Sweet corn: choosing the best variety and properly growing the dessert variety
Corn is a plant with a unique chemical composition and nutritional value. The product appears on our tables at any time of the year and in any form. But we get the greatest benefit and pleasure from eating sweet corn, fresh and boiled.
This article will be of interest to those who are interested in growing crops for their own needs or for sale. We will tell you about the features of cultivation and give a description of several popular varieties of sweet corn.
The content of the article
Features of sweet corn and differences from other types
Sweet corn is an annual herb, reaching a height of 3 m. It has a stem of medium thickness, up to 8 cm in diameter. The flowers of the female type are collected on the cob, and the flowers of the male type resemble fluffy panicles.
The color of the grains varies from light yellow to golden, depending on the variety. Corn cobs are very sweet, high in sucrose and low in starch. They are used boiled, raw, and canned.
In addition to sugar varieties, such types are widespread as:
- Bursting... Differs from sugar in high protein, fat and starch content. It is used for the production of popcorn, cereals, flakes. The culture forms a large number of cobs with small grains in a dense shell.
- Tooth-shaped... It is cultivated for obtaining grain, from which flour, cereals, alcohol and feed for agricultural animals are produced. All varieties of dent corn are mid- and late-maturing. During the ripening process, a small depression is formed in the grains, which is why the plant got its name.
- Siliceous... The crop is grown for flour, cereals, corn sticks and flakes. Convex grains have a shiny and dense shell. The ears are rich in starch and protein.
- Stern... The culture is grown specifically to obtain green mass, which is used as feed for animals and birds. Silage, meal, starch, alcohol, gluten, oil are prepared from forage varieties. The grains are quite hard and tasteless, however they are good for food.
Interesting fact. Corn cobs lose half their sweetness within six hours of harvest.
In the photo, sweet corn of the White Cloud variety.
Composition
Raw sweet corn chemical composition table.
| Name | Content | Norm |
| Vitamin A | 9 μg | 900 mcg |
| Beta carotene | 0.047 mg | 5 mg |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.155 ml | 1.5 mg |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.055 mg | 1.8 mg |
| Vitamin B4 | 23 mg | 500 mg |
| Vitamin B5 | 0.717 mg | 5 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.093 mg | 2 mg |
| Vitamin B9 | 42 μg | 400 mcg |
| Vitamin C | 6.8 mg | 90 mg |
| Vitamin K | 0.3 μg | 120 mcg |
| Vitamin PP | 1.77 mg | 20 mg |
| Potassium, | 270 mg | 2500 mg |
| Calcium | 2 mg | 1000 mg |
| Magnesium | 37 mg | 400 mg |
| Sodium | 15 mg | 1300 mg |
| Phosphorus | 89 mg | 800 mg |
| Iron | 0.52 mg | 18 mg |
| Manganese | 0.163 mg | 2 mg |
| Copper | 54 μg | 1000 mcg |
| Selenium | 0.6 μg | 55 mcg |
| Zinc | 0.46 mg | 12 mg |
KBZHU
Nutritional value of the product per 100 g:
- calorie content - 86 kcal;
- proteins - 3.27 g;
- fats - 1.35 g;
- carbohydrates - 16.7 g;
- fiber - 2 g;
- water - 76.05 g;
- ash - 0.62 g;
- starch - 5.7 g;
- water-soluble saccharides - 6.26 g;
- glucose - 3.43 g;
- fructose - 1.94 g;
- sucrose - 0.89 g
Corn cobs are rich in nonessential and essential amino acids, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.
Benefit and harm
Regular consumption of sweet corn brings tangible benefits to the body, which is manifested in:
- normalization of metabolism;
- removing excess cholesterol;
- lowering blood glucose levels;
- strengthening immunity;
- normalization of hormonal levels;
- reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cancer;
- normalization of water and electrolyte balance;
- strengthening bone and muscle tissue;
- increased hemoglobin levels;
- general rejuvenation of the body;
- improving intestinal peristalsis;
- cleansing blood vessels;
- elimination of biliary stasis.
reference... Corn cobs do not accumulate chemicals that are used to treat fields. Therefore, they can be consumed even raw.
Doctors advise people with stomach diseases and obesity not to get carried away with corn.
In the first months of breastfeeding, corn should be discarded, as the product can provoke colic and excessive gas production in the baby.
Sweet corn varieties
There are many varieties and hybrids of corn, but sweet varieties are most popular with gardeners. We have compiled a list of the very best high-yield sweet corn varieties.
Arkon f1
An early ripe hybrid of super sweet corn, intended for cultivation in the southern regions of Russia. The ears are 22-24 cm long and ripen in 66-68 days. The color of the grains is bright yellow. The amount of sugars is 18%. The taste is sweet, the starchy taste is completely absent. The variety is characterized by resistance to cold, drought and helminthosporiosis.
Morning song f1
The hybrid, characterized by a high yield, ripens at 70-75 days. The cobs reach a length of 16-18 cm. The grains are sweet, juicy, yellow in color. Used for boiled and canned consumption.
Baron f1
High-yielding hybrid, ripens in 62-65 days. The ears are even, equal in length (23-25 cm), sugar content 16%. The shade of the grains is dark yellow. The taste is sweet, without starchy aftertaste. It is characterized by excellent keeping quality and transportability.
Gourmet
A simple early ripe hybrid of sweet corn. Suitable for cultivation in fertile and loose soil. Conical cobs, 18-23 cm long, ripen in 72-75 days. Used for canning and boiled consumption. The grains are sweet, with a delicate skin, yellow-orange hue.
Megaton F1
A late-ripening variety, the first harvest is harvested 85 days after germination. Conical ears, up to 20 cm long. Characterized by resistance to drought, viral diseases, fusarium. Excellent taste, grains of delicate structure, yellow-orange color.
White cloud
Mid-season sweet corn variety for cultivation in the southern regions. Unpretentious in care, but "loves" warm and moist soil. Cobs of poorly expressed conical shape, up to 22 cm long. Grains are sweet, pleasant to the taste, white-yellow in color. Used for consumption boiled... Harvesting begins after 80 days.
Boston F1
A mid-season fruitful hybrid, ripens in 72-74 days from the moment of germination. The cobs grow to a length of 21 cm. The color of the grains is yellow, the taste is excellent. Suitable for canning and boiled. The culture is thermophilic, does not tolerate shading.
Cupid
An early fruitful variety. Conical cobs, 16 cm long. The grains are tender, sweet, yellow-orange in color. The taste is high. Suitable for cooking, preservation, freezing.
Delicacy
An early ripening variety, ripens in 65-70 days. The ears are cone-shaped, no more than 17 cm long. The grains are sweet, contain a lot of sugars and fiber. Suitable for pickling, baking, boiling, freezing.
Features of cultivation
The plant loves the sun, moderate watering and feeding. The technology for growing sweet corn is not particularly difficult, but it requires compliance with a number of rules to obtain a rich harvest:
- Planting begins in the first ten days of May in the southern regions, and at the beginning of summer - in central Russia.
- Choosing the right variety is one of the main conditions for getting the expected result.
- Sow in areas protected from drafts, with sufficient lighting.
- The soil should be fertile, moisture and air permeable. Swampy soils are not suitable for growing corn.
- Heavy and clogged soil, poor in nutrients, is put in order: they introduce peat, sand, organic fertilizers.Acidic soil is treated with lime, sandy soil is enriched with organic matter. The earth is dug up with a bayonet shovel and loosened.
- Sweet corn is planted in fields where potatoes, legumes, melons or tomatoes were previously grown.
- Before sowing, the grains are sorted out, whole and large-caliber seeds are laid. Germination testing is carried out - the material is soaked in a saline solution of weak concentration. Settled seeds are used for planting.
- Disinfection of grains is carried out using a concentrated solution of potassium permanganate.
- Seeds are sown in 7-8 cm deep furrows, with an interval of 10-15 cm. Beds in the neighborhood are formed at a distance of 40 cm. This ensures better cross-pollination.
- In practice, the square-nested sowing method is often used. The land plot is divided into squares and recesses are dug up to 10 cm. Seeds are planted in them and covered with earth.
- Planting sweet corn is possible by seedling method. The seeds are sown in pots with a nutrient medium in early spring. Seedlings are planted with the onset of heat.
- From the moment of its rapid growth, corn is spud, weeded and fertilized. Watering is carried out twice a week.
- Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, compost are used as top dressing.
- The stems are tied up if the varieties are prone to lodging.
- From time to time, pinching is carried out, leaving 2-3 cobs each.
The use of sweet corn
Sweet corn is widely used for culinary purposes. Young ears are eaten fresh, boiled in water or steamed, baked in a grill and over a fire, marinated for the winter, frozen in the freezer. The grains are suitable for preservation, making soups and cereals, salads. Bakery products are baked from flour, corn cakes, muffins, muffins are prepared.
We offer a variant of the recipe for homemade canned dessert corn.
Ingredients per 0.5 liter jar:
- corn cobs;
- salt - 1 tsp, l.;
- sugar - 2 tsp, l.;
- table vinegar 9% - 15 ml.
Boil the corn in water or steam, cut off the grains with a sharp knife and fill the container. Add salt, sugar and vinegar. Pour boiling water over, cover with tin lids and sterilize in a wide saucepan for three hours. Then roll up with the key and turn over. The workpiece is excellent kept in the pantry, banks don't explode.
Contraindications
Corn cobs are prohibited for those who suffer from:
- gastritis, ulcer in the acute stage;
- varicose veins, thrombosis, thrombophlebitis;
- allergy to the product;
- increased blood clotting.
Read also:
How is the cultivation and harvesting of corn for silage.
Conclusion
Corn is an unpretentious crop to grow, but it grows best in the southern regions of the country. Sugar varieties are characterized by high taste and nutritional value, have a rich chemical composition and, if used correctly, bring only health benefits.