Sweet Corn Ripening

[j r hilton]

I have some decent size cobs on my sweet corn and the tassles are now brown. Unfortunately kernels are still white. Will they go yellow if left longer or has the poor summer with lack of sunshine spoiled it for me. Has any one else had this problem?

[rustylady]

Try piercing a kernel with your fingernail. If the liquid that comes out is milky then the cob is ready to harvest. What variety are you growing (some have different coloured kernels)

[j r hilton]

Thanks Rustylady, I have just tested and the liquid is a very pale milk colour. I will leave them a few days and try again. They are called sweet nugget so i hope they are.
Do you have to take them all off when ready or can they be left on the plant and just pick one off when you want one.

[Kleftiwallah]

I was just going to comment that some cobs have quite a light coloured kernal.

Cheers, Tony.

[Two_Sheds]

Do you have to take them all off when ready

You do really, esp. if they're F1. They ripen all at the same time (more or less), and leaving them on the plant will make them go tough. Pick them, strip them, and freeze.

[rustylady]

Pick them now, before they get tough. As Twosheds said, you can freeze them either as whole cobs or strips the kernels.

[j r hilton]

Thank you all for your help

[Rhona]

The variety we grew last year was very pale, but became deep gold when steamed. Last year, we faffily blanched, ice-bathed, dried and froze the kernals. This year, we just cut the kernels off, open-froze then bagged up. Much prefer the corn treated the simple way.

[Dusty Rhodes]

Sweet Nugget is a yellow variety.

How long are the ears after shucking?

Corn can be put up in canning jars also.

[Ian_5]

if you're after a recipe this is what I plan on trying with mine:

River Cottage - River Cottage Community Recipes

looked pretty good when Hugh made them...

[Sarico]

some of my corn are half pollinated.. the first half are fully grown the second half the top are big as a rice... i think is because the silk where ate from slugs and i think they didn't get pollinated... i squeeze a kernel between my fingernail and the juice was creamy and i taste it and was sweet. what should i do? harvest or leave them?

[rustylady]

Harvest them Enrico.

[MeanyGoat]

When the sweet corn is ripe microwave it!

Just gently pull back some of the outer leaves and check the cobs. Often the corn at the top pointy end will not be fully formed...just pull the leaves back a bit further to check out the main part of the cob. If they are nice and plump and still liquid when pierced then they should be good to eat. If not put the leaves back and leave them for another week or so. Once you want to cook them pick them and go straight to the kitchen! The sugar starts truning to starch within 30 minutes so you will lose the flavour. The quickest and easiest way to cook the cobs is in the microwave as per this website: How to Microwave Sweetcorn | MeanyGoat

I found that companion planting with outdoor tomatoes workes well....make a square with 9 corn plants in the middle and 9 or 10 Toms on the outside....I have also triend interplanting with climbing French Beans and thet works well....they just run up the corn plants and the roots feed the corn with nitrogen!

[vikkib]

I have also triend interplanting with climbing French Beans and thet works well....they just run up the corn plants and the roots feed the corn with nitrogen!

I love the idea of using them as bean poles!

Oh, and just noticed it's your first post MeanyGoat! Welcome to the Vine!

[SlugLobber]

Just to say that like Rhona, my sweetcorn was very pale until cooked. My OH was fascinated as he thought all corn was bright yellow. Bless!