Being able to harvest your own corn is something special. So that it really tastes good, the right harvest time is of crucial importance. You can find out when sweetcorn is harvested here.
No question: For many hobby gardeners, corn or sweetcorn is one of the tastiest delicacies that their own garden has to offer. However, in order to be able to enjoy the corn with all your senses, it is of course essential to find the right time to harvest it. But how can you actually tell that corn is ripe? When is the best time to harvest? We'll tell you!
In any case, it is important to be a little sensitive with regard to the perfect timing. If you miss this, you risk the grains becoming too hard.
Indications of ripe corn
❖ Milky discharge
Sweetcorn is harvested when it has reached what is known as "milk maturity". This is characterized by the fact that the grains are not fully ripe. And how do you recognize this condition? It's very simple: You scratch a corn kernel very carefully with your fingernail (or a pair of sharp scissors). The moment a milky liquid emerges from the corn kernel in question, milk maturity has been reached and the corn can be harvested. If this point is missed, the grains will eventually become inedible and hard.
❖ Dried Blossoms
It is also important to pay attention to the flowers on the cob of corn. If they wither or dry up, this is also a sign that the corn can now be harvested. As a rule of thumb, it is important to look out for the appropriate signs between July and September in order not to miss the ideal time to harvest.
» Tip: nJust because a few cobs have reached milk maturity doesn't mean that all of your cobs can be harvested. It often makes sense to let some cobs hang a little longer and observe them, as milk maturity may not have set in here yet.
Important post-harvest storage info
For the delicious and genuine taste of sweet corn with all its facetsTo be able to enjoy it, it makes sense not to store it for too long. However, those who have enjoyed a particularly rich harvest can also store excess corn in the refrigerator (vegetable drawer) for a few days.
The sweet corn will keep even longer if you blanch it in hot water and then store it in the freezer. Simply place the flasks in a standard freezer bag.
Difference between fresh and stored corn
Anyone who has eaten sweet corn from their own garden - almost freshly harvested - knows how good it tastes. However, if a lot of corn has been harvested, it is often not possible to enjoy all the cobs in the shortest possible time. Of course, corn that has been stored either in the freezer or in the refrigerator is still edible. The small differences in taste can be explained by the fact that the sugar contained in the corn kernels turns into starch over time. This means: due to the lower sugar content, the sweet corn tastes less sweet and therefore less tasty for many people.