Every year the Salem Rotary Club parches corn and sell it at local events to raise money for our club. It is a tradition started many years ago by the late John Elliott and Past District Governor John Mead. Many people come to Old Settlers Days to stop by our booth and purchase this old pioneer snack and enjoy a glass of cold apple cider. To all of you we are greatful for supporting us as we carry on the legacy. Each year we get together a few nights before Old Settlers Days to prepare the corn and have some club fun.
This is the end result of our efforts but there are a few prior steps we take to get to this point.
First we must clean the chaff from the corn to prepare it for cooking. That's me.
Then we cook it! Here John Mead, the master of "Corn Cookery" stirs his creation in hot oil to get it the appropriate color.
It then comes out of the oil and goes into a paper sack to help drain the oil. Of course salt is added and Dick Gwaltney blends it together.
Dick is "Shakin"!
We then drain the oil, stir and cool it as you see here where Marvin Hattabaugh and Jana Ewen package it in containers It takes several people for this process because many taste testers are needed to make sure the quality is up to standards.
Marvin transfer the corn to the container!
Rotarians Frank Newkirk and Cindy Winkler join the fun!
These three guys, Dick Gwaltney, Phil Marshall and John Mead have cooked enough corn over the last 25 years to probably fill a grain bin.
The Head Corn Cook!