The corn shoots have been very popular too. They have a unique flavour. The juicy white stems taste like raw sweet corn and the top leafy part, like grass, sort of (some people say wheatgrass)….I’m not too crazy about the taste but sort of like it sometimes too. It seems I can’t really decide. Some folks have also said it reminds them of stevia, maybe because it’s so sweet and is a plant….
I first tried corn shoots at a restaurant in Ottawa, quite a few years ago now. They were on my plate as a garnish and I didn’t know what they were. The flavour was SO familiar but I just couldn’t figure it out! It was winter-time and sweet corn didn’t come to mind. Then I saw them for sale a couple years ago at a farmer’s market I was visiting and I just had to try growing them.
These days, I’m planting the trays with many more seeds than this one has….live and learn!
Pretty little leaves. There are always some green ones in with the purples.
One of my all time favourite lunch time salads: pea shoots, sunflower shoots and purple daikon radish shoots….with a light honey mustard dressing…oh so delicious! And apparently the radish shoots are very good for us too. I’ve read that the purple colour comes from an anthocyanin that’s also in blueberries and black currants and is what makes them so full of antioxidants and so good for us.
Katherine Hartel says
Love this post! I think i will try growing some corn shoots. Your photographs are gorgeous…I am inspired. Thanks, Katherine
Christina Pechloff says
Yes! Let me know if you have any questions or anything I can help with…try the pea shoots too, they're such a nutritious green and a joy to grow inside in the winter when it's cold outside…wishing you fun and delicious success!
Anonymous says
Hello Christina,
my name is Tanya Todorova and I really like your web sait. I'm interested in growing different sprouts. At the moment I'm doing some trails with corn shoots. Do you know which kind corn seeds are good for it? Poping corn seeds or sweet corn seeds? My trails are with poping corn seeds and I have notice that the roots are getting red do you know anything about this? I will be really appreciate for your help!
Thank you!
Christina Pechloff says
Hi Tanya,
I use certified organic popcorn for my corn shoot seed. I've never tried sweet corn and probably won't because the popcorn works so well for me. I don't know why the roots are getting red….that's never happened to me and I can't think of what that would be…guesses: maybe the seed has been treated with something that causes the colour whenit gets wet and in contact with soil?…maybe something to do with the soil?…sorry, not very good guesses…I just don't know about that…will keep it in mind, now that I'm curious. Let me know if you figure it out. Happy corn shoot growing!
Anonymous says
Thank you very much I will keep going with my trails.
Tanya