HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN SWEET CORN IS READY TO HARVEST?

How can you tell when is sweet corn is ready for harvest?

Pre-packed frozen sweet corn is usually how most people purchase this gorgeous vegetable , however they are missing out if they have never cook a freshly harvested cob. Luckily growing sweet corn is surprisingly easy but as the kernels are hidden by a thick fleshy husk, how can you tell when your sweet corn is ready for harvest?

So at first glance is going to be difficult to know when sweet corn is ready to pick, especially if you have never grown them before because the entire cob is hidden by layer after layer of thick, fibrous husk. The trouble is that you need to get the timing right. Pick too early and you have just wasted an ear, pick too late and the corn has lost all of its delicious, sweet flavor.

The ripening of the cob will of course depend on the weather, however you can expect it to be ready for harvesting anytime from 17 to 25 days after the time the first silks have appeared - but you are going to have to keep a close eye on it. A good indicator for this time would be when the silks have turned very dark brown to black. Of course sweet corn will mature more quickly in hot weather and slower in cool weather.

How can you tell when is sweet corn is ready for harvest?

Sweet corn are ready to harvest when the kernels are in the 'milk' stage, and there is a simple test that you can do to check this. When the fluid inside each kernel is still liquid and the skin of the kernel is still tender then the cob is ready for picking so puncture a kernel with your thumbnail to make sure. If a clear liquid appears, then the corn is immature. If the liquid is milky, then the corn is ready, and if no liquid appears then the corn is overripe.

Once the cobs have been picked they can turn very quickly as the sugar within the kernels will rapidly turn to starch. Even when stored properly they can be past their best within a couple of days, however there are steps you can take to make the most of this short harvesting period.

Try to harvest sweet corn in the morning before you get a build up of field heat but if this is unavoidable submerge the cobs in cold water for a minute or so to let them cool down. Then as soon as you can they need to be refrigerated with a mind to being eaten over the next couple of days. There is an old wives tale saying that the pot should be boiling when the corn is picked and although that is a slight exaggeration it does convey the importance of speed when it comes to picking and eating corn at its best.

For related articles click onto the following links:
Harvesting Corn
HOW TO GERMINATE SWEET CORN SEED INDOORS
HOW TO GROW SWEET CORN FROM SEED

WHEN DO YOU HARVEST BROCCOLI?