Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Fresh From Florida as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central, however all opinions expressed are my own.
When my husband and I discussed moving away from Florida for the first time in 2012, I asked him what other states have that Florida doesn’t? I mean, we have it all down here, great beaches, wilderness, alligators, exceptional springs and rivers, the best tourism, and homegrown agriculture, what more could we want? Florida has everything! — And that’s why Florida always calls us home! After crossing the country twice I saw farming all over the U.S., but none of them could replace my vision of the perfect farm, a Florida Farm!
As a Florida native, it is impossible to overlook the lush farms all over the state. Even when we get lost in the middle of a big city like Jacksonville or Orlando, we’ve found a farm there! [Farming in Orlando?…] Yes! Orlando has great farming community just outside of the city. Much of what supplies your favorite Orlando theme park restaurants comes from these innovative farms! Like the sweet corn from Long & Scott Farms in Mt. Dora! They have a special variety of corn called Zellwood Sweet Corn. They, literally, have their own variety of corn that cannot be grown anywhere else! How cool is that?
Of course, Florida wouldn’t be Florida if we didn’t find a way to show you just how amazing our farms were! From corn mazes, u-pick farms, and guided tours, we’re happy to show you more about where your food comes from down here! I went on a guided farm tour at the Long & Scott farm outside of Orlando not long ago and loved every minute of it! The Sweet Corn Express is a tractor ride that will take you out into the fields so you can see how Florida farming has been done in their family for generations. They even shared a few family favorite recipes with us on the tour (shhhhh, I think they are a secret)— although, I must tell you, my favorite way to eat corn is straight out of the field!
Visit the agritourism section at Fresh From Florida to find a farm to take your family to.
After the ride is over and you have yourself a bag full of corn, go home and get cooking! There are a hundred ways you can prepare your delicious sweet corn, but Fresh From Florida wants you to know about their favorites too. I grabbed one of their easy recipes this weekend and grilled up a flavorful corncob that my family wouldn’t stop eating! It was their Florida Sweet Corn with Southern Barbecue Butter Recipe. All you have to do is baste the corn with a mixture of your favorite BBQ sauce and butter! The barbecue butter added another element of flavor to the corn that I had never tried before. It was such a hit my husband made me give him all the details in how I did it!
Florida Sweet Corn with Southern Barbecue Butter Recipe
- 1/4 cup your favorite barbecue sauce
- 1/4 stick butter
- 4 ears fresh Florida sweet corn, shucked
- kosher salt to taste
- fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven broiler on high. In small saucepan over low heat, combine barbecue sauce and butter until melted and smooth. Place sweet corn in a medium-sized baking dish and pour barbecue mixture over sweet corn. Broil sweet corn for 5-10 minutes, 4 inches from broiler, being sure to watch the whole time. Turn and baste the sweet corn until golden. Serve warm.