The types of corn that have a lower sugar content and are not as sweet as sweetcorn include popcorn, flour corn, and dent corn. Popcorn is very different from the other two types because it is dry and hard, with tough hulls around the kernels. Flour corn has kernels that are usually pink or white, and dent corn is named after its dented kernels.
What is the sweetest type of corn to plant?
In the US, the sweetest type of corn is the supersweet (SH2) variety. To be sure you are planting the sweetest of corns, buy seeds in packets with the SH2 or supersweet label. What is the most popular corn? The most famous sweet corn varieties include the Silver Queen, the Butter and Sugar, and the Jubilee.
What is the difference between sweet corn and field corn?
The oldest type of sweet corn contains more sugar and less starch than field corn intended for livestock. Tends to be heartier in respect to planting depth, germination and growth than other types. Begins conversion of sugar to starch after peak maturity or harvest, and as such is best when harvested and eaten immediately.
Why is sweet corn not used as a feed?
It is seldom used for livestock feed, industrial products, or flour because it has about 6% more sugar content than field corn. Developments into sweet corn have created the following seedling types:
What are the different types of corn called?
1 Dent. Dent corn, more popularly called field corn and sometimes also known as yellow dent, is named after the dent or dimple formation at the top of each kernel when ... 2 Flint. Also called Indian corn, flint corn has been in cultivation since before the time of Native Americans. 3 Popcorn. ... 4 Flour. ... 5 Sweet. ... 6 Pod Corn. ...
What kind of corn isn't sweet?
field cornYou may have noticed, it doesn't look exactly like what you expect from an ear of sweet corn. That's because it's not sweet corn! This is called field corn (sometimes called dent corn), and it gets harvested and used differently than sweet corn.
How do you make corn less sweet?
The only thing you can do to limit the sugar content, James said, is to leave the corn in the husk and allow it to warm to room temperature for a spell. “When sweet corn warms up, the natural sugars in it turn to starch and it's less sweet,” he said.
Are all corns sweet?
Regular corn is less sweet than sweet corn. In contrast to sweet corn that tastes good and milky right off the cob, regular corn does not taste that nice right off the cob. This is because, unlike sweet corn, the farmers harvest regular corn varieties when they are fully matured.
Why does my corn not taste sweet?
The longer the corn sits after picking, the more the sugars convert to starch and sweetness is lost. This is frequently the simple reason for corn that is not sweet. Harvest time is also critical for sweetness. Harvest when corn is at its peak because sweetness fades quickly.
Is there non sweet corn?
Cow corn has a high starch and low sugar content, which means it's not sweet and juicy like the corn you buy to eat from your grocery store or farmers market. Because it's not meant to be eaten fresh, farmers allow cow corn to dry on the stalks in the field before harvesting.
Are corn kernels sweet corn?
Sweet corn kernels are obtained from whole sweet corn cob. They are bright yellow in colour and have a sweet taste that can be enjoyed by kids and adults and can be used in making soups, salads, sabzis, starters and so on.
How can you tell the difference between sweet corn and maize?
In USA and Canada corn and maize are one and the same, and is meant for the plant that produces kernels used for cooking. However, the term corn is preferred over maize for food products that are made from it, such as corn flour, corn starch, cornmeal etc.
What is the difference between sweet corn and maize?
Differences Between Corn and Maize Maize can refer to what is grown in the field, whereas corn refers to the harvested product, or the food at the market or on your dinner plate. Another easy way to think about the differences between the two terms is this: All maize is corn, but not all corn is maize.
Are there different types of corn?
Waxy cornDent cornAmylomaizeFlint cornCorn/Lower classifications
How do you get the bitterness out of corn?
So although adding milk proved unnecessary, a little sugar did the trick—4 teaspoons per gallon of plain water brought out the bright flavor of the kernels. Why? Corn contains proteins called prolamines, whose bitterness becomes more pronounced as the sugar concentration declines.
What kind of corn is the sweetest?
Supersweet corn are also hybrid varieties–the sweetest flavored of all corn. Supersweet corn varieties are sweeter than sugary enhanced varieties.
Is sweetcorn naturally sweet?
Sweet corn is the result of a naturally occurring recessive mutation in the genes which control conversion of sugar to starch inside the endosperm of the corn kernel....Sweet cornHusked sweet cornSpeciesZea mays convar. saccharata var. rugosaOriginUnited States
Dent
Dent corn, more popularly called field corn and sometimes also known as yellow dent, is named after the dent or dimple formation at the top of each kernel when the corn dries out.
Flint
Also called Indian corn, flint corn has been in cultivation since before the time of Native Americans.
Popcorn
With so many corn products out there, can you think of anyone who doesn’t know what popcorn is?
Flour
Flour corn has soft-shelled, starchy kernels, which make it the best choice for making corn flour.
Sweet
Unlike dent corn, which is harvested during maturity, sweet corn is picked during the milk stage, when the ears have not yet matured and dried.
Pod Corn
Pod corn, simply put, is mutated corn. It is not a wild ancestor of corn but a mutation of existing varieties.
The Six Types of Corn
Corn has a few qualities that make a huge difference as to how it is used. Some varieties of corn have higher sugar content while others lean to the starchier side of things. Some corn kernels have hard outer shells, but other types have softer shells. Let’s start with that. Then, we’ll get into which works best for what.
Choosing Your Variety
Most people wanting to grow corn in a backyard garden are envisioning juicy corn on the cob, and in this case, sweet corn is the only choice really. The starchier varieties lean towards the bland side and are more often eaten as processed products, such as corn flakes or corn chips.
Grow Some Corn
It’s important to know that corn is wind pollinated and growing different varieties near each other can alter the outcome of the seeds. To maintain purity (for sowing seeds next year), grow one variety at a time, space them a good distance apart (preferably with windbreak), and time the planting so that they aren’t flowering at the same time.
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Overview
Standard (su)
The oldest type of sweet corn contains more sugar and less starch than field corn intended for livestock. Tends to be heartier in respect to planting depth, germination and growth than other types. Begins conversion of sugar to starch after peak maturity or harvest, and as such is best eaten immediately after harvest.
Sugary Extender (se)
Contains even more sugars in relation to starch than su types, and as such is able to retain sweetness for 2 to 4 days with proper refrigerated handling. Somewhat less hardy than su types. Is known as a "tender" kernel and as such does not lend itself to mechanical handling. Does not require isolation from su pollen, although it is preferred. Some seed catalogs don't distinguish the heter…
Supersweet (sh2)
Supersweet or shrunken-2 types have four to ten times the sugar content of normal sugar (su) types and with proper handling is able to be stored for up to 10 days. Less hardy than even se types, requiring higher germination temperatures, precise planting depth and isolation from all other corn pollen for optimum results. The name derives from the shrunken, shriveled appearance of the dried kernel which is low in starch.
Synergistic (sy)
Synergistic varieties combine differing genetics on the same ear. The first varieties developed of this type have 25% sh2, 25% se and 50% su kernels on the cob but now different combinations are possible. There is an increasing number of brand names and trademarks that cover specific genetic combinations under this general type. However, a common trait of all sy types is that isolation from other su and se varieties pollinating at the same time is not required, though isola…
Augmented Supersweet
Varieties of the augmented supersweet type combine multiple gene types on top of sh2. These varieties have 100% of the kernels containing the sh2 gene, but also have se and su genes in some portion of the kernels.
The augmented supersweet varieties have tender kernels like the se varieties. Therefore, mechanical picking is not recommended.
See also
• International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants
External links
• corn varieties and tips on growing corn
• Purdue Ag Center corn varieties
• Growing Sweet Corn in Missouri
• Maize Genetics and Genomics Database