GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

30-07-2003, 01:03 AM

The message
from (Steve Harris) contains these words:

I'm growing a sweet corn called "blue jade"

Hessayon says to look out for the tassels going chocolate brown. He also
says to test the corn by squeezing a grain and looking for a creamy
fluid.

Noticing some dark brown tassels, I faced a problem - the corn is
covered with many layers of husk. I tore my way into two of them and
found:

- One ripe one with about 10 grains which tested as being ripe and I
cooked and it was great.
- One large unripe one which of course has lost it's protective husk in
the process! So it's effectively dead.

There is some vital detail in this harvesting process that I'm missing?

Yes..your corn-undressing technique sounds more like a strip search!

Carefully open some layers of husk at the tip of the cob. Usually, even
ripe cobs have a few some undeveloped grains at the end. Behind those,
unripe cobs will show few grains filled. A ripe cob will show full
bulging grains all round the stalk. When you poke your nail through one,
white milky juice should ooze. If the cob clearly isn't ready, just
reclose the husks.

Janet.