NM Corn

Fresh, high quality sweet corn is one of the most popular vegetables grown in home gardens and purchased by consumers at roadside stands and farmers' markets. At optimum market maturity, sweet corn will contain 5 to 6 percent sugar, 10 to 11 percent starch, 3 percent water-soluble polysaccharides, and 70 percent water. Sweet corn also will contain moderate levels of protein, vitamin A (yellow varieties), and potassium.

Types of Sweet Corn

Sweet corn probably originated from a mutation of an ancient Peruvian corn called 'Chuspillo' or 'Chullpi'. Sugary forms of corn were, however, probably not very popular in early cultures because they were difficult to store

Sweet corn varieties are available in yellow, white, or bi-colored types with varying maturity dates from early to mid- and late season. Maturity dates will vary from year to year and by location depending on weather (primarily temperature). Although mid- and late-season varieties generally produce ears of higher quality, early varieties often produce marketable ears early in the season when sweet corn prices are at a premium.

Most open-pollinated sweet corn varieties have been replaced by improved hybrid varieties that are easy to grow, produce good yields, taste sweeter, and store longer. Varieties are generally classified by seed color, maturity date, or nature of sweetness.

The first historical reference to sweet corn was in 1779 with the introduction of 'Papoon' or 'Susquehanna', an eight-rowed, red-cob strain grown by the Iroquois. By the early 1900s there were over 63 known cultivars of sweet corn including 'Golden Bantam' (released in 1902), which became one of the most popular open-pollinated varieties

Based on the nature of kernel sweetness, sweet corns also can be classified into four basic groups: standard, super sweet, sugary enhanced, and synergistic. Sweetness is not only determined by genetics, but also by how these varieties are managed and harvested.