Sweet Corn – All You Need to Know | Instacart Guide to Fresh Produce

What is sweet corn?

Sweet corn, also called sugar corn and pole corn, is a popular variety of corn that is enjoyed in various ways, including boiled, steamed, grilled, and roasted. Eating it fresh off the cob is as ubiquitous with a summer cookout as grilled burgers, sweet, juicy watermelon, and ice-cold lemonade.

Arguably best when it’s fresh-from-the-field, it’s possible to enjoy the sweet kernels year-round. Corn is processed within hours of being cut to preserve freshness, so frozen sweet corn and canned sweet corn are a delicious addition to your meals all year round.

Where did sweet corn originate from?

Sweet corn was found as early as 10,000 years ago in Central America. Corn was a staple food in Mexico, where it was dried and ground into flour for various kinds of bread. From there, corn spread in both directions to North America and South America, and then to other continents where it continues to be cultivated and incorporated into the cuisine.

What is the nutritional value of sweet corn?

One ear of sweet corn contains:

• 90 calories
• 1g fat
• 19g carbohydrates
• 5g sugar
• 1g fiber
• 3g protein

Sweet corn also contains vitamins C, B, E, and K, plus magnesium and potassium.

How is sweet corn grown?

Corn needs full sun and fertile soil to produce sweet, juicy ears. The ground should have good drainage, as the plants require 1in of water a week.

Dried sweet corn kernels can be planted in mid-to-late April, depending on your climate. Seeds should be 1in deep and spaced 2 to 3ft apart.

Since each stalk typically produces just 1 or 2 ears of corn, you may find you don’t get enough corn, or it starts to go bad before you can eat it all. To ensure you have a fresh supply of corn for several weeks after the harvest begins, plant corn in batches, with each one being 14 days apart.

When is sweet corn in season?

Corn is a summer vegetable throughout the United States. It’s typically planted in spring, and then harvesting begins in late summer.

Although it’s hard to find freshly picked sweet corn during the rest of the year, you can get frozen or canned sweet, which is processed soon after harvest and retains a field-fresh taste.

What should I look for when buying sweet corn?

Picking the best ears of sweet corn may seem like a challenge, but it’s really not too difficult if you follow a few tips:

• Leaves should be dark green and be without blemish or bruising.
• As you hold the ear of corn in your hand, use your fingers to feel the kernels. They should be plump and firm.
• The silky tassels should be moist, not dry. The drier they are, the longer they have been off the corn stalk. Alternatively, if they are too wet, mold may start growing if it isn’t already.
• If you peel back the layers of leaves, you can pinch a kernel of corn and look at the liquid that comes out. It should be a milky, white juice. You don’t want the kernels to have a clear liquid or nearly no liquid.

Remember, you can share these tips with your Instacart shopper so they can choose the freshest produce for you. Add a few tips to the form when you place your order, and get ready to enjoy some excellent sweet corn at your next meal.

How to store sweet corn

Fresh, uncooked sweet corn can be stored in your refrigerator (ideally the produce drawer) for 1 to 3 days. Cooked sweet corn can last up to 5 days.

Did you get a great deal on sweet corn near you? You can keep it in the freezer for up to a year and enjoy fresh corn on the cob even in the winter.

To prepare the corn for the freezer, husk and wash the corn, then blanch it before freezing it. Store it in air-tight bags for up to 12 months. Alternatively, you can freeze the kernels, cooked or uncooked, to have on hand for quick and easy meals.

How to tell if sweet corn is bad

Determining whether or not sweet corn is bad isn’t too difficult. Here are a few tell-tale signs of bad sweet corn:

• Brown husks
• Dried out tassels
• Overly wet
• Moldy tassels
• Kernels are mushy or dried out
• Black or brown spots on the husks

What can I substitute for sweet corn?

When you can’t find fresh sweet corn, choosing canned or frozen variety is generally an excellent substitute. Since these are preserved at the peak of freshness, they retain their flavor really well. You might notice that the texture isn’t quite the same, but the difference is minimal.

Get fresh or frozen sweet corn delivered to your door

You really can’t go wrong with serving sweet corn as part of a meal. From dressing it up with a pat of butter, salt, and pepper to adding it to a soup, salad, or casserole, sweet corn is a versatile veggie that almost everyone likes.

Even better is that you can get sweet corn delivered to your door with Instacart’s same-day delivery. Place your order online and choose to have it delivered, or opt for in-store pick-up. Either way, shopping with Instacart saves you time and money.

Instacart

Author

Instacart is the leading grocery technology company in North America, partnering with more than 1,400 national, regional, and local retail banners to deliver from more than 80,000 stores across more than 14,000 cities in North America. To read more Instacart posts, you can browse the company blog or search by keyword using the search bar at the top of the page.