Knowing when to pick sweet corn
 

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?


Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

Knowing when to pick sweet corn
 

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.

Knowing when to pick sweet corn
 

In article ,
(Janet Baraclough) wrote:

Carefully open some layers of husk at the tip of the cob.

Er, yes. There's about 10 tight and very tough interlocking layers. They
won't peel apart. Have you ever tried to open one of those "Documents
Enclosed" pouches on a parcel without tools? It's like that. It took a
lot of force. There's no way to do it carefully. Do you use a craft
knife or something?

If the cob clearly isn't ready, just
reclose the husks.

About as possible as neatly reclosing a "Documents Enclosed" pouch.

Maybe it's the variety? A friend used to have SC from an organic box
scheme. They were already about 1/4 open and only had 1 or 2
loose layers.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

Knowing when to pick sweet corn
 

"Steve Harris" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Janet Baraclough) wrote:

Carefully open some layers of husk at the tip of the cob.

Er, yes. There's about 10 tight and very tough interlocking layers. They
won't peel apart. Have you ever tried to open one of those "Documents
Enclosed" pouches on a parcel without tools? It's like that. It took a
lot of force. There's no way to do it carefully. Do you use a craft
knife or something?

If the cob clearly isn't ready, just
reclose the husks.

About as possible as neatly reclosing a "Documents Enclosed" pouch.

Maybe it's the variety? A friend used to have SC from an organic box
scheme. They were already about 1/4 open and only had 1 or 2
loose layers.

I don't understand the problem. Sweet corn may be picked at any time
whatsoever. If you pick it too young, you are simply the proud possessor of
a lot of what the supermarkets sell as "baby sweet corn". In spite of being
an abominable substitute for food, it is quite digestible.

Franz Heymann

Knowing when to pick sweet corn
 

In article ,
(Franz Heymann) wrote:

what the supermarkets sell as "baby sweet corn". In spite of being
an abominable substitute for food, it is quite digestible.

Exactly!

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

Knowing when to pick sweet corn
 

The message
from (Steve Harris) contains these words:

In article ,
(Janet Baraclough) wrote:

Carefully open some layers of husk at the tip of the cob.

Er, yes. There's about 10 tight and very tough interlocking layers. They
won't peel apart. Have you ever tried to open one of those "Documents
Enclosed" pouches on a parcel without tools? It's like that. It took a
lot of force. There's no way to do it carefully. Do you use a craft
knife or something?

No; I've just never found it difficult to do by hand.

Maybe it's the variety?

Could be; I live in Scotland so I always grow short-season, early
maturing varieties. Maybe those have fewer layers of husk.
Just a thought..you are growing sweetcorn for kitchen use, not animal
fodder maize?

Janet

Knowing when to pick sweet corn
 

In article ,
(Janet Baraclough) wrote:

Just a thought..you are growing sweetcorn for kitchen use, not animal
fodder maize?

Well, Unwins describe it as tasty on the packet :-)

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com