Yes, there are other ways. One thing is that the "silks" must be very dark brown (almost black). Another sign is to feel the distal tip of the corn cob. If it is still pointy and a bit sharp, then it is not ready. Can you see how the husks crimp-in when I squeeze them? That is because the cob still comes to a sharp point. The last kernals have not yet swollen. If it feels rounded and thick---almost flat on the end, then it is ready. See how it appears flat wnen I bend the husks over the end. Here it is with the husk off....right before dropping it into the boiling water. Note that the kernals are all filled-out right to the end. If you just cannot make up your mind, then you have to make a tiny split in the husk to look at the corn...and if you STILL are not sure, then apply pressure and burst that corn seed. If it spurts a milky liqiuid, it is ready. Now, having saids that the tip here is then to close the incision in the husks and keep it closed with masking tape. Personally, I do not like to perform any sort of invasive inspectionj because the kernals inside are immediately open to fungal infection as well as the molecules which escape into the air will be "smelt" by insects, birds and fruit bats. Beware. KK, there may be other methods...I can sometimes smell their rediness (or at least I THINK I can smell it). Birds can also smell it, I believe. Having said that, I will readily admit that my two methods do require some practice and a development of experience from having done it quite a few times, but if you use these methods, you too will develop your own "feel" for the technique.
Best way is like was said,, watch the color of the silk. It will usually look dry and sort of dead when it is ready except inside the husk, which will still be soft. Then feel the corn,,with a bit of practice you can tell if its ready. Safest way for you now is by the silk. One thing that might help you since you have only a few,,and I am not sure if it works but it can`t hurt,,apply a drop or two of corn oil or any cooking oil to the tip of the corn to keep earworms away. Just move the silk back, apply the oil and put the silk back in place. It might work.
Sojerd, thank you very much for the very detailed description of an alternative way to check for ripe corn.I will definately follow it. :-D This is getting really exciting! Mart, I'll bear that in mind. Thanks. Blackrose good luck on your next bitter gourd, I'll be starting a new plant soon too!
Today I made a very difficult decision whether to harvest the corn or not. Went through what Sojerd posted in detailled and Marts tips in mind, I pulled one ear of the corn from the plant after feeling it. I had some problem smelling because I am a little under the weather. My First Sweet Corn ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) It was a very difficult but after running through and forth from the computer to the corn patch to make comparision, I finally pluck one of the corn that looks like the one in Sojerd's pics. WOW!! It's beautiful!!! ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) WOW!!! I am so pleased when I strip it open to expose those succulent grains. The white grains looks like pearls don't they? First Harvest ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) When down to the patch and got a total of six beautiful ears of corn and there were still quite a few left on the plants. ??? ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Only one out of the six have some thing odd on it ..... anybody have an answer? Once again I would like to thanks all of you who had helped me here, especially Sojerd a very big thank you :-D
Congrats KK! I've been following your corn's progress and was anxiously waiting for your harvest. That corn is beautiful and I bet very very tasty. Congrats again... and thanks everyone for a truly educational post.
Those stains could be where water got trapped around the base of the ear. Doesn`t look like corn rust. I would just cut it off if it stained the ear itself. That is really beautiful corn. Aren`t you a proud Papa ? Going to plant more next year?
Hello there KK, the Corn King of Malaysia!! Well mate, I reckon you are well chuffed with this harvest, right? You should be. Congrats also on picking them at the correct time. I'll bet that perky daughter of yours has some ideas as to what she would like to do with some of those seven ears. hahaha. Will you freeze some of them in, or them all fresh? That exposed ear truly IS beautiful with the white pearl-like kernals mixed with the yellow. Do you recall the name of this corn type? There are several...one is called, "Peaches and Cream". Are all your corn plants this bi-coloured type? I have never had an ear with the reddish-coloured shucks. What did the cob and kernels look like when you removed the shucks? Well KK, you are cwertainly welcome for the advice...but don't forget--it was you that grew and harversted these ears yourself...so I feel that any thanks should actually all go to yourself, who did such a great job of growing these. You did all the work. I hope that your success will move you to grow corn again next season. You see that you did can do it. Well done, you!
Thanks Cherylad, the harvest is really bountiful and it is really worth the trouble and indeed I do too learn alot from this experience. I think you are right Mart because it was really wet when I removed the layers of shucks.Yes I have given myself a pat on the back and definately sweet corn will be a regular plant here. Sojerd, I am very honoured to bestowed with the title of "the Corn King of Malaysia" by the King of Corn himself Yes I am really pleased with the harvest and so is Becky and my daughter too! My 2 younger kids will be back this weekend for their semester break so I had them in the fridge at the moment. Hybrid Sweetcorn ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) The name is just Sweetcorn Sh2-Bicolor as mentioned on the packing and it is a hybrid. Yes all my corns were of this type. I cut off the reddish-coloured shucks and it is ok underneath. It is only those few shucks that was affected, it could be the wetness because 2 days before harvesting, it was raining and raining. Corn is definately on my list now :-D
That corn looks like our G-90 sweet corn which is also a bi-color corn. Peaches and cream is about the same also a very good sweet corn. They both have a little bit larger ears than some of the sweet corn varieties and do better in our hot summers.
Ahhhh I see what kind it is. Well, I don't know a name for this type that you have...or even if there is a specific name for it, but the fact that it is a Sh2 (or Shrunken2) tells me that it is a super-sweet corn type. In my opinion the most important quality of this type of corn is that after picking, it will stay reasonably tasty for up to ten days, and many of the regular types-- only about two to three days. You know KK, the sugars in corn on the cob begin to change into starch from the second that the cob is separated from the stalk...that's why it's so important to eat the corn as quickly as you can after picking. Starchy corn = mealy corn. Keeping it stored in the fridge (with the shucks still on) is the best thing to do to keep it as good as possible. I would eat mealy corn, but I do not like it nearly as much as fresh. I am such a hopeless fanatic that I often take utensils with me to the garden and once the water in the pan begins to boil on the fire, I then go to the corn patch and pull off a couple of cobs, shuck them and drop them into the already boiling water. It is delicious and crunchy. There honestly are no words to describe the sensation of eating corn that fresh. I have grown extra sweet types in the past and they are quite sweet and very tasty to me. I have been experimenting with different sorts lately though. Anyway, congratulations again for your triumph there.
Today while sitting in my mini farm and admiring my corn plant, I noticed that there was a small corn ear growing from one of the side shoots and it was ready for the picking. I broke from the stem and removed the shucks. It was only about 8cm long with a diameter of about 2cm with quite a number of matured kernels on it and very inviting. The next thing I know I was already chewing on the kernels and it was really really yummie!! Yes, fresh straight from the plant .... Wow!!! never had I tasted such sweet and nice corn before. That was really a moment to remember ..... oops!! sorry by the time I realise that I should get it documented it was already gone. I can still feel how it really tasted ... WOW!!! Mart you should really try it, it is really good!! Sojerd you could be right about the Sh2 code because it is super tasty. You should really try this Sh2 type and eat it fresh from the plant. Yes I fully agreed with you that there is no word to describe that fresh and can you imagine hmmmm♪♫♪... fresh from the plant. Those in the fridge won't last that long because the kids would be back by tomorrow and I am sure my daughter already had some kind of plan for them. I did not know that the sugars in corn on the cob begin to change into starch from the second that the cob is separated from the stalk. I guess that's what making eating corn the instant it is plucked so, so, so ..... just beyond words!! Thanks again Sojerd. :-D
My goodness KK--you really know how to enjoy your corn, don't you! Corn really does taste good raw, doesn't it. When I was a child, my grandparents let me play with the stalks after the ears had been removed and I would cut a section and then use my pocket knife to split the segment of stalk. Then I would chew the pithy insides of the stalk. It was very sweet and I would chew it and suck on that wad and until all the sweetness was out. My grand parents thought I was mad, but when my grandfather tried it he agreed with me that it was tasty. He was probably being nice. hahaha...but since the grown-ups weren't interested, it meant that there was more for me to munch on. Even today, I sometimes chew a bit of my stalks--I guess that I never completely grew-up.
Final Corn Harvest ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Today I harvested all the remaining corns and the beans. I also harvested all the beans that were planted with the corn and that is all I got. The okra :?: sorry they are not supposed to be in the pics It was getting dark and I was in a hurry. Corn on cob ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Today we had corn on cob and lasagne. The corns were from the first harvest and we lost an ear. Remember the one with the brown stains on the base. It smells like it had fermented and it affected the kernels too so we had to send it to the compost heap. It's OK ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) From today's harvest there were two with the brown stains, one just on the side while the other is quite bad. This one is only slightly on the side and it is perfectly OK on the inside. This time I dried with kitchen towels before storing it. Heavy brown stain ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) This one is the most severely affected with the brown stain. Let's take a look inside. Inside seems OK ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) Inside seems OK but let's take a closer look inside. at the base ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) There was some are at the base that looks like it was a little brown. Almost mid-way ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) I do not know whether it is my eye sight but it looks like there was a very slight tint of brown. It was already dusk. Yum!! Yum!! ( photo / image / picture from KK Ng's Garden ) And finally, my favourite test, the taste test and ....... just beyond descriptions .... no words. They were all good to the cob. Sojerd no need to grew-up completely, I never did!!!
Chuckling--you really seem to have enjoyed your corn. I'm glad that it was a success. I am quite curious about that red discolouration on the shucks and cob. Interesting too, was the fermentation comment that you made. I may have to give this some thought later. How did your children like the corn?
