Feed corn: how to distinguish from food corn
Corn is a healthy grain crop, which contains a large amount of vitamins, proteins and other substances no less important for the body. Grains are not only used by people, but also go to animal feed. Fodder corn is grown mainly for the production of compound feed for livestock, and its green mass is used for industrial purposes. The food plant is planted in household plots for further consumption and preparation of various dishes.
What are the main differences?
It takes a quick glance to learn how to distinguish feed corn from food corn. In a food crop, the ears are usually short and thickish in shape, the grains are beige or light yellow in color, the taste is sweet with a soft and juicy pulp. Stern looks much more beautiful, the grains are bright yellow or rich orange, less sweet and harsh in taste, and the cobs are thin and rather long.
Fodder corn differs from food corn in long cobs and bright shades of grains.
The high content of disaccharides, as well as monosaccharides, give edible corn grains a very sweet and juicy taste. Feed is no less useful and will enrich the body with useful microelements
One of the main advantages of a forage crop is the ability to grow in almost any region and in different conditions. Relative humidity and optimum temperature allow for large harvests. Food, on the contrary, is very whimsical to the soil, thermophilic and grows most often in more southern regions.
The ripening period of forage varieties is at the end of July, food varieties ripen much later in late August – early September
Food crops have a short shelf life and are only grown for raw consumption and culinary purposes. It needs to be processed quickly, otherwise it loses its taste. Fodder corn has a long shelf life, in addition to compound feed, it is used in industrial production for the manufacture of flour, starch, glue, building materials, ethanol, and so on.
Do not ask yourself a question and look for an answer how you can distinguish fodder corn, because, like sugar, food crops contain a large amount of substances useful for the human body – a complex of vitamins, folic acid, magnesium, vegetable fiber, iron, selenium and phosphorus. Therefore, without harm to health, you can safely use fodder corn for culinary purposes, especially if the region does not have natural conditions for growing sugar crops.