Well Tim, I've just picked some sweetcorn today doing exactly what the book
says and, in fact, what you said.

The first thing is to look at the 'tassels' (normally called the 'silks'),
which are the long silk-like threads growing out of the end of the cob. If
these are dark brown and have started to shrivel, take the next step. You
can always compare the silks of the ones you think are ripe with those cobs
that you're sure aren't. It really isn't difficult.

Having selected one cob you believe is ready, peel back just enough of the
end of one leaf to enable you to dig a fingernail into a kernal. If the
'ear' or 'cob' is ripe, the liquid that comes out of the kernal will be of a
creamy/colour - rather like milk.

If the sweetcorn is not ripe, the liquid will look and be watery. When
over-ripe, the liquid will be thick and more like dough. As I said, it
really is not difficult.

You don't have to strip all the leaves off a 'cob' to check for ripeness but
just enough to test one kernal - and you only do this when the silks are as
I described earlier.

I picked some ears of corn at about 4 o.clock this afternoon, judging the
ripeness as above, and we had them cooked for dinner at about 6 o'clock this
evening, with lashings of butter. They were delicious!

I still have twenty-four sweetcorn plants growing, most (if not all) with
two ears on them, so am looking forward to more in the next few days! And
they freeze so well.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

John




"Tim W" wrote in message
...
Books tell me various things but I still don't know.

Peel back the leaves and look at the colour - okay but I don't have enough
to spoil it by looking.

Stick your finger nail in and see if the juice is milky - as above

Wait until the tassels are brown - just wrong afaics

Any other methods? One book says the time of picking is critical for
sweetness.

Tim w