Many Uses for Corn

Many Uses for Corn

Corn was an important part of the diet of many Indian groups. They also used all parts of the corn plant. The husks could be braided and woven to make masks, moccasins, sleeping mats, baskets or cornhusk dolls. Corncobs could be used for fuel, for game darts or for ceremonial use.

There are many uses for corn today as well. Just as Indians depended on corn as a major part of their diet it would be difficult for any American today to live without corn. 

Fabrics used to make your clothing are strengthened by cornstarch. The chickens that laid the eggs you had for breakfast were fed corn. Many of the soft drinks you enjoy are sweetened with corn syrup.

The textbooks you study from and the books you check out of the library are bound with cornstarch. The ink used to print them contains corn oil. Ethanol is made from corn. The car that carries you to and from school may be powered by fuel containing ethanol. 

Corn is also used in such products as glue, shoe polish, aspirin, ink, marshmallows, ice cream and cosmetics. New ways of using corn are being developed every day. Our only limitation is our own imagination.

Many Kinds of Corn

Genetic diversity of cornToday there are many kinds of corn. The most common types are flint, dent, sweet and of course popcorn.  

Flint corn, also known as Indian corn, has a hard outer shell and kernels with a range of colors from white to red. Today, most flint corn is grown in Central and South America.

Dent corn, often called "field corn" is often used as livestock feed. It is also the main kind of corn used when making industrial products and various foods. It can be either white or yellow. 

Sweet CornSweet corn is often eaten on the cob or it can be canned or frozen. Sweet corn is seldom processed into feed or flour. Sweet corn gets its name because it contains more sugar than other types of corn. 

Popcorn, a type of flint corn, has a soft starchy center that is covered by a very hard shell. When popcorn is heated the natural moisture inside the kernel turns to steam that builds up enough pressure for the kernel to explode. When the kernel explodes the white starchy mass that you like to eat forms.