just had to post about this, so please indulge me!
the first year I grew sweetcorn it went in the ground too late and didn't ripen (plus someone climbed over and helped themselves to most of the cobs. grr)
last year I planted it in ground that clearly didn't have enough nutrients and it grew to 2 feet tall then sulked all summer and went yellow.
this year I was determined to actually get to eat fresh corn on the cob so I started it early, mollycoddled it at home then planted it out into manured ground within three weeks of germination so it didn't sulk again.
I picked the first two cobs on Saturday evening, rushed home and cooked them straight away. served with a little butter and freshly ground pepper and they tasted AMAZING!!!
and thanks again to Jeannine for the seed (Honey Select) and I still have enough left for next year's crop ;D
Didn't get mine right this year. We left most of them on too long and the kernels shrivelled. The ones we did get and eat were fantastic so will try again next year
;D lovely aren't they...
Well done! It's my 2nd attempt at sweetcorn, and I also followed Jeannines tips, but forgot to add manure etc to the planting hole, then they got a bit battered by the wind and a few cooler nights and then I don't think I watered them enough! Did get a few and they were delicious. And I've since lost my packet of seeds ::)
Oh well lessons learned for next year
1066
Mine did nothing but sulk after a bad flood not long after I planted it out. It's an easy crop if you get everything right, but if anything checks its growth it just sulks.
Had a great crop two year ago but last year there was a lot of sulking corn here. It seems to like the allotment and there is no problem with manure so will be growing more next year. I had not realised that they like a lot of manure. Also got several packets for 50p each.
I chit mine and then cover each with a plastic bottle until the leaves stick out the top, and then remove the plastic on a nice warm day with a forecast warm night. I earth up the soil round the bottle to stop it being blown over and so this then falls on the roots and covers them well.
They also seem to like their sister beans. Those with a companion bean plant are doing better than the others where the bean did not thrive.
I followed Jeannine's advice last year and got huge plants with many cobs, but the badgers got them.
For some reason, we have not had a badger attack this year and the cobs are wonderful!
Should have said I have squashes meandering around beneath them (but not beans) and I think they encourage each other and keep the moisture in the ground. Lovely orange Kuris ripening as I type.
Had a lovely crop of Ambrosia this year (the only really successful crop ever in 5 seasons - grew them in the early shade of tall peas this year) but my Bounty were all stripped by the darling rodents!
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/th_DSCF0434.jpg)
Linda
(http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/?action=view¤t=DSCF0434.jpg)
These are the first of my Honey Select - also from Jeannine - and there are another half dozen to be picked and frozen tomorrow.
Where are you Jeannine - I want to say thank you :-*
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Tricia
I grew 2 varieties this year. Extra Early Tender & Sweet was my first choice. They have done OK but I am not impressed. The other variety, Swift, was recommended by Davey. It has been outstanding and I will be growing this again from now on. Thanks Davey.
Cracking year this year, wehav eaten tonnes and my freezer is full. Love sweetcorn.
:) grown Candy Mountain this year. excellent/ shades x
Grew earlibird this year, taste great, two sensible cobs per plant, not too tall so no dstaking, grew well in a builders bag half-filled with soil and compost, didn't need a lot of care and the cobs last several days in the fridge and are still delicious...
chrisc
I've just eaten the first of mine, variety Golden Bantam, which I picked this morning. They were delicious, and there's lots more to come!
Don't know what I did right, but I've got loads and it's delicious. Friends and family are very impressed. I can't even remember what variety- it was just a bog standard Wilko's packet, but the plants even survived the blown down greenhouse earlier i the year!
Mine have been a bit tough and not all the kernals filled out and yellow. Can anyone advise how long to boil for?
Thanks
Lizann I put mine in boiling water for no more than five minutes. Alternatively put them in cold water then when the water boils the corn should be done.
Don't add salt to the water as that toughens the corn when it cooks. Don't overcook or the kernels get hard. Don't cool off hot corn under running cold water as the corn goes soggy.
I hadn't realised sweetcorn was so high maintenance! glad I'm not the only one to have struggled and been successful.
tricia: how do you freeze yours? do you cook them first or just trim and go?
Norfolklass they're not as far as I'm concerned! Having prepared the ground I sowed the seeds in the first week of June then did virtually nothing else!
I have always found sweetcorn easy to grow too ...I used to grow it in large containers before I had an allotment.
I am about to eat my first one of the year tonight......I hope it tastes okay:)
Duke
You manage to sow direct Flighty... I am in awe... :o
Saddad thanks! I sowed 20 seeds, of which 19 germinated. All except 2 are around 7 feet high with cobs on! Never grown it before so perhaps beginner's luck? 8)
Norfolklass, just trim them and freeze them as they are, no need to cook, just wrap in clingfilm and freeze. They can then be zapped in the microwave from frozen for exactly the same time as if they were fresh, too long and they will dry out.
Enjoy... I am hoping mine are going to be ready this weekend... :)
T.
Quote from: saddad on September 03, 2009, 17:48:37
You manage to sow direct Flighty... I am in awe... :o
Why? I sowed direct too. Just checked diary, it was 1 June. North/south divide again?
Like Flighty I grew mine direct, they just wouldn't germinate indoors. I sowed the 1st of June and resowed some more on the 20th. ;D ;D ;D
Norfolklass - I just removed the outer leaves, topped and tailed them neatly, wrapped them firmly in cling foil and froze them individually. I copied this method from another thread - can't remember which. Also for cooking them fresh I just remove the outer leaves, top and tail them and nuke them individually on high in the microwave for 3 minutes. The rest of the husk is then easy to remove before slathering with butter, salt and pepper! Had two for my supper tonight - yum!
Tricia
Interesting to note that peeps freeze direct!
As, I understand that, as soon as the cobs are picked the sugers start to turn to starch.
With this in mind, I always blanch. Our cobs last at least 6 months this way.
Comments welcome.
Owning up Telboy, I'm a blancher :)
Linda
I am just finishing last year's and they have been wonderful just frozen direct, I blanch most things but got the instructions for corn off A4all - there have been several threads in the past all saying to freeze the same way. It is such a busy time I am all for anything that saves time at the moment. Like Tricia says just pop them in the microwave for about 3 mins (I have an old 650w one so mine take a bit longer).
T.
My name is Duke I am a BLANCHAHOLIC!!
Duke :P
ps ate my first sweetcorn this year this evening and it was really good ;D
Duchess you mean to tell us you've not eaten one straight off the plant like me ???
Shame on you gal ;D
Ninnys
Ha Ninnyssssssss ;D
Ninnyssssssssss ~ I can only manage to eat the peas and french beans and of course fruits on the plot :-[...Next year I may progress to chomping into a whole corn on the cob!!. I bet you can turn your spuds into mash potatoes just by looking at them!! :o
Duke ;D
thanks tulipa and tricia for the freezing instructions.
as we don't have a microwave... would I be OK to cook them in boiling water from frozen as if they were fresh? has anyone tried this and does it ruin the flavour? still a bit of a novice at all this ::) but loving learning :)
norfolklass,
Pop them straight from the freezer into a large flying pan full of 'rolling boiling' water.
Give them 6 minutes from reboil & turn them as they cook.
Butter & pepper - enjoy!