Topic: Sweetcorn,How many/plant?

[Andy H]

Until we hear that we are not hero`s we are really excited about our first lot of sweetcorn! The bloke on the next plot says 1 corn/plant ok 2=average and three corns/plant and you are a gardener!!! we have FIVE on about three plants... is this great?

[Mrs Ava]

Sounds bloody marvelous to me!  We seem to be averaging 3, which I am rather chuffed with, but some are still growing skywards.  Congratulations!  ;D

[Wicker]

Andy, my corn is the same and I was a bit overwhelmed as well but have been told that this doesn't mean we will actually get all those as good edible cobs just depends on how many get fertilised when the male at the top of the plant is ready!!  Have also been told that the other cobs can be eaten but are pretty tasteless.

Looks like it must be a good year for beginners eh, this is my first year growing corn. I'm still proud of it anyway! :D

[derbex]

Mines going up -and the top is 'flowering' -but no tassels ??? -any ideas.

Jeremy

[tim]

Depends a lot on variety - dwarfs are different to maize types. But don't leave it to chance - get out & shake them around a bit when the flowers are in bloom. They like a bit of excitement! = Tim

[Mimi]

Mine is doing well too.  Most have 4 ears, some have 5 and a few have 3..  Next problem is....if they all do make eatable cobs..  what are we going to do with all that corn ::)

[Andy H]

you can freeze it mimi!!!
Give the tops a flick and watch the pollen fall down on a dry day!!! I think that should do it. We that was the answer I got when my better half was flicking them all!

Good luck all.

[Mimi]

Thanks for that Andi.  Now do you freeze it whole or chop off the kernals ???

[Andy H]

Nothing tastes as good as the sweet corn you freeze yourself, if you do it right. Following are suggestions:

Use a "standard" sweet corn variety, such as Jubilee, instead of a "supersweet" variety, which may discolor once frozen.
Harvest early in the morning, especially if weather is hot, to get peak flavor.
Harvest the corn at its peak maturity. Immature corn is watery when cooked and over-ripe corn is doughy.
Process rapidly after harvesting.
Processing:
When blanching sweet corn, use a 12-15 quart kettle. Use one gallon of water for each two to three cobs of corn. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Immerse the sweet corn in the boiling water. Begin counting the blanching time as soon as you place the corn in the boiling water. Cover the kettle and boil at a high temperature for the required length of time. You may use the same blanching water two or three times. Keep the water level at the required height. Change the water if it becomes cloudy.

Cool corn immediately in ice water. Drain the corn thoroughly.

Blanching time varies depending on the diameter of the corncob. The long blanching time is necessary to inactivate enzymes. A longer cooling time is needed to chill the cob. Not following the blanching and freezing times results in the development of cobby off-flavors.

The following times are for blanching in 12 quarts of water:

Midget and small ears of corn, (which are less than 1-1/4 inches and up to 1-1/2 inches in diameter) for eight minutes and cool in ice water for 16 minutes. Drain well. Package in meal-size amounts. Medium to large ears of corn, (which are over 1-1/2 inches in diameter) for 11 minutes and cool in ice water for 22 minutes. Drain well. Package in meal-size amounts. To freeze whole kernel corn, blanch the corn-on-the-cob for 4 1/2 minutes and cool thoroughly in ice water. Cut the corn from the cob and package in meal-size amounts.

When packaging, use good quality containers. Use moisture-and vapor-resistant wraps such as heavy aluminum foil, "freeze-and-cook" bags, plastic freezer bags, or freezer containers. The storage time for frozen sweet corn is 12-18 months at 0° F or lower.

taken from:http://www.extension.umn.edu/info-u/nutrition/BJ647.html

[Andy H]

All that said,I thought you could buy frozen sweetcorn on the cob so maybe cutting it off is not essential?? ???

[Moggle]

I've frozen sweetcorn that I purchased.

Chopped it in to portions (Half) then poured boiling water over it to blanch it. Cool in cold water from the tap, let dry a bit, then put them in bags in the freezer.

Probably kept them for about 4-6 months like this.

[Wicker]

But don't leave it to chance - get out & shake them around a bit when the flowers are in bloom. They like a bit of excitement! = Tim

tim, I did just that - shook them around a bit - the other day.  Clouds of (?) all around!! Hope I did right :-\

[john_miller]

It's the pollen, Wicker. Like any wind pollinated plant it will produce clouds of the stuff.
I don't know if these are available in the U.K. but if you go to:
http://www.kitchenfantasy.com/shopping_cart/corn.html
the second product on offer is a corn stripper. Any hardware or kitchen shop over here  sells them so I was surprised to find only one for sale on the web. They look like an oversized tuning fork with a ring fixed about half way down. One edge of this ring is serrated. The gadget gets slid down the corn cob, serrated edge first, and strips the kernels off the core. If you have a lot of corn to prepare they make the task a lot quicker than using a knife.

[Wicker]

John don't know if that inspires we with confidence or trepidation - actually talking about gadgets to deal with cobs if/when they come/or not to fruition!

[Len]

This is a handy site if you are in to freezing your producehttp://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze.html
Len

[tim]

No apologies for differing once again.

We're talking about your average English grown corn??

I would never give it more than 6-8 min.- fully cooked. And pick to pot in the hour. = Tim

[Wicker]

What a great site Len!  Wonder what they use the dried vegetable leathers for ???  Have added the site to my Favourites anyway, thanks.