Sweet Corn Buying Guide

There are many types of sweet corn

·         “Normal Sugary” (su). Sugars convert to starch rapidly after picking. Names like Silver Queen and double Standard. This is what I grew up eating.

New types on the market

·         “Sugary Enhanced” (se) and (se+). Spring treat, sugar buns, trinity, luscious, delectable and sugar pearl are names you might hear. Due to the increased sweetness the conversion to starch is slowed.

·         “Synergistic” Increased sweetness and slower conversion to starch. Allure, pay dirt and Montauk are names you might see for Synergistic. It’s a blend of all the things we look for like sweet, crisp and tender kernels.

·         “Super Sweet” Sweet with also a slower conversion to starch. Names like Extra Tender and Vision

 

I have grown corn since I was a little boy. We picked and ate corn almost daily while in season. When you have a lot of corn you had a problem. Corn tended to get starchy after 24 hours after picking. With every growing season there is hope. Every year we looked for a better seed. I enjoyed corn then as much as I do today. The biggest improvement in my eyes is how much better sweet corn holds. It has a better shelf life. I have stored the new varieties for several days before cooking and it still tasted sweet and tender.

I fully understand and love heirloom vegetables but giving me more days out of my corn can be progress.

I hope this helps you next time you buy sweet corn.