Storing Sweet Corn???

[Oleozz]

Could a sweet corn grower answer a question for me? How long can you keep corn once it's been picked? I'm talking about corn with the husk on. I sold out quick this morning and the corn was sold within two hours of having picked it but was wondering if I can keep it overnight if it's in a cool place?
Thanks for any suggestions or comments.

 

[Birdhunter1]

If it is still in the shuck in a cool place out of the sun it should still stay fresh for a few days. As for storing more long term I freeze mine in the shuck, whenever I get it out I soak it in water for a few hours then take it straight to the grille. Some people can tell it is not fresh and has been stored but most people cannot tell the difference.

To keep you corn cooler and fresher pick it very ealry in teh morning before it starts warming up, if picked early and left in the shade it will stay cool.

 

[Bird]

I don't really know just how long it would keep, but overnight should certainly be no problem.

 

[coveredbridge]

The moment you pick the corn off the stalk the sugars in the kernels begin converting to starch, so corn picked yesterday is never going to taste as sweet (and fresh) as corn picked today. The warmer the corn is allowed to become the faster the sugar-to-starch process occurs, so keeping it cool will ******, but not stop, the process. Anytime I am buying corn on the cob, I ask if it was picked the same day. If not, I won't buy it.

When I grew sweet corn for sale, I only picked what I was very confident that I could sell that day. If it looked like I wouldn't be able to sell it all, I would add a couple ears to late day buyers' purchases to get rid of it, rather than sell corn that wasn't fresh-picked.

 

[Nasty135]

Olezze, From what I understand , Depending on the sugar ratings ie: su/se/sh2 once picked it starts to lose it sweetness however very slowly over hours, so from my understanding it is better to get it as fresh as possible (obviously) but I wouldn't want to get my corn picked more than a day in advance if I didn't have to...

One rating of corn may lose sweetness faster than another,

Thats how I have interpeted most of what I have read in the corn growing game..It has been awhile (2yrs.) since I have done any further research on corn advice , We are just growing for the family garden.

I'm sure you can freeze it but it will probably lose some sweetness, Honestly our corn has never lasted long enough to have any leftover for freezing

Maybe I should plant more

I know my twins would eat it all up!!!

 

[Mickey_Fx]

The moment you pick the corn off the stalk the sugars in the kernels begin converting to starch, so corn picked yesterday is never going to taste as sweet (and fresh) as corn picked today. The warmer the corn is allowed to become the faster the sugar-to-starch process occurs, so keeping it cool will ******, but not stop, the process. ...

I'll second that. In Oregon, sweet corn production is a big farm crop. How quickly the sugar turns to starch will depend upon the variety. Some varities will have turned a good portion to starch in as little as 4 hrs. Some of the newer real high sugar varieties can go longer.

I try and have my corn hitting the freezer within a hr of picking. If we're doing a large amount I may not pick all the corn at same time just to insure the freshes taste even when its eaten months later.

I just shake my head when I see people buying sweet corn in the store when you know it's got to be a couple days old and they wouldn't give thought to frozen corn. Commercial frozen corn can't be more than 3-4 hrs old when processed or at least that is the way it is around here. Processors are running corn 24/7 for about 6 weeks starting in Sept in this area.

 

[randy41]

over night should not be any problem as long as its kept somewhat cool....and the sugary enhanced varieties keep better. i used to grow some and always picked it the late afternoon before the next mornings market....never any complaints.

 

[elalexander]

I think that todays hybirds hold their sugar content and flavor better then corn grown 15-25 years ago. Dad always said you can walk to the patch but run back to the stove. Mom would have the water boiling as well.

 

[TedLaRue]

The older varieties like "Silver Queen", "Iowa Chief", "Golden Bantam", "Seneca Chief", etc. are su (sugary) but their sugar goes to starch very quickly. I wouldn't recommend storing them overnight if you can avoid it. The reason they're called sugary is because they're sweet corn (not field corn).

The corn varieties listed as se or se+ (sugary enhanced) or sh2 (shrunken kernels) will easily hold overnight, and are still quite good a couple of days later. Note: Don't plant the sh2 supersweet varieties near se or the older su corn.

Here's a list of some se corn varieties:

• Delectable
• Incredible
• Honey Select
• Serendipity
• Bodacious
• Jackpot
• Argent
• Kandy Plus
• Legend
• Tablemaster

There are other se varieties; Google your variety to find out its designation.

Bodacious is my current favorite. It germinates well here and has nice large ears. Honey Select (a modified se type called Triple Sweet) did well for me too.

For home use, if you want to freeze it, steam it first for 4 minutes, then cool it quickly in cold water (ice water if possible). That blanching stops the sugar from converting to starch. Of course you wouldn't want to do this to corn you're planning to sell at a farmer's market!

 

[randy41]

someone at the farmers market stopped by my booth to buy beans and told me that she freezes corn by cutting the kernels off the cob and freezing them directly. no blanching.

 

[Oleozz]

Thanks everyone for the very good advice. Our season is about over and I learned a lot and met some nice people while selling corn along a busy highway.

 

[N80]

Some folks around here blanch it before freezing, some do not. I've never been able to tell the difference.

The lady that cooked for my grandmother (her name is Annie Blease Hoyle and she's still living) made the best cream corn I've ever had. Preffered variety was Silver Queen. I've watched her make it and before cutting it off the cob she'd run the knife down the length of the cob and split each kernel twice. Then she would cut the kernels off. Then she'd scrape the cob with the edge of the knife to get any pulp that was left.

Even frozen, that corn is a treat when you pull out a bag in February. Its like a little shot of summer.

 

[Bird]

George, I've never split the kernels first like you said, but I sure have cut a lot of them off the cob, then scraped the cob with the knife blade, as you mentioned, and that's still my favorite way to eat corn. We put up a lot of it in zip lock bags and froze it, and like you, I've tried blanched and not and couldn't tell the difference so we quit blanching it.

 

[WayneB]

Thanks everyone for the very good advice. Our season is about over and I learned a lot and met some nice people while selling corn along a busy highway.

Just curious as to what you were charging for the corn! Around here it can be as much as $5.00 a dozen! You have to love it to pay that much.

Oh and the way we pick our corn is to put the water on the stove and when it is close to boiling go out and pick the corn..........now that is fresh corn.

Wayne

 

[MDM]

I planted 6 - 60 ft rows of Silver Queen this year and had my highest yield to date. I picked a total of 41 dozen ears. I cut 16 dozen ears off the cob for freezing. I have 76 bags of corn in my freezer. I blanch mine, but my try it unblanched next year. I gave the rest away to family and now my whole family's freezers are full. A lot of work and I'm glad its over, but my tomatoes are still killing me. I've canned 77 jars of juice so far + my whole family is stalked with those as well.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

We are growing this year, and it seems some of the newest hybrids claim sugar rentention up to WEEKS after picking. Not interested in waiting weeks to sell, but it is nice to know the customer will have a few days to consume it and still have a better product than they are buying at Walmart.
Im aiming for 3400 ears this year to get our feet wet, and keep the Clover Knoll name in front of folks while we wait for honey season to come in the late fall. I’ll probably throw some pumpkins in as well.

 

[CliffordK]

From a garden, pick and eat them the same day.
For purchases, a few days is fine.

I hate it when people go through the stores and peel open a bunch of ears and throw them back in the bin. A real person can tell if they're ripe with a gentle squeeze.

Same thing, one just doesn't rip open a bunch of ears in the garden and leave them on the stalks.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

We know a family that takes pre orders for their produce. This way, they can harvest and sell at the peak. They simply offer up x amount of produce at said price and post a harvest date. Anything not sold via presale, is sold at the farmers market on the weekend. It also lets people know, you have said produce, instead of them having to stumble across it. For very perishable produce, this seems like a great idea for a small producer. Planning 2200 corn plants and 24 pumpkin mounds to start this year. With my traveling job, the wife’s real estate job and the honey/bee business, I’m just trying a little proof of concept at this point.

 

[CliffordK]

For something like sweet corn, if one wants an long season, one staggers planting several rows by a few weeks apart. Pick the first row and the next one should be ready.

There is a fairy successful fruit and veggie stand a few miles from my mother's house. Indoor (open air?) building. They have a loyal following, and quite a variety of foods that I think they grow themselves.

ME & Moore Farm and Evenfall

www.meandmoore.com

They're located about 5 to 10 miles from city center. But there is also a growing small lot community around them.

I think most of their food is picked and sold the same day, but I don't know how they deal with waste.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I am planning staggered planting yes.