If you have read some of my other blog posts, you have probably picked up on the fact that I am a big fan of growing microgreens. In addition to being extremely nutritious, these tiny greens add texture and flavor to many culinary dishes. Recently, I discovered a type of microgreen that is particularly fun – corn microgreens (also known as corn shoots)!
Corn microgreens, which are also known as corn shoots or popcorn shoots, are harvested shortly after they sprout. They can be harvested 6-7 days after sowing seeds. Corn shoots are intensely sweet and taste like corn. This sweetness makes them a good addition to salads or smoothies. Unlike other types of microgreens, they are grown in the dark for the entire duration of the growth cycle.
Like other microgreens, growing corn shoots is fairly simple and requires little space. This means that everyone, including city dwellers, can grow their own food. The rest of this blog post will provide you with the information you need to grow your own corn shoots. In addition, this article includes some recipes that include corn shoots.
What Are Corn Shoots?
Microgreens are small, leafy vegetables that are harvested during the early stages of a plant’s growing cycle. Microgreens are sometimes called vegetable confetti. They are harvested just after the cotyledon leaves develop. Cotyledon leaves are also known as seed leaves and are defined as the embryonic leaf in seed-bearing plants. They are the first to appear from a germinating seed.
Corn shoots are monocots which means they have one cotyledon leaf. Monocots store the food for the young plant in the endosperm that surrounds the embryo. The small corn cotyledon leaf, which is part of the embryo, absorbs food from the endosperm as it grows.
Research indicates that microgreens may actually be more nutritious than the full-grown plant. Research conducted by Dr. Qin Wang, who is an associate professor at the University of Maryland at College Park, has found that microgreens are four to 40 times more concentrated with nutrients than their mature counterparts. Microgreen researchers believe this high nutrient density is due to microgreens being harvested right after germination when all of the nutrients they need to grow are present.
Specifically, corn shoots are packed with calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B, and vitamin E, iron, and Niacin. These vitamins and minerals are important in promoting strong bones and teeth as well as boosting the strength of your immune system.
Unlike other types of microgreens, corn shoots are grown in the dark for the entire growth cycle. If they are exposed to light, the corn shoots will turn green and develop fibers. When corn shoots turn green, the flavor changes significantly and becomes much more bitter.
How To Grow Corn Shoots
Growing corn shoots is a fun, quick process. After only a week of sowing the seeds, you can be enjoying food that you have grown yourself. In addition, you do not have to purchase a lot of equipment to grow corn shoots.
Corn shoots can be grown in soil or on a hydroponic growing mat. However, they do a little bit better in soil. The instructions below list the steps for growing corn shoots in soil.
Materials To Grow Corn Shoots
- Seeds – you could purchase popcorn seeds from specialty stores such as True Leaf Market or Johnny’s Seeds. Alternatively, you could use popcorn seeds sold at the grocery store.
- Potting soil
- Water
- Growing tray – I used a 10″x10″ growing tray. However, you do not have to use an “official” growing tray. A takeout container, Tupperware container, or shallow dish will work.
- Heating mat (optional)
TIP: If you are growing corn shoots for personal use, I recommend using a smaller growing tray. I have seen several tutorials that recommend using 10″x20″ growing trays. While that may be appropriate if you are growing corn shoots for a large family, it is difficult for one or two people to get through an entire 10″x20″ growing tray of corn shoots.
Steps For Growing Corn Shoots
- Soak your popcorn seeds in cold water for 8-12 hours. This will help improve germination, which is the process from which a plant grows from a seed.
- Fill your growing tray with 1 to 2 inches of soil. Smooth out the soil so you have an even growing surface.
- Spread a layer of the soaked popcorn seeds over the surface of the soil. Popcorn seeds can be planted densely. However, the seeds should not be on top of each other.
- Thoroughly mist the surface of the soil with a spray bottle.
- Place your growing tray in a warm, dark place such as a closet to germinate. Alternatively, you could cover the growing with another growing tray to ensure your corn shoots are growing in a dark environment. If you have a heating mat, place your growing tray on the heating mat to improve germination.
- Uncover the growing tray each day to spray the corn shoots with water.
- After 6-7 days, the corn shoots should be a couple of inches tall and be a light yellow color. Harvest your corn shoots with sharp scissors.
Washing And Storing Corn Shoots
You can harvest your corn shoots once they are between 2 and 4 inches tall which typically happens 6 to 7 days after sowing the seeds. I recommend harvesting as soon as possible. Otherwise, your corn shoots could develop a bitter flavor. In addition, the leaves become more fibrous and less delicious.
Even if you do not use pesticides to grow your corn shoots, you should wash them. To wash your corn shoots, rinse them with cold water. Then pat them dry with a paper towel or kitchen towel.
If you have grown your corn shoots in a small dish, you can also clean them by dunking the unharvested shoots in a bowl of water. Make sure you do not submerge the soil, or things will get messy very quickly. After dunking in the water, shake the excess moisture off of the corn shoots.
It is best to harvest your corn shoots right before eating them. If you do have to store them for a while, harvest the corn shoots and keep them in the refrigerator in a Ziplock bag. Then wash your corn microgreens before eating. If you are harvesting a few corn shoots at a time, make sure you continue to keep the tray in a dark area. I left my tray on my kitchen counter for one day, and my corn shoots turned green and bitter.
If you are taking you are packing corn shoots in your lunch box, you can get away with storing your washed corn microgreens in a sandwich bag. Just make sure that you put them on a paper towel.
Recipes for Corn Shoots
Corn shoots taste good in salads and even on their own. You can add them to almost any culinary dish that could use a little extra sweetness. If you would like some ideas on how to incorporate your corn shoots into your food, some recipes are listed below.
Corn Shoot Smoothie
- 1 frozen banana
- 1/2 cup of corn shoots
- 2 oranges
- 2 cups of almond milk
- 1/4 cup coconut
Combine the ingredients listed above in the blender.
Corn Shoots With Bacon
Here is another recipe from the Brooklyn Farmhouse website.
- 2 cups of corn shoots
- 1 tbsp of white miso paste
- 1 tbsp of unsalted butter
- 4 slices of bacon
- 1 jalapeno
- 2 green onion
- 1 clove of garlic
First, finely chop the jalapeno and chop the bacon. Then combine the white miso paste and butter in a small bowl. Set the miso butter aside and add the chopped bacon to a pan. Cook until the bacon is crispy and has rendered most of its fat. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Then add the chopped jalapeno and cook until the jalapeno pieces have just started to soften (1-2 minutes). Add the green onion slices and the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Finally, add the corn shoots. Then add the miso butter and salt/pepper to taste.