About all

What to do with corn silk: What To Do With Corn Silk Instead Of Throwing It Away

by alexxlab

What To Do With Corn Silk Instead Of Throwing It Away

Stock for you/Shutterstock

By Vanessa Nix Anthony/Updated: June 22, 2022 11:03 am EST

Summertime is here and that means warm weather, outdoor fun, picnics, barbeques, and corn season. When it comes to cookout time, there’s nothing better than juicy corn-on-the-cob, vibrant and simple corn salads, and elote or Mexican street corn.

Once you’re done using the kernels, there are still loads of delicious uses for the rest of this starchy vegetable’s natural packaging. Tap the endless possibilities available to you via leftover corn husks like making a batch of fresh tamales, or using them as nature’s en papillote, baking up a mouthwatering piece of halibut as in this Los Angeles Times recipe. 

And we’re not done yet because you can put nearly every part of this a-maizing plant to good culinary use — the cobs, too! Watch them work their magic in homemade corn stock for soups or dry them out for later to use in place of wood chips for grilling or smoking meats, as food production sustainability non-profit FoodPrint suggests.

But that still leaves one part of the corn behind. While we all know the luscious bounty corn’s kernels and husks can bring, most folks still throw away the corn silk — one of the most nutritious parts of this tall-growing grain.

But what can I make with corn silk?

Heike Rau/Shutterstock

Corn silk — those flaxen strands of silken thread, flowing from the tops of corn’s protective green husks, cradling their precious golden kernels in a smooth embrace. 

For many of us, corn silk is just another part of the tedious chore of cleaning and prepping corn that we must get past in order to reach the sweetest riches of corn’s sunshine-tinged niblets. Here’s a hack for removing those pesky corn silks quicker, but it’s actually a good idea to hold onto that corn silk. Rather than trash, corn silk contains its own treasures in the form of vitamin C, potassium, and other important antioxidants and phytochemicals, according to a 2012 study published in the chemistry journal Molecules.  

Long considered a natural remedy in cultures all over the world, one of the most popular uses for this nutrient-dense food is corn silk tea. Epicurious says you can brew up a soothing cup with just a tablespoon of chopped corn silk and a cup of boiling water left to steep for about 10 minutes. Add honey or sugar to taste or drink it as is.

Corn silk tops it all

Shafirol Amir/Shutterstock

Surprisingly, there’s more to corn silk than just good nutrition and a warm, comforting cup of tea. You can also dry and fry your corn silks, as Epicurious suggests, turning their golden hue to a rustic brown patina and creating a lovely and crispy garnish. Use this fried corn silk as a topper for corn-rich soups like vegan corn chowder or as a crunchy sweet corn ice cream topping. Ideas in Food cleverly uses fried corn silk to make a nest in which to cradle soft-boiled eggs.

While all of this may seem a bit corny, using all parts of your corn, including the corn silk is not only a flavorsome way to make the most of your food budget and maximize your ingredients, but it’s also a beautifully sustainable way to reduce your footprint in a climate change challenged world.


Recommended


Uses for Corn Silk

Have fresh corn? Don’t throw away that corn silk!

Corn Silk can be used to help alleviate symptoms that go along with: bedwetting, cystitis, prostatitis, urinary tract infections, kidney stones, gout and hyperglycemia.

It’s also a natural source of vitamin K and potassium.

Few things in life are more delightful than discovering the goodness in something that the general population discards without a second thought.

Right now, in my part of the world, sweet corn season has reached its peak.

If you’ve ever shucked a lot of corn, you’ll recall how pesky it is trying to get the silk off of the cob. You’ve probably even muttered some not-so-nice things about it, in the process. (I know I have!)

Well, today, we’re going to talk about a few of the wonderful benefits that corn silk has and why we should view it more as a blessing than a curse.

To harvest corn silk:

Simply pull the golden-green strands off of the ears, when shucking your corn, and spread them out on a plate or paper towel to dry. Corn silk is best used fresh, or as a second best option – freshly dried.

Make sure you use homegrown or organic corn. The silk on conventional corn from the supermarket is likely loaded with pesticides that would be counterintuitive to our goal of increased health.

To make a tea:

  1. Use about 1 tablespoon of chopped corn silk per cup of almost boiling water.
  2. Cover and let this steep for fifteen to twenty minutes or until cool enough to drink.
  3. Strain.
  4. Sweeten with raw honey to taste, if you wish.

You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for two to three days. Doses vary depending on your body weight and condition, but a general recommendation for adults is up to 1 cup of tea, two to three times during the day – avoiding the hours right before bedtime. Reduce doses for children accordingly.

To make an alcohol tincture:

  1. Fill a small jar about 1/4 to 1/3 full of fresh, chopped corn silk.
  2. Fill the rest of the jar with a high proof drinkable alcohol – I use 100 proof vodka.
  3. Cap and let this infuse in a cool, dark place for four to six weeks, shaking occasionally.
  4. Strain.

Adult dose around 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon, several times a day. (Mix with a spoonful of raw honey for higher patient compliance & tastiness!) Shelf life of corn silk tincture is well over a year.

You can also buy ready made corn silk tincture (extract) from Mountain Rose Herbs.

To make a glycerin tincture/glycerite:

Another way to preserve fresh corn silk, is to use vegetable glycerin to make a tincture, instead of vodka. (You can buy pure, organic vegetable glycerin from Mountain Rose Herbs.)

Glycerites are more suitable for children, pets, and those who wish to avoid alcohol.

  1. Using roughly two to three times the amount of glycerin than fresh corn silk, blend the two in a mini-food processor until thoroughly macerated.
  2. Pour into a jar, cap and store in a cool dark place, shaking daily.
  3. After two weeks, remove and strain your glycerite through a fine mesh sieve and/or several layers of cheesecloth.

A suggested starting dose is 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon, several times a day. (Reduce for smaller children.) Shelf life is about a year.

Corn silk & pets:

Corn Silk can be used to treat many pets. The tea made with fresh silk works best, especially if you are targeting the urinary tract, but a glycerite can be helpful too.

(Suggested tea dose: about 1/4 cup of tea per 20 lbs of body weight, twice per day. Glycerite dose: 1/4 teaspoon per 20 lbs, twice per day.)

Not recommended for pregnant animals. Check with a qualified vet for further guidance on your pet’s particular situation. Please see the book, Herbs for Pets, for more about treating your pets herbally.

If you have an allergy to corn or are taking a prescription diuretic, don’t take corn silk. If you have other medical conditions, are pregnant or nursing, or have general concerns, check with a qualified professional before use..

Corn silk for bedwetting:

Corn Silk is a safe and gentle herb to use in the treatment of bedwetting. Use the tea or tincture during the day (up until about 4 or 5 hours before bed) to help strengthen a weak urinary system. You may want to combine it with plantain or yarrow for more effect.

Remember, there are many causes of bedwetting, including allergies, poor diet, deeper medical issues, and stress.

As a former “accident-prone” sufferer, I implore you to keep exploring options & examine every aspect of your child’s life, if the corn silk doesn’t seem to help after several weeks.

In my case, I had a horrid elementary school teacher that made me a nervous wreck. It’s a very long story and I even ended up seeing a kidney specialist because of the severity of my problem… but, for the sake of brevity, I’ll jump to the solution: once I transferred schools, I never had an accident again.

Corn silk for cystitis, prostatitis, and urinary tract infection:

Corn silk is anti-inflammatory and protects and soothes the urinary tract and kidneys. It acts as a diuretic and increases the output of urine, without adding further irritation to an already inflamed system.

For urinary tract infections, try combining with uva ursi or Oregon grape.

Saw Palmetto combines well with corn silk, to help reduce prostate inflammation and help with pain while urinating.

For cystitis, investigate yarrow as an accompaniment to your corn silk.

(These conditions can be serious. Be sure to work with a qualified professional who is aware of your medical history and inform them of any home remedies you are taking. Be especially sure to promptly inform your doctor or nurse if you develop blood in your urine or lower back pain. Avoid corn silk if you’re already on a prescription diuretic.)

Corn silk and kidney stones:

Along with marshmallow root, corn silk may be helpful in easing the passage of a kidney stone. Some people are able to take corn silk for longer periods of time, as a tonic herb. This may help reduce incidents of flare ups while you work on underlying diet and stone triggering issues.

Corn silk and gout:

Many people report relief from gout after drinking corn silk tea. It could be that the diuretic action helps flush out excess toxins & waste. (Based on that premise, dandelion tea or tincture may help as well.) More studies need to be done on this connection, but it’s well worth a try. (Avoid this home remedy if you are on prescription diuretics.)

Corn silk and hyperglycemia:

Type 1 diabetes runs in my family, so this use is of particular interest to me. Corn silk has been shown to lower blood sugar levels. For more information on this, check out the following studies:

  • Comparison of anti-diabetic effects of polysaccharides from corn silk on normal and hyperglycemia rats
  • The effects of corn silk on glycaemic metabolism

A few other interesting studies on corn silk for my fellow science nerds:

  • Safety of Corn Silk in Humans
  • Corn Silk as a treatment for inflammatory diseases that cause oxidative stress

One of my greatest joys is in helping people discover the benefits of things growing right around them.

I hope this article, along with others I’ve written like it, helps you realize that you don’t have to spend a fortune to make safe, simple & effective home remedies for your family. Look closely at what you have available and work with it! 🙂

Originally published July, 2013, updated August, 2021.

FREE RESOURCE

HERBAL SALVES & BALMS

Subscribe to the Monthly Maker and receive:

  • Build Your Own Salve eGuide
  • 18 Herbs & Flowers for Salves Chart
  • Salve Building Printable Worksheet
  • A Monthly Email with Natural Project Ideas

E-mail

First Name

By subscribing to our newsletter, you agree to the terms of our privacy policy.

Corn stigmas and stigmas

Composition

In the stigmas and columns of corn, bitter glycosidic substances were found – up to 1.15%, saponins – 3.18%, up to 2.5% fatty oil, cryptosantia, ascorbic and pantothenic acids, vitamin K, inositol, sitosterol, stigmasterol. Corn seeds contain starch (61.2%), corn oil, a large amount of pentosans (7.4%), various vitamins: biotin, nicotinic and pantothenic acids, flavone derivatives, quercetin, isoquercitrin, etc.

Properties

Corn stigmas are used as a diuretic, choleretic, hemostatic agent in the treatment of cholecystitis, hepatitis, urological diseases – urolithiasis, nephritis, edema, as well as helminthic invasions. Preparations of corn stigmas increase the secretion of bile, reduce its viscosity and relative density, reduce the content of bilirubin, increase the content of prothrombin in the blood and cause an acceleration of blood clotting. They are more effective in hypothrombinemia.

Application

Corn silk is used as a diuretic, for kidney stones, bladder stones, inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract and edema of various nature.

Also corn silk:

  • increase the secretion of bile,

  • promote the removal of small stones from the urinary tract,

  • are used for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, as they reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood,

  • serve as a hemostatic and diuretic for nephrolithiasis and dropsy, edema of various origins.

Corn stigmas are used for:

  • chronic hepatitis,

  • cholecystitis,

  • cystitis,

  • urethritis,

  • prostate,

  • liver diseases,

  • in women’s diseases and as a sedative,

  • as an appetite suppressant and is recommended for weight loss.

A bit of history

Mexico is the birthplace of corn. For the ancient Mexicans, maize was a deity. Its shoots at the beginning of the rainy season represented the joyful return of the earth’s vitality, and this was celebrated with games and songs. Maize was also associated with the spring dawn and with the magical quetzal bird, singing early in the morning and adorned with magical plumage of sparkling green, reminiscent of fresh spring vegetation.

Like wheat in the West or rice in the Far East, maize partly freed people from the frantic search for daily food – maize culture provided man with surplus and leisure from which civilization can be born.

Before plowing the land or sowing grain, the Maya abstained from food, observed chastity, and made sacrifices to the god of the earth and the god of rain. Each stage of the development of a plant – from its sowing to harvesting – served as an object of solemn celebrations.

Maize cultivated today – with lush golden hairs – has almost nothing in common with a modest wild-growing cereal plant growing in the steppe, which could give birth to no more than ten very small grains. Thanks to patient selection and then hybridization, which leads to a significant mutation, since in the process of its primitive same-sex plant gave two sexes – male cuttings and female cuttings, man was able to breed an infinite number of species that differ significantly from each other and are able to adapt to the most various climatic conditions.

Maize of Mexican origin, imported into South America, gave rise to large agricultural civilizations here, which were then inherited by the Inca Empire.


Literature:

Maznev N.I. Encyclopedia of medicinal plants. 3rd ed., rev. and additional – M.: Martin, 2004. – p. 242-245.

Corn silk: benefits and uses

Published:

  • nur.kz/health/healthy-lifestyle/1704755-kukuruznye-rylca-dlya-pokhudeniya-spos/”>

Corn silk: benefits and application features: Pexels / FRANK MERIÑO

Corn silk is recognized as a medicinal product, they are actively used to treat various diseases. They contain fiber, nutrients that determine the benefits of the remedy. What can be cured with the help of corn stigmas and how to take them correctly, said Drs. Dan Brennan, Richard Joron and Healthline.

Composition and benefits of corn silk

What is corn silk? The long, shiny fibers at the top of the heads are called corn stigmas. In nature, these thin fibers contribute to the pollination and development of corn. People use them in herbal medicine.

When to harvest corn silk? Corn fibers are recommended to be harvested during the period when the cob reaches milky maturity. As a rule, this time falls on August, but some varieties ripen in September. The number of days from appearance of fibers to harvest is approximately 18–23 days. However, basic maturity can be reached in 15 days or less if day and night temperatures are exceptionally warm, writes Richard Joron.

Corn silk can be used fresh, but is most commonly dried before use and then consumed as a tea or extract. There are also pharmaceutical products based on this component, including tablets.

Why drink corn silk? Corn silk contains proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and fiber. It contains chemicals that can act as diuretics (diuretics), which can change blood sugar levels and help reduce inflammation. The product is used to treat chest pain (angina pectoris), high blood pressure, prevent a group of eye conditions that can lead to vision loss (glaucoma), and many other conditions.

Healthline describes the potential benefits of taking corn silk. Agent:

  1. Provides antioxidants. Antioxidants are plant compounds that protect cells from free radical damage and oxidative stress. It is this reaction that provokes dangerous chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Eating corn stigmas helps prevent them.
  2. Reduces inflammation. Although inflammation is considered to be the body’s natural response to an irritant, excessive inflammation can be a symptom of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Corn fiber extract may reduce inflammation by inhibiting the activity of compounds that cause this reaction.
  3. Balances blood glucose levels. Corn fiber lowers blood sugar levels and helps manage the symptoms of diabetes.
  4. Lowers blood pressure. Corn silk is effective in lowering high blood pressure. The product helps to remove excess fluid from the body, so the pressure decreases. Thus, it may be a natural alternative to the diuretics used in the treatment of hypertension.
  5. Corn silk extract lowers bad cholesterol levels.

When to harvest corn silk: Unsplash / Daniel Klein

Several studies show that corn silk can reduce inflammation, blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. However, there is no scientific evidence to support their effectiveness in treating a variety of conditions, reports WebMD.

Corn stigma usage considerations

Human studies on corn fibers are limited, so no official dosage recommendations have been established. Various factors can affect the body’s response to this supplement, including age, health status, and medical history.

Most available research indicates that corn silk is non-toxic and daily doses up to 10 g/kg body weight are likely safe for most people. However, most corn fiber supplement labels recommend significantly lower doses of 400-450 mg 2-3 times a day, Healthline writes.

Dan Brennan, MD, recommends drinking this corn silk as a tea. He reports that such a drink is a common treatment for bladder infections in traditional Chinese medicine. Although it is a good diuretic, it can provoke:

  • rashes;
  • redness of the skin;
  • itching.

As with other teas, do not add too much sugar to corn silk tea to keep the calorie and sugar content low. Drinking too sweet corn silk tea can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases.

Corn silk decoction should be started at a low dose to ensure a favorable response and then gradually increased if necessary.

Who should not take corn silk? According to WebMD, eating corn silk can be dangerous in the following cases:

  1. Diabetes. The product lowers blood sugar levels, which can harm diabetics who need to keep it under control.
  2. Hypotension. Corn reduces blood pressure, so it can be dangerous with low blood pressure.
  3. Low level of potassium in the blood. Because fiber has diuretic properties, it lowers potassium levels.
  4. Allergic to corn. The product can cause an allergic reaction, which is manifested by skin rashes and itching.
  5. Surgery. Corn fiber should be discontinued at least 2 weeks prior to surgery as the product affects blood glucose levels.

Corn silk may cause allergies: iStockPhoto

Corn silk is not recommended for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women. Also be careful if you are taking medications to control blood sugar, blood pressure, corticosteroids, diuretics, blood thinners. Remember that a natural product can cause unwanted side effects, so be sure to consult your doctor before using it. During the consultation, name all the drugs that you take on an ongoing basis.

Corn silk is a natural corn fiber used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine. Research on this product is limited, but some of it suggests it may reduce inflammation, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Although corn silk is mostly safe for most people, it is important to consult your doctor before taking it.

Attention! The material is for informational purposes only. You should not resort to the methods of treatment described in it without first consulting a doctor.

Sources:

  1. Corn Silk – Uses, Side Effects, and More // WebMD. – Access Mode: https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-140/corn-silk
  2. Dan Brennan. Corn Silk Tea: Are There Health Benefits? // webmd. – 2020. – 21 December. — Mode of access: https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-corn-silk-tea
  3. What Is Corn Silk, and Does It Have Benefits? // Healthline. – 2016.