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| Hello. I have a Question? A friend and I was talking about growing a garden ,The up's and downs. Worms and bad spots. Ok , here goes . She was telling me that she had corn with worms on it , That looked like rice. She just washed it off. Ok I've never grown a garden before (this is my first) so I dont know anything about worms. Can you get sick from that.When I buy corn on the cob and if theres a bad spot on it I usually cut it out. But worms!!!! I've never came across one yet. (knock on wood). As we were talking she said when she was canning tomatoes and if a tomato had a bad spot she would just cut it out and continue to can them. She is older than me, so I know she went throu the Great Depression. I dont like to waste food either, But can someone tell me whats safe. Thank you. jamie |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by kikistreehouse fla (My Page) on Sun, Dec 25, 11 at 21:29
| Ok I just remembered something, She thought it was called it a root worm . Ok Iam going to assume it eats the roots so why was it on the ear, Are they safe to just wash off as she put it??? I dont like worms or the thought of eating worms ,, Ive never found a worm in my corn , If I did I woud hate to give up one of my favorite vegetables. Thank you. jamie |
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- Posted by readinglady z8 OR (My Page) on Mon, Dec 26, 11 at 3:12
| Corn worms are very common and not harmful (to you, I mean). You can cut off the affected portion and eat the remainder of the ear. In that regard it's mainly a mental aversion, not a health and safety issue. Probably the reason you haven't noticed corn worms on the corn you buy is that it's likely been heavily sprayed or the very early corn harvested before the worms appear. So you take your pick. You can have clean corn if you're willing to invest time and energy in some of the common methods for controlling them. For a small amount of corn there are a number of options that don't involve spraying, but for a larger garden, spraying may be necessary. Worms are just a part of nature. As far as the tomatoes are concerned, cutting out blemishes is not an issue as long as the tomatoes are fresh and firm and not coming from diseased plants. Then the tomatoes should not be used, regardless of how they look. Carol |
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| Agree with Carol. I'd much rather have a few corn ear worms (they aren't called 'root worms') to deal with than all the chemical sprays used on commercially grown corn. All you do it chop off the tip of the ear where the worm was and eat the rest. Same with any other garden vegetable - cut off/out the bad spot. If you only want to eat 'perfect' looking vegetables then you will have to use lots of pesticide and fungicide sprays. Those sprays are far more likely to make you sick. Dave |
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| I never see any worms on my corn. I have a machete and I lop of the end before I shuck it! LOL I would rather eat something a worm or bug has been crawling and snacking on than eat poison! One year I tried a trick that I read about. I sprayed olive oil on the silks after they have been pollinated. It worked but was to much labor. |
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| If you are canning the tomatoes, then cutting off the bad part is an issue. If eating fresh, then still, that bacteria can go all the way through the food. That is like seeing the tip of the iceberg. Just like mold on a slice of bread, it is all through that bread. |
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- Posted by readinglady z8 OR (My Page) on Wed, Dec 28, 11 at 13:18
| There is a difference between a blemish and spoilage. This is what Extension documents say: Always use fresh, firm, ripe tomatoes, allowing 2 to 3 pounds of fresh tomatoes for one quart of canned tomatoes. Wash tomatoes. Dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split, then dip quickly in cold water. Cut out stem end and all blemishes to reduce the bacterial load and allow for uniform heat penetration. Leave tomatoes whole or cut in half. Carol |
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- Posted by kikistreehouse (My Page) on Wed, Dec 28, 11 at 13:58
| So I would think that a blemish ,The tomato is still firm . With spoilage, The tomato is soft and is maybe stinky.. Thats how I would assume it. Am I wrong? jamie |
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| Thats how I would assume it. Am I wrong? Nope, that sounds right to me. When it comes to most fruits and vegetables the bad/damaged tissue that needs to be removed is pretty obvious. Dave |
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