PURPLE CORN

The antioxidant, anthocyanin, which colours blue corn (and blueberries) is credited with enhancing glucose metabolism, inhibiting DNA damage, reducing inflamation, metabolising carcinogens and inducing cancer apoptosis (programmed cell death) for some cancer types. Not surprisingly, it is thought that eating blue corn can help reduce the risk of diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.

One of the oldest varieties of corn (grown by the Pueblo tribes in the southwestern United States before the time of Columbus), blue corn is botanically the same as yellow corn and is grown the same way.

Direct sow seeds from late spring to early autumn. As for regular sweet corn, plant in blocks rather than rows as corn is wind pollinated. Planting in straight lines lowers the chance of pollination.

‘Blue Hopi’ (Kahikatea Farm) is drought tolerant and has long cobs with dense kernels that can be ground into flour for making blue tortillas and corn chips. Harvest when the silks on the cobs dry out and turn brown.