Indian Corn . . . Questions & Answers

Isn't this a pretty picture? There is some Indian corn tucked in with the Bittersweet, but you have to look really close to find it. Okay, I'll admit it ... I just couldn't resist the Bittersweet berries! Anyway, yesterday, I decided to do a little decorating with yellow daisy mums, miniature red carnations, which I arranged in a vase; around it I placed some Indian corn and baby gourds. Hmm... cheerful! As I was arranging, I wondered about the Indian corn and how it came to be. I found an article, written by April Holladay and some questions she was asked by readers and her answers, which follow each question.

Q: Is Indian corn poisonous?

A: Indian corn is not poisonous, is edible, and is an extremely hard corn; it's a variety called flint corn (Zea mays indurata). Indians grind the hard corn into flour, and then make it into tortillas. Popcorn is another variety of flint corn.

Q: Why is Indian corn inedible?

A: April Holladay checked with Eckler Farms to see if it is customary to shellac or treat decorative corn and, thereby, make the corn inedible. "We don't do anything to our corn but pull back husks and remove the silks. It is all natural stuff," says Larry Eckler. "All you need to do is wash it off with water like you would any other vegetable." [However, stay clear of corn used in potpourri mixes, because those things have added fragrances.]

Q: Can Indian corn be grown and eaten?

A: Indian corn can be grown. Eckler Farms sells seeds or seeds can be purchased at your local nursery.

Q: How did Indian corn get its name and why are the kernels hard?

A: Indian corn got its name from Central and South American Indians who first cultivated corn at least 5,600 years ago. Why it is hard? Unlike the sweet corn we usually eat, the exterior of flint-corn kernels is hard and completely encloses the soft starchy part (the endosperm). Sweet corn kernels have a soft exterior as well as a soft, starchy inner part.

By the way, Eckler suggests popping mini Indian corn. "It's really good."

Further Reading:
The different kinds of corn, The International starch institute
How Indian corn defies Mendel's principles of genetics, by N.V. Federoff and Wayne's Word, an online textbook of natural history, Palomar College
Why Indian corn is colored by April Holladay, WonderQuest
Gourds, Indian corn, seeds and fall decorations by Eckler Farms