Use this guide to ensure you pick corn when it’s perfectly ready to eat.
Pairing corn on the cob with a burger and a slice of watermelon is a summer staple.
Sweet corn is one of the most popular vegetables grown in home gardens.
Credit:Yulia Naumenko/Getty Images
Here’s precisely how and when to harvest corn from your garden.
Corn comes in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes.
it’s possible for you to find varieties with blue, red, and evenmulti-colored kernels.
However, not all types of corn are edible; some are grown for decoration.
For your vegetable garden, sweet corn is probably the easiest and most rewarding punch in.
Popcorn also can be fun to grow yourself.
Corn grown for cornmeal is field corn instead of sweet corn.
Field corn includes flint, dent, and flour.
Popular varieties include ‘Oaxacan Green’, ‘Nothstine Dent’, ‘Jerry Petersen Blue’ and ‘Bloody Butcher’.
For example, some varieties mature 72 days after planting the seeds, and others 110 days.
It takes about 20 days after the silks first appear on the ear before the corn has developed enough.
Ears will be ready to pick when the silks turn brown, but the husk remains green.
Stalks should have at least one ear near the top before harvesting occurs.
While the stalk may have ears lower down, those are typically smaller and not ready to harvest.
These lower ears will eventually mature, so watch for when their silks turn brown before picking them.
The milk stage lasts about 18 to 20 days after the silks have turned brown.
If the juice in the kernel is still clear, it’s not ready for harvest yet.
Wait a day or two and recheck the kernels.
You’ve waited too long to harvest if there’s no liquid in the kernels.
The warmer the conditions, the faster this process happens.
Picking early in the morning translates to the sweetest of sweet corn.
The ear should come off easily.
How to Store Fresh Corn
Like all garden-fresh vegetables, corn tastes best when just picked.
ensure to eat your harvested corn within a week when it’s sweetest.
The cobs can be wrapped in paper towels inside the plastic bag to remove moisture accumulation.
The kernels should be hard to the touch, dry, and wrinkled in appearance.
You’ll need to dry the cobs further after picking them from the stalk to confirm no mold develops.
There are a couple of drying methods to use.
One is to pull back the husks but not remove them, using them to hang the corn.
Another way is removing the husk completely and laying the corn on a rack or screen.
verify to place them out of direct sunlight.
To remove the kernels from the cob, move your hands in a twisting motion to dislodge the seeds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes!
Canning sweet, freshly harvested corn is the best way to preserve its flavor for the months to come.
In fact, it may de dull and hard, similar in flavor and texture to old corn ears.
