I’m looking for a good guide on sweet corn maturity - when they are good for harvesting for different purposes (baby corn, eating, physiological maturity). What stages are good to know and what do you look for that it has passed from one stage to the next? I just picked a few cobs that were overripe and gummy (assuming that’s starch) and would like to get better
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Same here. Happens every year to the point i don’t even look forward to planting it anymore, id rather have more cornbread and popcorn, but I’m glad to follow this thread for the info
Im interested in related info, trying to see if my immature flint corn will produce viable seed…
Drying is easier and seed vigour is better the more developed kernels are at the time of harvest so I’d wait a little past best eating stage to save seeds. Taste test can be done from second, third etc cobs. Also tops are usually little behind in development that they can be used for tasting although they also might be little more hard skinned. Personally I don’t have that much more options than to wait as long as I can to have best change for seeds to be ripe enough. Unless it’s a hot summer or some smaller fast producing variety. In general time is quite a good reference. It’s about 3 weeks to make it to eating stage and start to have viable seeds, but to save seeds I would wait at least week more. If development starts late then it needs a little more time in the cooler weather.
Baby corn would probably work the best with variety that is bred for that. My diverse population makes it hard to see how developed they are as some remain close to the stem and some have a little stalk. Best time tio pick would be really fast after silking, but personally I don’t have that many extras that I could trial with them. Always need to leave first cobs to mature for seed or eating and after that there aren’t too many that would only work when used as baby corn.
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Are you sent us baby corn just 5 days after the silk comes out makes good baby corn
That might be right, but here those that I usually would/could use as baby corn come when temperatures are already lower and they might or might not be ready in that time. Also I haven’t paid enough attention that I would know how many days they have been and it goes by looks, which, like I said, can be irregular to point that it’s hard to estimate. And what I grow doesn’t seem like it’s really worth as baby corn. Those that would taste good are only finger length.
What signs do you look for that a sweet corn is perfect to eat nd what signs do you look for that it is no longer going to be good to eat because it got starchy?
I peel back the husk a little and push a fingernail into the kernel, you’re looking for a milky white juice, thus “milk stage" and that’s why i have a problem with sweet corn. You have to harvest it right away because it can go starchy in just a few days. Monitoring and saving seed for traits that stay in milk longer would be ideal, but i don’t grow enough to want to let it go to seed. Occasionally i cut it off the cob and freeze it, occasionally i have “corn on the cob” but most of it goes to the pig and chickens because it either didn’t pollinate well enough or its too rubbery.
I look for just a bit of browning of the silk and a swollen cob with tightly stretched husk. Too much drying of the silk would mean it’s past its prime. I don’t always get it exactly right, but it is usually close enough for us.
That’s some good observations and the kind of detail I was looking for. Thanks!