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Old apple varieties were long forgotten, but now they are experiencing a renaissance. Because they not only provide more taste variety and biodiversity, but are also healthier – especially for allergy sufferers.

What are old apple varieties?

Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, Gala: These three apple varieties are among the “usual suspects” in supermarket fruit displays. There you will find just a small fraction of the estimated 2,000 apple varieties that exist in Germany. Only about 20 varieties are grown in economically significant quantities. The other varieties can only be found in certain regions, for example, in the gardens of hobby gardeners and self-sufficient people or on meadow orchards. These include many so-called “old apple varieties”, such as Berlepsch, Boskoop, Cox Orange or the Gravensteiner.

Old apple varieties have been cultivated in this country for a long time, sometimes for centuries. However, they have not been overbred like many of the most popular apple varieties in the supermarket. In particular, conventional apples are bred in such a way that they are resistant to plant diseases or are easy to store and transport. These breeds are often at the expense of the ingredients and the variety of tastes. Old varieties, on the other hand, have retained their unique taste.

What makes old apple varieties particularly healthy?

In addition to their special aroma, old apple varieties are also interesting because of their health benefits. These were mainly due to the high polyphenol content in old apple varieties.

Polyphenols are aromatic compounds that are mostly found in or just under the apple skin. There is research by the BUND Group Lemgo in cooperation with the allergy center of the Charité Berlin on the polyphenol content in old apple varieties. They have shown that the high amount of polyphenols apparently contributes to the fact that many apple allergy sufferers can tolerate old apple varieties without any problems. And that’s not all: the studies also showed that people who were allergic to apples had fewer problems with hay fever if they regularly consumed the well-tolerated varieties. In adults, hay fever often occurs in combination with an apple allergy.

Polyphenols are found in much larger amounts in old apple varieties because they were bred from new varieties. According to the NDR, polyphenols normally ensure that the pulp turns brown after the apple has been cut. Such breeds no longer have the alleged problem of an unappetizing appearance, but they also lack the health-promoting effect of the polyphenols in the apple.

In addition to positive effects for apple allergy sufferers, polyphenols have also been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and blood pressure-regulating properties.

Why old apple varieties are important

Breeding and crossing of different apple varieties have been taking place for centuries. Over time, a large variety of varieties, flavors, shapes and colors has emerged. But there is not much left of this diversity today. The modern, global economic system focuses on maximizing yield and year-round availability of apples. As a result, apples are mainly only grown in such a way that they are easy to transport, store and resistant.

So far, old apple varieties have not been able to assert themselves against the mass of optimized supermarket apples. But thanks to the increasing interest in sustainability and organic farming, many old apple varieties are being rediscovered. Efforts are being made to conserve or revive these varieties so they don’t die out completely. This promotes variety.

The environment and regional agriculture also benefit from the growing interest in old apple varieties. Some of these strains only thrive in certain regions. Local farmers have less work with apple varieties that are perfectly adapted to the environment. And consumers can be sure that they are shopping in a more environmentally friendly way if they choose seasonal and regional apples.

Gelatine is not only found in gummy bears, but also in many other everyday products. In this article you will find out what makes the gelling agent gelatine so problematic.

In the supermarket you can find gelatine in powder form or as thin sheets. In addition, the animal gelling agent is found in a number of different finished products. As a rule, gelatine is used as a gelling agent (e.g. in gummy bears). However, companies also use gelatin to improve the volume or texture of foods. This is particularly the case with reduced-fat diet products.

You can find gelatine in these products, among others:

Creams, yoghurt and quark dishes
glaze
Sweets (like marshmallows, liquorice, or chocolate kisses)
granola bars
Aspic and aspic
animal products
Capsules for medicines or dietary supplements
Cosmetic products (such as shower gels, face creams or masks)
The food industry also uses gelatin as an aid to clarify juice, wine, cider, vinegar and lemonade. The mixture of animal substances can also be found in foreign beer. In these cases, the animal substance does not have to be indicated on the list of ingredients. After all, undeclared gelatine can also be found in other products where you wouldn’t expect it. For example, it is part of rolls of film, coated printer paper or match heads.

Gelatine: Made from animal materials

Gelatine is a mixture of substances made from proteins of animal origin. As a rule, the substances come from the connective tissue of slaughtered animals. For the production, slaughterhouse waste (such as hides, bones, tendons, cartilage or ligaments) is boiled in water. The final gelatine product then consists of…

84 to 90 percent animal protein
one to two percent of mineral salts,
to a tiny proportion of water.
According to the manufacturer, the majority of gelatine in Europe comes from pigs. A small part is also made from the carcasses of cattle and fish. As a rule, companies do not have to state which animal the gelatine comes from, according to the consumer advice center. Information is only mandatory for the rare fish gelatine.

Criticism of gelatine: problematic animal husbandry

Since gelatine is made from the remains of killed animals, it is extremely problematic:

Animal husbandry: Especially the factory farming and a lack of species-appropriate animal husbandry cause criticism. This is particularly the case with gelatine from conventional animal husbandry. Here the needs of the animals are often completely ignored. Injured or even dead animals often lie in the middle of the barn between the other animals. Even an organic seal on gummy bears with gelatine is not necessarily a guarantee for the well-being of the animals. You can find out more about this topic here: What do the animals get from organic animal husbandry? Another problem with gelatine is that manufacturers produce the mixture from different slaughterhouse waste. So you never know for sure which region or farm the gelling agent comes from.
Transport: In order to be slaughtered, pigs, cattle etc. sometimes have to travel long distances to the nearest slaughterhouse. The animals are crammed together in a very small space, where they have to endure hours or even days. Injuries, dehydration, stress or overheating occur time and again when transporting animals. Animals often die during or immediately after transport.
Slaughterhouse: During slaughter, workers or machines stun the animals with gases, for example. Animal rights activists criticize that the animals suffer from severe shortness of breath and slowly and painfully lose consciousness. Also, not all animals are adequately stunned, leaving some fully conscious when the slaughter machines cut their artery or plunge them into the hot scalding bath. A lack of controls and violations of animal welfare are repeatedly uncovered.

Other disadvantages of gelatine: eco-balance, water consumption & Co.

The production of animal products such as gelatine brings with it other ecological problems:

Large areas are required for the cultivation of animal feed, on which food for humans could be planted directly. In this way, many more people could be fed, according to studies.
As more and more land is needed for forage, humans are clearing more and more forests, destroying wild grass and forest areas and driving animals out of their habitat.
Due to the transport of animals and the import of animal feed, gelatine also has a very poor eco-balance, as there are high levels of CO2 emissions in the manufacturing process. Factory farming is thus significantly involved in progressive global warming.
Agriculture also uses a lot of water for the cultivation of animal feed and the supply of animals for slaughter. However, this is another important resource that is becoming increasingly scarce (more on water scarcity).

Bread intolerance does not always have to have something to do with gluten or wheat. According to a study, the resting time of the bread dough has an impact on how digestible bread is.

Flatulence, diarrhea or abdominal pain – many people have these and other unpleasant symptoms when they eat bread. Many of those affected assume that they have gluten intolerance and therefore avoid gluten-containing foods, especially wheat. It’s not always the wheat itself. According to a study by the University of Hohenheim, the rising time of bread plays a particularly important role.

Types of sugar in bread dough

The background: There are certain types of sugar called “FODMAPS” in the grain of wheat. The abbreviation stands for “fermentable oligo-, di- and monosaccharides and polyols”. However, the substances are difficult to digest – and therefore cause many people stomach problems.

However, the proportion of FODMAPS in the bread can be reduced: if the bread dough rests longer, the types of sugar are broken down. The researchers of the study found this out in an experiment. They let different bread doughs rest for different lengths of time and then analyzed the FODMAPS content.

After one hour of resting time, all types of dough contained the most FODMAPS. After four hours, there were only ten percent of the types of sugar originally contained.

The rising time is shorter for cheap industrial bread

The explanation: the yeast in the dough ferments during the rest period and feeds on the sugars. It kind of pre-digests the dough. The longer the dough rests, the more FODMAPS the yeast can convert.

For people with bread intolerance, this means that it is better to avoid industrially produced bread. With cheap bread from discounters and bakery shops, the dough has little time to rise, and the ready-made baking mixes are also enriched with artificial enzymes and additives.

Buy good bread or bake it yourself

Local artisan bakers and especially organic bakeries are better: they use organically certified ingredients and traditional production methods and give the bread dough enough time to rise. High-quality bread may cost a little more than in discounters or bakery shops, but it is more digestible and not an assembly line product.

Attention coffee lovers: On October 1st, the annual Coffee Day will be celebrated again. Read our article where he comes from and why we celebrate him.

What is coffee day?

According to the German Coffee Association, the undisputed favorite drink of the Germans is not beer or mineral water, but coffee. On average, every German drinks around 166 liters a year. The association has therefore been dedicating a day of honor to the caffeinated drink since 2006, initially on September 29, and since 2016 (through the merger with “International Coffee Day) on October 1.

Why is Coffee Day celebrated?

Celebrating not just the popularity of coffee, but the diversity of coffee beans and the millions of people—farmers, roasters, baristas, and more—who work hard to make and serve the beverage we love.

Coffee lovers therefore organize all sorts of events and campaigns in honor of the coffee bean. For example, there are guided tours in roasting plants to give an insight into the production process, or new coffee trends and preparation methods are presented.
There are also events where coffee is used in other forms, such as in wellness applications.

World coffee day: International Coffee Day

The fascination for the day of coffee is not only in Germany but worldwide – since 2016 the German holiday has been combined with the “International Coffee Day” on October 1st. Its inventor is unknown, but a similar event is said to have taken place for the first time in Japan in 1983 or in China in 1997. International Coffee Day was officially proclaimed for the first time in 2015 via the International Coffee Organization (ICO) as part of Expo 2015 in Italy.

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks worldwide

Outside of Europe, millions of cups of coffee are drunk every day, especially in Asia and Oceania, North and South America and Africa. Incidentally, the original coffee plant comes from Ethiopia, where many coffee beans are still produced today and exported to us in Europe. Other major export countries are Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico. Coffee Day is therefore a reason for people from all over the world to celebrate. But not just to celebrate the drink itself. Also because it means that attention can be drawn, for example, to the working conditions of the coffee farmers.

Kidney beans are a healthy and popular type of bean that can be used in a variety of dishes. Here you can read about the nutrients contained in red beans.

Kidney beans are best known as an ingredient in stews such as Chili sin Carne. Characteristic and eponymous is the shape, reminiscent of a kidney. This type of bean tastes mild, is quite soft and feels slightly floury in the mouth.

The red bean originally comes from Peru and is now cultivated in Africa, America and Asia. Kidney beans can be found in cans or jars in most supermarkets. They are also available as an uncooked, dried version in well-stocked supermarkets, health food stores or bulk shops. However, dried kidney beans must first be soaked for several hours and then boiled before they can be eaten. They are poisonous raw!

We recommend buying organic kidney beans. This way you can be sure that they have been grown free of synthetic chemical pesticides. Organic seals such as those from Bioland, Naturland or Demeter show you which products are certified.

These ingredients make kidney beans so healthy

Thanks to their ingredients, kidney beans are healthy and particularly valuable for various diets and requirements: This applies to vegetarians and vegans, but also to sports enthusiasts and pregnant women. Kidney beans are not only rich in fiber, protein and carbohydrates, they also provide important minerals and vitamins. At the same time, they only have a low fat content.

The nutritional values ​​of dried and pre-cooked kidney beans are slightly different. Since you also have to cook the dried beans before using them, this difference is not significant (see Institute for Nutritional Information). However, the longer you cook the beans, the more nutrients they lose. Keep this in mind with stews, for example, which often need to be simmered for a longer time for a better taste. The average calorie content of cooked kidney beans is about 100 kilocalories per 100 grams.

According to Geo Magazine and Food Data Central, the following minerals and vitamins make kidney beans a healthy food:

Potassium: important for central processes in the body such as heart function, nerve stimuli or the acid-base balance
Magnesium: important for energy metabolism and muscle building
Iron: Central to the transport of oxygen in the blood and the immune system
Vitamin B1: important for energy metabolism
Vitamin B6: important for fat metabolism, the nervous system and the immune system
It also contains significant amounts of biotin (good for skin and hair), folic acid (important for pregnancy) and vitamin B3 (important for various metabolic processes in the body).

All this makes kidney beans healthy. Note, however, that beans, like many other legumes, can cause flatulence. For a healthy lifestyle, it is also important to eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly.

Kidney bean recipes

Kidney beans are a healthy basis for a number of varied recipes:

Vegan hamburger
Vegan Meatballs
vegan brownies
Mexican bean paste
Chili sin carne

Mix them into a green salad or prepare a bean salad similar to the kidney bean salad.
If you buy canned kidney beans from a can or jar, you can continue to use the rather thick liquid in which the beans are soaked. If you boil dried beans yourself, you can use the cooking water (not the soaking water!). Bean water is often used as aquafaba to make vegan egg whites or as an egg white substitute.

The crema is the crowning glory of every espresso. It should be light brown, dense and a few millimeters high. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always succeed. Sometimes the espresso has too much crema, sometimes not enough. Sometimes the crema is too light, sometimes too dark.

This characterizes a perfect espresso crema

A successful crema can be found on correctly prepared, fresh espresso and, just looking at it, makes you look forward to perfect enjoyment. It stands equally for the quality of the coffee and a skilful preparation.

With a good espresso, the crema settles by itself, so it is not poured onto the coffee. Ideally, it is light brown, thick and a few millimeters high. Connoisseurs swear by a good crema that it holds a teaspoon of sugar for about 3 seconds before the sugar settles to the bottom. The crema should then close completely on the surface.

The settling of the crema on the surface is particularly visible when the espresso is served in a glass. Then you can see how fine bubbles form, which collect on the surface to form a golden-brown layer of foam. The finer the bubbles settle, the higher the quality of the crema. In the best case, a kind of hood forms on the espresso in which the individual bubbles can hardly be seen.

How is the crema formed on the espresso?

Thanks to the high pressure of the espresso machine, coffee oils, proteins and sugar are released from the powder. They rise to the top and combine to form a dense foam with a velvety fine consistency.

Which machine brews the perfect espresso crema?

Crema is created by pressure during preparation, which is why it is not found on filter coffee. The higher the pressure of the machine, the better the crema succeeds. An overview of the different preparation methods for espresso crema:

Espresso maker: Crema cannot be formed with the classic version because the water pressure is not high enough. That’s why there are now espresso makers with a special crema valve that ensures perfect coffee enjoyment all round.
Fully automatic coffee machine: high-quality machines create a good crema at the touch of a button. But not every machine is equally good: cheap versions produce the crema through a valve that only foams the coffee.
Pad or capsule machines: These machines also deliver espresso with dense, crema-like foam at the touch of a button. Like some fully automatic machines, they have additional valves that foam the coffee.
Portafilter machines: They generate a very high pressure of nine to ten bar. Therefore, the crema for your coffee is perfect with these machines – and nothing is foamed here!
In general, the crema is a quality criterion for the coffee. Connoisseurs can tell whether the coffee is fresh or the beans are a bit older by their consistency, colour, dwell time on the coffee and the quantity. The fresher the coffee, the better the crema.

The bean used for the espresso is decisive for the consistency of the crema. With an Arabica bean, the crema becomes finer and lighter, it is velvety. With espresso made from Robusta beans, or with a proportion of Robusta beans, the crema is denser and firmer, so it stays on the surface longer.

Espresso crema too light? That’s the reason!

The color also provides information about the quality of the coffee. If the crema is too light, the coffee was probably made too quickly and with water that was too cold. Another reason may be that the beans used were too old and ground too coarsely. On the other hand, if the crema is very dark, then the water was too hot during the brewing process or the beans were ground too finely.

If the crema dissolves quickly, then too little pressure was used during brewing – or the espresso cup was too cold or too hot.

The most important factors for a beautiful crema

In order to create a nice crema, the following points should be right:

The ground coffee should be fresh. The aroma is best three weeks to three months after roasting. You can tell when this has taken place by the roasting date on the pack.
The degree of grinding also plays an important role.
The amount has to be right. For example, if you fill your portafilter machine with too little powder, the crema will be less dense.
The water temperature has to be right. It should be around 90 to 95°C.
The pressure should be about nine to ten bar.

Ruby chocolate is considered the fourth type of chocolate and impresses with its rich pink – without any coloring. Here you can find out what the fruity chocolate is all about.

Some describe the Ruby chocolate, which has been available since 2018, as a new chocolate sensation, because no new type of chocolate has been introduced after the white variant for a good 80 years. Ruby chocolate is characterized by its natural pink color and berry flavor – without any synthetic additives.

Ruby Chocolate: History and Uses

 

The pink cocoa bean was discovered by chance: a team of Swiss researchers examined cocoa pods from different growing regions for the world’s largest cocoa and chocolate manufacturer, Barry Callebaut. They came across pink cocoa beans that had a fruitier taste. After several years of research, special processes were developed that allowed the beans to retain their characteristic pink color even after fermentation and roasting. In addition, manufacturers add citric acid to the beans. This should also help to preserve the colour. In contrast, the seeds of the cacao fruit turn brown in the classic chocolate production.

However, the so-called ruby ​​bean is not a special type of cocoa bean. Instead, traditional varieties such as Criollo, Trinitario and Forrastero are also used here. They come from the cocoa-growing regions of Brazil, Ecuador, Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Special test procedures have to be used to determine whether the respective beans are suitable for Ruby chocolate.

In terms of taste, the chocolate is characterized by its fresh, sour note and tastes berry-fruity. In contrast, the typical cocoa taste of dark chocolate is less pronounced. You can use the chocolate like conventional varieties – it is suitable both for snacking and for chocolate coating, for light mousse desserts or as a baking ingredient. A delicious recipe idea with ruby ​​chocolate, for example, are quick ruby ​​coconut pralines. You can find the recipe for it below.

Buying Ruby chocolate: you should know that

Ruby chocolate is now also available from us. You can find them in well-stocked supermarkets or in online shops – both in pure form and as an ingredient in sweets and bars.

Since the special manufacturing process is a well-kept secret of the Belgian chocolate manufacturer Callebaut, Ruby products have so far been based exclusively on Callebaut chocolate. There is no organic or fair trade certification, which is actually very important for cocoa products.

However, the manufacturer itself states that it only uses sustainably produced cocoa beans that have been processed as part of the Cocoa Horizon program. According to the manufacturer, UTZ certification is possible on request. Nevertheless, this does not come close to the requirements and controls of Fairtrade seals. If you want to use Ruby chocolate, you should only do so in moderation and use organic fair trade chocolate in everyday life.

There is currently no vegan Ruby variant. Callebaut’s classic Ruby chocolate is made up of at least 47.3 percent cocoa and at least 26.3 percent milk solids.

Ruby Coconut Chocolates: A quick recipe

 

Ingredients:

100g coconut butter
50 g maple syrup
50 g grated coconut
0.5 tsp salt
150 gRuby chocolate

Directions:

Melt the coconut butter in a water bath or in the microwave (note: coconut milk or coconut oil will not work here).
Add maple syrup, coconut flakes and salt and mix all ingredients.
Place the mixture in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Melt the ruby chocolate in a water bath.
Form about ten balls from the mixture and cover them with the melted ruby chocolate.
You can store the balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days.

Eating raw Chinese cabbage is healthy. In addition, cabbage has a good CO2 balance. We’ll show you why raw Chinese cabbage is great for salads.

You may have eaten cooked Chinese cabbage before – it can also be eaten raw. Chinese cabbage is actually very healthy if you eat it raw. Some nutrients are lost through cooking. If you eat Chinese cabbage raw, you will notice that it is a bit more tender than other raw cabbage types and tastes similarly mild to iceberg lettuce.

Eat Chinese cabbage raw: You have to pay attention to this

If you want to eat Chinese cabbage raw, you should buy Chinese cabbage, which mainly has a lot of green leaves and few white spots. The green cabbage leaves have a slightly more aromatic taste.

Also make sure to buy your Chinese cabbage in organic quality if possible. In organic farming, chemical-synthetic pesticides are not used and you contribute to better biodiversity and soil protection with your buying behavior. You should also buy your Chinese cabbage regionally and seasonally and thus save on long transport routes. In our seasonal calendar for vegetables and fruit you will find out: Chinese cabbage is in season from June up to and including November, with the peak season starting in August and there being more of it for sale then. Out of season you get Chinese cabbage from storage.

How to prepare raw Chinese cabbage
If you want to eat Chinese cabbage raw, you can simply prepare it. You also save time because there is no need to cook or steam.

To do this, simply remove the outer leaves if they look wilted or have large brown spots.
Rinse the Chinese cabbage briefly with cold water.
Cut it in half lengthways and then cut into strips.
Wash the strips if they get dirty.
Place the Chinese cabbage strips in a large bowl and use them to prepare a salad.
Tip: You can prepare Chinese cabbage in the classic way like other types of lettuce.

Eating raw Chinese cabbage: this is how you combine it

You can eat raw Chinese cabbage particularly well as a salad. Combine it with for example:

Lettuce varieties, e.g. leaf lettuce, iceberg lettuce, radicchio or chicory
Vegetables, e.g. carrots, peppers, tomatoes
Fruit, e.g. apples, pears, oranges
Nuts, e.g. walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts
Seeds, e.g. sesame, linseed
Various dressings, e.g. salad dressing recipes: vinegar-oil, yoghurt dressing and balsamic dressing, raspberry dressing or honey-mustard dressing.
You can make a healthy and nutritious salad from Chinese cabbage. According to GEO, it contains, for example, a lot of potassium, vitamin C, B vitamins and folic acid, which are important for the immune system, among other things.

Tip: If the Chinese cabbage has been in the fridge for a few days and no longer looks fresh, put it in a bowl of cold water for about ten minutes and add a teaspoon of sugar. The lettuce will not taste sweet later, but will be crunchy again afterwards.

No more fear of gelatin! Gelatine is often required to make cakes, slices, and roulades firm. Processing these is not as tricky as some might think. With our tips & tricks, nothing can go wrong.

Correct dosage of gelatine

The amount of gelatin needed depends on the amount and desired consistency of the mass you want to gel. As a guideline: For 500 ml of liquid, either 1 pack of ground gelatine or 6 sheets of gelatine are used.

Soaking is part of it

Leaf gelatin needs to be soaked in cold water in a wide bowl for about 5 minutes. So that the leaves do not stick together and can swell sufficiently, they should be placed individually in the water. Mix the powdered gelatine with a few tablespoons of the cold mass, juice, cold water, or liqueur (depending on the recipe) in a small saucepan and leave to swell for about 5 minutes.

Cold masses gel

Remove the swollen gelatine leaves from the water, squeeze them out well and dissolve them in a small saucepan over low heat. Here you can also add a few tablespoons of the mass to be gelled or some juice. You can also slowly dissolve swollen powdered gelatine over low heat.

Before you add the gelatine to the rest of the mass, it should be leveled. To do this, stir a few tablespoons of the cold mass into the dissolved gelatine and then mix the gelatine mass with the cold mass.

Hot masses gel

If you want to gel hot masses, you can immediately add the gelatine undissolved to the hot, no longer boiling liquid and stir until it has completely dissolved.

The liquid should not be boiled after the gelatin has been added, otherwise, the gelatin will lose its gelling power.

Tips and tricks

Gelatine is not suitable for creams or jellies with fresh kiwi, pineapple, papaya, and figs, as these contain an enzyme that reduces the gelling power.

A plant-based alternative to gelatin is agar-agar. The difference is that agar-agar has to be boiled for 2 minutes in order to develop its gelling power. It is therefore very suitable for fruit jellies.

Boiled corn on the cob is the perfect summer vegetable. They are quick to prepare, light and can be deliciously seasoned. We’ll show you how to do it and what to look out for.

Cooking corn on the cob: you should pay attention to this

There are different varieties of corn, but not all are suitable for consumption. However, corn on the cob that you can buy at the market or supermarket is edible. You should make sure that the leaves on the cob have not dried out. If they’re dried out, so is the corn and you can’t eat it anymore.

Corn on the cob with plump, yellow kernels is particularly suitable. Between July and October you can buy fresh corn regionally and seasonally.

For the perfect corn on the cob, it is best to add a little sugar to the water, which intensifies the aroma.

Cook corn on the cob: this is how it works

Cooking corn on the cob is not difficult. Depending on whether you buy a pre-cooked or raw cob, the cooking times will vary. You usually only have to simmer a pre-cooked corn on the cob for a few minutes; it takes longer with raw corn.

How to cook fresh corn:

If your corn still has leaves, you will need to remove them and possibly also cut off the stalk of the corn.
Now put the corn on the cob in enough hot water and bring it to a boil in a covered saucepan with a teaspoon of sugar.
Now cook the corn on a medium-high for about 15 minutes. Depending on the size and number of corn cobs, this may take longer.
To tell if your corn is done, poke the kernels with a toothpick. When your corn is cooked, you should feel a little resistance – the toothpick should still slide in smoothly.
Now let the finished corn drain a bit and meanwhile sprinkle it with herbs and salt and brush it with butter or oil.