The worms, called corn earworms, are one of the biggest headaches for organic corn growers because it is extremely difficult to prevent them using sustainable practices. Corn earworms are the larval form of an adult moth, which lays a single egg in the green silk of a corn stalk. The eggs hatches and the worm feeds on the silk of the corn for about two weeks, eventually ending up in our market baskets.
Finding a corn earworm while shucking an ear of corn is a nasty surprise, but the corn itself is fine to eat. Just discard the worm and cut off the affected section of the ear before using it. 

 

I have some funny stories about peoples first interaction with these worms. Really funny. But for now, no that you have been warned and that it is nothing unusual. And we are very very sorry in advance if  this is troubling to you.

Fresh Corn Polenta Submitted By Stacey

Serves 1
2 ears corn
2 teaspoons butter
kosher salt
grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1. Clean the corn, removing all husks and threads. Working over a large bowl, grate the kernels off of the cob on the coarse side of a box grater. You will have a very wet coarse pulpy mixture.
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the grated corn and season with a good pinch of salt. Simmer over low heat, stirring to prevent browning, for about 3 minutes. The mixture is ready when it just begins to thicken and set.
3. Top with some grated Parmigiano Reggiano and/or a poached egg or some sautéed greens.
From: http://www.alexandracooks.com/2010/10/18/fresh-corn-polenta-%E2%80%94-where-have-you-been-all-my-life/

 

Corn Soup with Harissa Yogurt Submitted By Stacey

6 ears corn, husks removed
7 cups / 1.65 liters water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch dice
4 medium shallots, chopped
3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
freshly ground pepper
plain yogurt, harissa, and fresh dill, to serve Start by bringing the water to a boil in a large pot. While it is heating use a knife to cut the kernels from the cobs of corn, reserving them in a bowl. Take the cobs and place them in the water. Let them simmer there into a stock/broth while you’re prepping the rest of the ingredients, ideally 15-30 minutes. Remove the cobs from the broth when you’re ready to use it.
In the meantime, heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, stir until they are well-coated, add a big pinch of salt, and saute until the potatoes are cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. When the potatoes are nearly cooked, add the shallots and garlic.
Add this mixture, along with the corn kernels and the salt, to the corn broth. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes. If you like your soup a bit chunky, remove about half of the soup while you puree the rest, then stir the reserved chunky portion back in – combining smooth/chunky in the end. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper, to your liking.
Serve dolloped with a bit of plain yogurt, salted, then swirled with a spoonful of harissa paste. And a sprinkling of fresh, chopped dill.
Serves 4.
Prep time: 15 min – Cook time: 10 min
From: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/corn-soup-recipe.html