions and can tolerate light frosts. In cold-winter areas, plant fava beans when you plant peas. In areas where winters don’t dip into the teens, plant favas in the fall. They need about 90 days of cool weather to produce well. To plant, prepare the soil and plant seeds 2 inches deep and about 3 inches apart. The plants grow quickly to 5 feet in height. Support the tall plants with stakes and strings surrounding the outsides of the beds. Black aphids sometimes infest fava beans; control them with sprays of water or a commercial soap spray; slugs can destroy seedling beds.
Fava beans
‘Windsor’ fava beans
For young, tender fava beans that do not need the skins removed, harvest when they first start to fill out the pods. Alternately, let the fava beans mature and use them for fresh shelling beans or let them dry in the pod for dry beans.
Runner Beans
Runner beans produce best in cool-summer areas. Grow them in good soil and in full sun. Plant the seeds in the ground 1 inch deep; thin to 6 inches apart. Keep the plants fairly moist and protect the seedlings from slugs, snails, and bean beetles. The plants flower within a few months and beans are produced if the weather stays cool or turns cool in early fall.
Harvest young runner bean pods for snap beans (the pods are larger than standard snap beans) or let the pods fill out and harvest for fresh shelling beans or for dried beans after the pods dry.
Tepary Beans
Tepary beans are fast-growing dry beans. Sow seeds in summer after the soil has warmed. Plant in full sun, ½ inch deep and 4 inches apart. Teparies are tolerant of heat and drought. Give them an initial deep watering at planting time (or plant just before a good summer rain) and then water after that only if the plants look stressed. Too much water causes the plants to produce foliage rather than pods. Teparies have low resistance to bean mosaic virus, which may be transferred by seed; therefore, I recommend purchasing virus-free seed only.
Scarlet runner beans
threshing dry beans in a bag.
Teparies are usually harvested for dry beans. Harvest the pods as they dry or harvest the whole plant once the pods are brown.
Harvesting Dry Beans: In rainy climates, drape plants over a crude drying frame or store them inside. In dry climates, let the pods dry completely in the garden and harvest the whole plant. Once the bean pods are completely dry, the seeds must be separated from the pods. For a small batch, shell the beans out by hand. For larger harvests, cut a 6-inch hole in the bottom corner of a burlap bag and tie it closed with a string. Put the plants in the bag and hang the bag on a branch or shed door; beat on it with a stick to loosen the beans from the pods. When most of the beans are free, hold a pan under the hole, untie the string, and empty the beans into the pan. Take out the chaff and repeat the process.
Clean the beans from the chaff. When the beans are completely dry, store them in a cool, dry place in containers that will keep bugs out. To prevent weevils, first put the containers in the freezer for 24 hours to kill the eggs.
Seed saving: Most beans are self-pollinating, so cross-pollination is usually not a problem. However, it is possible for insects to cause cross-pollination. To guard against crossing, separate varieties by 10 yards or put cages or cloth bags over the flowers. Runner beans are insect pollinated and therefore more likely to cross-pollinate. Harvest bean pods when they are dry, remove the seed, and continue to dry by laying the seed on a screen in a warm, dry room for a few weeks, stirring them every few days, When they are thoroughly dry, pack the seed in mason jars, label them, and freeze them for 24 hours to kill any weevils. Store in a cool, dry, dark place.
Varieties
Snap Beans
‘Blue Lake’: 62 days; pole; to 8 feet, productive; sweet, classic beany-flavored green pods; bush variety also available
‘Kentucky Wonder’ (‘Old Homestead’): 68 days; pole; long, meaty pods popular since the mid-1800s and still great; plants are rust resistant; bush variety also available
Dry Beans
Hundreds of dry-bean varieties are grown in Mexico; here are but a few of the most popular.
‘Black Mexican’ (‘Frijol Negro’): bush; small, black bean, most associated with southern Mexico
‘Frijol Rojo’ (‘Red Mexican Chili’): semivining; popular in Mexico; grows to 4 feet; pods ripen after the plants drop leaves; resistant to bean beetles; most closely associated with central Mexico; available from Redwood City Seed Company
‘Pinto’: 90 days; can be grown as a pole bean; dry beans; most associated with northeastern Mexico and southwestern United States
‘Peruano’: a yellow, fairly small dry bean; bush bean popular in northwestern Mexico; available from Mexican grocery stores
Virus-Free White Tepary: small, white, virus-free tepary beans selected; available from Native Seeds/SEARCH
Virus-Free Yellow Tepary: ochre-colored, virus-free tepary beans; available from Native Seeds/SEARCH
Fava Beans
‘Windsor’: 80 days; bush; grows to 5 feet with green pods to 10 inches; large, light green beans
Runner Beans
‘Aztec Scarlet Runner’: 55 days; richly flavored pods; scarlet flowers; available from Plants of the Southwest
How to prepare: In Mexico, fresh snap beans are cooked with chiles, onions, garlic, and oil, or used in pork and egg dishes and in soups. Dry, however, is the favorite way Mexicans enjoy beans; dry beans are eaten nearly every day in a classic bean soup (see recipe for Frijoles de Olla on page 62) or in stews, tostadas, burritos (see recipe, page 84), and, of course, as creamy refried beans (see recipe, page 63). They can be stuffed into chiles or used as a filling for Mexican sandwiches (tortas). Runner beans are used in soups and in tamales.
Fava beans are used dry or fresh and are delicious combined with garlic, chiles, or both. Young fava beans have a special sweetness. Once these tasty beans are fully mature, they are shelled and then the bean skins must be peeled before preparation. Try them fresh or dried in a classic Mexican sauce with roasted tomatoes, onions, and garlic (see recipe, page 70).
Caution: Some males of Mediterranean descent are allergic to favas and should be wary when trying them for the first time. Persons taking antidepressants with monoamine inhibitors should avoid them at all costs.
Beans, shown clockwise, from upper-left corner: pinto, giant pinto, scarlet runner, and Peruano
CHARD, SWISS
(ACELGA)
Beta vulgaris var. flavescens
CHARD IS A GREEN introduced into Mexico by the Spanish.
How to grow: Swiss chard tolerates a lot more heat than most greens, though it suffers in extreme heat, and is moderately hardy. Start it in early spring or late summer for mild-winter areas. Plant chard seeds ½ inch deep, 6 inches apart, and thin to 1 foot. Plant in full sun and neutral soil with lots of added organic matter. For tender, succulent leaves, keep plants well watered. Mulch with a few inches of organic matter. When plants are about 0 weeks old, fertilize with ½ cup balanced organic fertilizer for every 5 feet of row. A few pests and diseases bother chard, mainly slugs and snails (especially when the plants are young), and leaf miner, a fly larva.
To harvest chard, remove the outside leaves at the base; tender new leaves keep coming throughout the season.
Varieties
‘Fordhook Giant’: 60 days, a classic green chard with white ribs, fairly cold hardy
How to prepare: For centuries, the Mexican people harvested wild greens (quelites). Since their introduction by the Spanish, Swiss chard and, occasionally, spinach are often cooked in the same way as the quelites—namely, sautéed, steamed, or boiled until just done, and sliced or chopped. The greens are then added to seasoned sauces or vegetables—for example, a mixture of cooked onions, chiles, garlic, and other seasonings, like tomatoes and tomatillos. Alternately, the aromatic vegetables are pureed to make a sauce and the cooked greens—in this case, chard—added. This dish is served with tortillas. Chard can be added to green rice or to egg scrambles or combined with roasted poblanos and Mexican crema or new potatoes and tomatoes.
'Fordhook Giant’ chard
CHAYOTE
(CHAYOTE)
Sechium edule
CHAYOTES ARE NATIVE TO tropical America. This green, pear-shaped vegetable is versatile, absorbs seasonings well, and is much appreciated in Mexico. There, chayotes are creamy white or dark green and either thorny or smooth, while the chayotes we usually see in U.S. markets are medium green and smooth. As with summer squash, some varieties are delicately sweet and somewhat watery while others resemble potatoes in their starchiness.
How to grow: Chayotes are huge vines, 10 to 20 feet long, and are tender perennials that thrive only where winters are nearly frost free. Chayotes produce more fruit when more than one plant is present for cross-pollination.
To start your plants, buy three or so fruits at a produce market in late spring. (You only need one, but sometimes they rot.) I wait until the chayotes start to sprout on my kitchen windowsill and then plant them in one-gallon containers. I mostly cover the fruits with potting soil, leaving the shoot sticking out just above ground, and keep the soil moist but not wet. Shoots need lots of light, so I put them in a south-facing window or under grow lights. In a few weeks, the plants are established and I fertilize at this time with fish emulsion.
Once the weather is fully warmed up I plant the two chayotes a foot apart, ifl have limited room, 6 feet or more otherwise. Chayotes grow best in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil. Snails, slugs, and cucumber beetles are occasional problems. The vines, which need strong support, start to flower in the fall and to fruit 6 or 8 weeks later. (The spiny varieties take a longer season to flower and fruit.) Fruits are ready for harvesting when they are 3 or 4 inches in length. A vine can produce more than 50 fruits.
Starting chayote plants by planting the fruits
the chayote fruit itself.
How to prepare: The small fruits can be eaten without peeling, but the skin must be removed on mature ones. Be aware, though: when you peel raw chayotes, they exude a sticky substance. It can be removed by washing and rubbing, but some cooks wear rubber gloves or parboil the fruit for a few minutes before peeling. The smooth, light green chayotes have a mild, less pronounced flavor than the spiny or dark green ones. According to Juvenal Chavez, owner of Mi Pueblo stores in San José, the spiny chayotes are considered more flavorful and preferred for simple dishes that showcase the fruit.
In Mexican cuisine, chayotes are most often steamed or boiled for about 15 minutes, seasoned with butter, salt, and pepper, and served with salsa, or combined with garlic, chiles, and, sometimes, tomatoes (see recipe, page 80), and sautéed. Recipes occasionally call for adding chayote slices to soups or steaming and cutting them in thick slices, making a sandwich of them with cheese in between, and dipping them in egg batter and cooking them like chiles rellenos. A salad of steamed and cooled chayote can be dressed with lime juice or vinegar and mixed with tomatoes and onions. The men I met at the Mi Tierra community gardens in San José enjoy them steamed and mashed with milk and honey or baked in aluminum foil in the oven like baked potatoes. Chayotes are sometimes made into a dessert by stuffing them with a mixture of eggs, sugar, spongecake crumbs, and seasonings and baking them.
CHIA
(CHÍA)
Salvia hispanica
MEXICAN CHIA IS MOST FAMILIAR to Americans as those cute little Chia Pets in the TV commercials. A number of plants are called chía; another one, S. columbariae, referred to as desert or golden chía, is native to California and the Baja peninsula. The seeds of both can be used to make a refreshing summer drink.
How to grow: Plant the seeds of chía in spring in very fast-draining soil in full sun. They grow 2 to 3 feet tall and produce small blue flowers. Good drainage is essential, as most sages die readily in heavy clay or soggy soil.
Harvest the dried seed stalks and, when completely dry, winnow off the seed pods and chaff from the seeds.
Varieties
The easiest way to obtain chía seeds is to purchase a package at a Mexican market, where it is usually offered on racks with other Mexican herbs. Seeds of chias are also carried by J. L.
Hudson, Plants of the Southwest, and Native Seeds/SEARCH.
How to prepare: Chia is primarily used to make a cooling drink called agua con chía. Place a tablespoon of chia seeds in a pitcher and add a quart of water. Let sit for an hour or so until the seeds have become gelatinous and swell. When ready to serve, add limes and sugar to taste, stir, and pour the seeds and juice over ice. Less traditionally, chia leaves can be used to flavor poultry and meats, and the sprouted seeds can be sprinkled on salads to give a peppery taste.
Chia
CILANTRO ET AL.
(cilantro, fresh coriander, Chinese parsley)
Coriandrum sativum
CULANTRO
(cilantro, cilantrillo, Mexican coriander)
Eryngium foetidum
PAPALOQUELITE
(papalo)
Porophyllum ruderale ssp. macrocephalum
CILANTRO ( BETTER KNOWN AS coriander throughout much of the world) is native to the Mediterranean and has been cultivated for over 3,000 years, beginning with the ancient Egyptians. Culantro and papaloquelite, on the other hand, are native to Mexico and South America. What all three of these herbs have in common is a similar flavor and aroma people either love or hate. I, for one, crave the earthy flavor.
Cilantro in flower
cilantro
Cilantro, which looks something like parsley, is widely used in Mexican cuisine—both the fresh leaves, called cilantro, and the ripe seeds, called coriander. Culantro is a tender perennial herb with long, incised leaves that takes hotter weather than cilantro and, unlike cilantro and papaloquelite, can also be successfully dried, retaining its characteristic flavor and color. According to herb maven Carole Saville, papaloquelite tastes similar to cilantro but has a more complex flavor, which she describes as “sort of like gazpacho in a leaf, sans tomatoes.”
How to grow: Contrary to what lots of gardeners think, the annual cilantro is easy to grow; you just need to know its idiosyncrasies. Cilantro needs cool weather and bolts to seed readily when days start to lengthen in the spring and when weather becomes warm. Therefore, it is best planted in the fall. In cold-winter areas, it can be planted as a quick fall crop before a heavy frost hits, or the seeds can be planted in late fall to sprout the next spring after the ground thaws. In mild-winter areas, fall-planted cilantro grows lush and tall over winter. (Cilantro tolerates light frosts.) In short-spring areas, early plantings are more successful than late. One guaranteed way to grow under these conditions is to treat it as a cut-and-come-again crop. Plant seeds 1 inch apart and snip 3-inch-tall seedlings above ground level; replant every 2 weeks until the weather gets too warm.
When possible, start cilantro from seeds in place, as it resents transplanting (another reason cilantro bolts readily). Plant seeds ¼ inch deep in rich, light soil and in full sun. Thin the seedlings to 6 inches and keep moist. The varieties most commonly available in nurseries, while adequate, are bred to quickly bolt and produce seeds (coriander) for the world seed trade. If you choose varieties bred for leaf production instead, available from mail-order seed companies, you’ll harvest leaves for a longer time. Fertilize if plants get pale. Except for slugs, cilantro has few pests and diseases. Harvest cilantro sprigs once plants are 6 inches tall.
Culantro is treated as a short-lived perennial in warm-climate zones. Below Zone 9, it is grown as an annual. Sow seeds indoors in early winter and set seedlings out when the soil has warmed. (Seeds are slow to germinate.) Grow culantro in moderately fertile, fast-draining, moist soil in full sun. In warm climates, grow it in filtered sun. It may also be grown in containers and wintered over inside. Culantro grows to 2 feet tall, with a rosette of sharply toothed, oblong basal leaves (ones growing from the crown at the base of the plant) about 4 inches long and 1 inch wide. Flowering stems grow to about 18 inches. Keep flowering stems cut back for a continual harvest of the basal leaves. Control slugs and snails.
One plant of papaloquelite is usually sufficient. It is a warm-weather annual that is easily grown if the seed is sown after the weather is reliably warmed. (It can also be started indoors 6 weeks before the last frost date.) It does best in full sun and in a well-drained, sandy soil. Give regular water. The plant can reac 6 feet but stays smaller in most areas. The leaves are best harvested when the plant is young.
Varieties
Choose cilantro varieties designated as slow-bolting, available from Shepherds, Nichols, and Johnny’s. Papaloquelite and culantro are carried by Richters.
How to prepare: Cilantro leaves are used fresh, as the flavor fades quickly when cooked. Generally, they are chopped and sprinkled on a dish or mixed in after cooking to give a characteristic flavor. Add the chopped leaves sparingly to tacos, guacamole, and bean and corn dishes, fold it into cooked vegetable dishes, salsas, moles, ceviche and other fish dishes, or use whole leaves as a garnish. The essential oils in cilantro fade quickly and there is no successful way to preserve its flavor.
In Mexico, the aromatic leaves of culantro are classically used in soups and stocks, added at the end of cooking. Culantro is a versatile herb that can be used in any dish where you want the taste of cilantro. It’s great with ground cumin when added to guacamole. In some regions of Mexico, the flower heads of culantro are used as a spice to flavor moles. Sprinkle a chicken or bean taco with queso fresca and chopped culantro leaves to appreciate its characteristic flavor.
In her book, Exotic Herbs, Carole Saville says that some restaurants in Mexico keep sprigs of culantro in a glass of water on the table so diners can pluck leaves “to add to bean dishes or roll up in a warm tortilla.” She recommends it in tomato salsa, especially chipotle salsa, and in any dish where you would use cilantro. Craig Dremann of the Redwood City Seed Company says some people choose food stands in Mexico by whether they serve cilantro or papaloquelite. Those serving papaloquelite offer more authentic dishes.
Culantro
papaloquelite
CORN
(MAIZ: DRY CORN; ELOTE: FRESH CORN OR CORN ON THE COB)
Zea mays
DENT CORN
Z. m. var. indentata
SWEET CORN
Z. m. var. saccharata
CORN WAS DOMESTICATED in Mexico about 2000 B.C. and it is the foundation of Mexican cooking. Most Mexican varieties are intended to be used dried. Dent, often called field corn, not sweet corns, predominate in Mexico, and there are numerous local varieties. Some are used for making tortillas; others have large, plump kernels best for pozole, a hominy-based soup. Yet others are a bit sweeter; picked when the kernels are mature but still juicy, they are roasted or used for fresh corn tamales or soups. The super-sweet types of corn preferred north of the border are not popular in Mexico.
If you enjoy Mexican cooking, a real advantage of growing your own corn is that you will have lots of husks and corn leaves in which to wrap your tamales.
Maxican corn
How to grow: Corn requires both summer heat and full sun and is generally planted from seeds sown directly into the garden. Corn pollen is transferred by the wind from the male flower (the tassel) onto the pistil of the female flower (the silk). If corn is planted in long single rows, the silks won’t be well pollinated. Instead, plant a block of shorter multiple rows, a minimum of four being needed. Plant seeds in rich soil, 1 inch deep, 4 inches apart, with 3 feet between rows. Thin corn seedlings to 1 foot apart.
Before planting your dent corns, work a source of organic nitrogen (such as aged chicken manure or blood meal) into the soil. Once the seedlings are established, lightly side dress with fish emulsion. If the leaves begin to pale or the plants aren’t growing vigorously, apply more fish emulsion. (The sweet corns most commonly grown in American home gardens, including the ‘Golden Bantam’ [listed on page 33], are heavier feeders and require higher levels of nitrogen throughout the growing season.) Side dress the dent corns at tasseling time with about half of what you’d fertilize American sweet corns. Most dent corns are drought tolerant. With all corn, however, attention to water at tasseling time helps guard against poorly filled out ears. The dent corns generally grow to 10 to 14 feet, taller than most sweet corns.
The corn earworm is the most common insect pest. They can be smothered by a bit of mineral oil squirted into the ear just as the silk is beginning to dry, or apply Bacillus thuringiensis to the plant. Other insect pests include corn borers, southern corn rootworms, corn flea beetles, and seed corn maggots. Birds can steal the seeds out of the ground, so cover new plantings. The most common corn diseases are Stewart’s bacterial wilt, southern corn leaf blight, and corn smut. The latter, a fungus, is considered a delicacy in Mexico—think wild mushrooms. Called huitlachoche, the fungus is harvested when plump and gray, before it gets black and dry.
Sweet corn is ready to eat when the silks are dry and brown and the ears are well filled out. Test for ripeness by puncturing a few kernels with a fingernail. Unripe kernels squirt a watery liquid, ripe ones a milky juice. Most varieties of sweet corn begin to lose their sweetness as soon as they are picked, so it is best to harvest ears as close to cooking time as possible.
Harvest dent corns for grilling and fresh corn tamales after the silks turn brown and the kernels are milky and still sweet. For dry dent corn, leave the earS on the plant until the kernels are dry. If the weather is very wet, cut the stalks after the husks begin to turn brown and store them in a dry place. When the corn is completely dry—which can take weeks—husk the ears and store them in a dry place, or remove the kernels and store them in sealed jars.
Seed saving: Corn is wind pollinated and cross-pollinates easily. At least 300 feet must separate different varieties tasseling at the same time; 1,000 feet is better. Varieties with tassel times 2 weeks apart may be planted somewhat closer. Hand pollinate to ensure full ears, using pollen from one plant to pollinate another plant—never the same plant. Select the earliest and fullest ears, mark them with a piece of ribbon, and allow them to dry in place until they are ripe for seed harvest. Peel back the husks, hang the ears in an airy place, and allow the kernels to continue to dry on the cob until they can be twisted loose with relative ease. Store in an airtight container. For long-term storage, store whole ears.
Varieties
