Allotments 4 All

How many sweet corn plants have you all got on the go? And what would you say is a 'normal' amount for feeding a family of three/four? Do the cobs keep well? This is the first year I've grown them and put around 20 or so plants in a couple of weeks ago... then just read someone planting out 60, so I'm wondering whether I need to be thinking on a bigger scale...?! Already think I should have probably sown more potatoes now...  ??? ;)

Well I am feeding a family of 4, although with a son of 19, it feels like a family of 8 ...

My method is to grow as much as I can physically cope with, the successful crops, ie those that get eaten, will be repeated, the less popular ones will be given less room or none at all.

Regarding sweetcorn, I endeavour to grow between 50 and 100 plants, I use Kings growers packs of Kelvedon glory, which have about 300 seeds in. This year I started off with 70 plants, which were suddenly all eaten by mice, just prior to planting out, so I resowed, and have the plants in pots outside, struggling with the rain. Some of these cobs will be frozen, this year I am going to try stripping the kernels off the husks, to see whether this makes the corn more useable, after defrosting.

depends how big a freezer you have. Corn tends to mature all at the same time, you have a glut, and you cant possibly eat it all fresh when its at its peak.

I planted 15 plants last year and still managed to get a glut! ::)

try staggering the sowings by a couple of weeks and 3-4 sowings

Ok, thanks a lot.

Regarding stripping the husks for using the sweet corn as corn and not cobs, is there a special way to do it?

We are a family of four, we grow Ovation (T+M), and put out @30 plants, you get 2 cobs per plant on average. We store them by freezing whole cobs, wrapped individually in cling film. This fills a drawer and we are about 2/3rds down it so far. You couldn't possibly grow enough to use loose kernels, like peas!
:)

I have not actually stripped the kernels, but have seen it on the net ...
cut the big end to give a flat surface, then stand the corn on that cut end. Slice the kernels off using a sharp knife, being careful not to slip ! Just slice down at the depth of the kernel, they should come away easily.

I presume one average corn will yield one portion, so it will take a few corn to make a decent amount. eg four corn per freezer bag.

i can't grow enough to have any to freeze! I mostly just stick it in the oven, straight from the allotment and still with its leaves on, and it cooks beautifully inside them.

I often use curry's method. But be warned ...

It takes a bit of practice to get the right cutting depth down the cob, so's you don't leave lots of kernel in or cut into the tough cob. I cut in strips around the cob.
You'll get quite a lot of partial kernels this way - great for flavour, but not whole kernels like supermarket corn.
The kernels and bits go flying everywhere, best to do it on a large surface away from anything that's tricky to clean.

:)

Quote from: saddad on May 27, 2006, 19:07:27
We are a family of four, we grow Ovation (T+M), and put out @30 plants, you get 2 cobs per plant on average. We store them by freezing whole cobs, wrapped individually in cling film. This fills a drawer and we are about 2/3rds down it so far. You couldn't possibly grow enough to use loose kernels, like peas!
:)

How do you cook them?

straight from frozen or do you have to defrost them?

we have planted 30 for 2 of us..... so hoping for quite a few spares  ;D

daisymay, I cook mine from frozen (I freeze the cobs whole), make sure the water is boiling rapidly before putting the frozen cobs in, then cook for about 10-15 minutes. I'm growing approximately 50 plants this year, there weren't enough last year for the four of us.

I freeze cobs whole too, have never been able to get the corn off well.  I freeze them with the leaves surrounding the cob, but snap off any long bits of stalk.

To cook, I just put 2 at a time in the microwave, still with leaves on, straight onto the revolving plate. They take about 7 minutes on full power (850w), and I turn them round half way through.  Let them cool slightly, peel off the leaves and cottony bits and that's it. Convenience food!

I never thought about leaving the leaves on the cobs for freezing, great idea jennym, thanks :)

That's pretty much how I do them, except I've always used the oven or a kettle barbeque. You're quite right about giving them a chance to cool a bit!

Last year I separated all the kernels off the cob before freezing them.  I snap the cob in half, then you can easy pull off the individual kernels (start from the ends that have been snapped off).  I do this as it makes it easier to access the whole kernels without crushing other kernels.  I have only done this for about 10 cobs, not sure if I would have the patients to remove the kernels from 30-40 cobs.  You could freeze some whole and some kernels. 

This year I have 45 plants lets see what nature converts them into (I'm hoping for 90 cobs) and there is only 2 of us!!! ;)

I have 40 Sugarsweet, or something along those lines, and about 10 minipop for little cobs.  The minis went out when it was to cold and I lost about half, but it was a chance, daughter number one planted them.  Still have half the packet and plan to get her to sow them tomorrow as they should get away quickly now in the greenhouse and be ready to put out by mid June.

Do the mini cobs crop earlier than the main crop sweetcorn?

I am guessing so, altho this is the first time I have grown minis.  You harvest them before pollination I believe, so the cobs are still immature.  I would therefore assume they are picked a good few weeks earlier than the big boys.  Of course, someone who has successfully grown them could come in now and let me know if this is true and that I am not barking up the wrong tree.

Thanks EJ, next time I visit the garden centre I'll have a look for some mini sweetcorn seeds, we love the little ones and they're so expensive to buy. :)

We're just two people, this year we've 50 sweetcorn on the go.. all doing rather well.

It's a large crop but there is a certain delight in the quality of just-off-the-plant cobs

We're growing supersweet F1's... I've never had a go at keeping a cob/husk over for 'free' seed as we've always used hybrid bought seed.. but I might just give it a whirl next year.

The husks get kept as they're tough little things that put up a fight in the compost heap but they do burn rather well in a multifuel stove. 50 dried husks is enough for one nights free heat and we make it a 'corn night'. A bowl of chowder, some corn fritters with a chilli sauce and a portuguese corn bread. Splendid!

Oh my goodness.... reading this I realise I haven't grown enough, and if I start any more I don't think I've enough room for them :'(

Maybe if I start some off now in the greenhouse, they'll be able to go in if the broad beans hurry up and I harvest them.....

I suppose if I don't start any then I won't have a choice. Hmmm what to do.

Alison