About Sweet Corn

Sweet corn is the kind of corn we eat fresh off the cob in the summer or canned or frozen corn, year-round. It is different from field corn, which is usually used as a grain, or used in industry. It's called sweet corn because it contains a higher amount of natural sugars than field corn. It is one of the most widely grown crops in the country, and continues to be a summertime favorite.

History

Sweet corn naturally mutated from field corn, with origins that are traced back to the Native Americans. They shared sweet corn with the pilgrims, who quickly regarded it as one of their main food sources. The mutation appeared naturally from corn crops that originated in Mexico and South America. Since then, scientists have discovered exactly how field corn mutates into sweet corn, and have created several varieties, both heirloom and hybrid, of the vegetable.

Science

Sweet corn gets its sweetness the natural sugars in the plant. This happens because of a recessive genetic mutation. The mutation occurs at what is called the sugary locus. The mutation tells the corn to both store more sugars and convert the sugars to starches at a slower rate. Sweet corn stores in its endosperm, approximately 2 to 3 times the natural sugars of field corn. Even after picked, sweet corn continues to convert its sugar into starch, and therefore should be refrigerated or eaten immediately.

Anatomy

The yellow or whitish fruit of the corn, and the part we eat, is called the kernel. Several rows of kernels line and are attached to the ear. The ear is coated with fibers that protect the corn, and can produce flowers, and this is called the silk. Outside the silk, the ear is encased in tight green leaves which are called the husk. The ear, inside the silk and husk, attaches to the stalk, which is the tall green stem on which the ears grow.

Growing

Corn can be planted from seed when there is no more risk of frost, and the soil temperature has reached about 50 to 60 degrees. Since it can often take until May or June for soil temperatures to get high enough to encourage germination, some farmers cover their seeds with plastic ground covering to trap heat, or simply delay planting. Corn requires pollination in order to grow healthy stocks. Because of this, corn should be planted in several rows so they can pollinate. However, it should be planted in different fields from other varieties of corn, as cross pollination can occur and contaminate the crop.

Uses

Corn is one of the most popular vegetables in the United States today. Aside from being grown to be eaten directly, canned, or frozen, it is also used to make meal and corn syrup. Corn is an ingredient in millions of foods on your store shelf that you wouldn't associate with it, and it is prevalently used in pet food. Corn is used in making ethanol and corn syrup. It is also being explored as a green building material. There are even brands of carpet made from corn fibers. Corn is one of the most versatile plants grown today.

Resources

• Ohio Sweet Corn Festival
• National Corn Growes Association