July 16th is National Corn Fritters Day #NationalCornFrittersDay. Have you heard of Corn Fritters? Do you like Corn Fritters? Because I don’t but my sister does and before you ask about he Charlie he doesn’t either and I’m not sure about David. What is Corn Fritters served with in your Town? In ours Corn Fritters are usually served at Fried Chicken Restaurants or at least that is where I see Corn Fritters at the most. How about you?
High Summer is peak season for Corn, so what better day to celebrate National Corn Fritters Day than July 16th? People love eating Corn in all ways including Cornbread, Corn Salad I’ve never had have you? Corn Hash, Corn on the Cob slathered in Butter sure sounds good doesn’t it? One of our favorites is crispy, golden brown Corn Fritters.
A Fritter is a recipe where some ingredient like meat, fruit, vegetables, and Seafood, you name it is mixed with batter and fried. Corn Fritters originated as a dish in the South but now Corn Fritters can be found on menus throughout the Country. The traditional version of Corn Fritters includes a plain batter and Corn but you can find all sorts of variations out there.
Did you know Googling “Corn Fritter recipe” and you’ll find more than 800,000 results! People love Corn Fritters on their own as a snack at pretty much any time of day, or as a tasty side to round out any meal including breakfast. Just pour yourself a glass of iced Tea, sit back, and let Summer wash over you as we take some time to appreciate the fact that there’s an entire day dedicated to Corn Fritters.
NATIONAL CORN FRITTERS DAY ACTIVITIES
- Corn Fritters are made out of ingredients you most likely already have in your pantry including Flour, Baking Powder, Eggs, Milk, and Butter. All you need to do is mix them together, stir in Corn ( which can be fresh, canned, or frozen), and fry the Corn Fritters up in hot oil. You could even make a whole dinner party out of Corn Fritters and serve them alongside a bunch of other Southern-inspired recipes.
- See if you can find a pick-your-own farm near you that grows Corn, and get lost in the Corn fields. Maybe if you’re lucky they’ll have a Corn Maze, too. If you can’t find a farm, purchase fresh Corn on the Cob from your local Grocery Store and shuck the Corn yourself. The hard labor will make the fresh Corn in your Fritters taste so much better.
- I have a question for you. Did you know Corn Fritters are also an incredibly popular dish in Indonesia? Over there Corn Fritters are known as Perkedel Jagung. Their version is similar to ours, but with some key differences. They kick up the Spice level by mixing Scallions, Shallots, and Garlic into the batter, and they deep fry the Fritters in Coconut Oil. Indian Pakoras are another form of Asian Fritter, and they’re delicious when made with Corn.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL CORN FRITTERS DAY
- Corn is the number one crop grown in the United States, and we produce more Corn than any Country in the world. We grow so much of Corn that there’s actually a region known as the Corn Belt. The majority of Corn goes into livestock feed or is turned into biofuel in the form of ethanol, but it’s also a distinct ingredient in American cuisine. There’s a reason why no Fourth of July meal feels complete without some sort of Corn recipe on your plate.
- The traditional Corn Fritter recipe calls for savory ingredients, but many people choose to sweeten Corn Fritters up by dusting Corn Fritters with powdered Sugar or serving Corn Fritters with a sweet topping like Honey, Maple Syrup, or Jam. And because the recipe is so simple, you can think of Corn Fritters as a blank canvas. Want to throw Onion in your recipe? Chop up fresh Herbs like Parsley or Dill? Kick them up with Cayenne Powder? Go for it.
- Let’s be honest: it’s hard to find a food that doesn’t taste better when fried. Fried Foods may not be the healthiest way to eat, but everything in moderation, right? Besides, holidays were meant to be celebrated.
Recipe for Corn Fritters
Prep Time:: 10 mins Cook Time:: 20 mins Total Time:: 30 mins Servings:: 4
Ingredients
- 3 cups oil for frying
- 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white sugar
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon shortening, melted
- 1 (12 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
- Gather all ingredients and heat oil in a heavy pot or deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
- Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat egg, milk, and melted shortening together in a small bowl. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture. Stir in corn.
- Working in batches, drop fritter batter by spoonfuls into the hot oil. Fry until golden.
- Remove fritters with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
