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Mature corn is a favorite treat for children and adults. At the end of summer, fragrant boiled ears decorate dining tables, and gardeners casually brag to each other about the size of the crop. But not everyone has many years of experience in growing corn, and not everyone can immediately determine the ripeness of corn. In this article, we will look at how to know when to harvest corn and how to do it correctly.
signs of maturation
Ripening times vary from variety to variety, so it is important to know how to determine the maturity of this crop without a calendar. Check the top ears first, as they ripen the earliest. Therefore, if you want to try it, feel free to break off the top and cook. Usually, it is the top cobs that deviate to the side, showing the degree of ripeness, until they fall perpendicular to the stem.
The next step is to test the cob. The grains should become swollen over the entire area of the cob, and the threads with which it is studded should dry out. It is by the color of these threads that ripeness can be determined. When they turn brown, dry and separate easily, the crop is ready to be harvested. Examine the top of the cob. It should be round and blunt, which means that the grains have ripened.
If the previous steps didn’t give you an idea of the maturity of the corn, gently move the leaves and inspect the grains – the cob should be completely covered with them. Press a few grains with your fingernail, if the liquid that comes out is white, you can pluck the corn. If the liquid is clear, the corn has not yet ripened, and if it is very thick, then it is overripe.
And the color of the grains can tell a lot. When corn enters the milky stage, they are light yellow, the closer the corn to the full ripeness stage, the darker and richer their color becomes.
If you’re growing popcorn, which is used to make popcorn, wait until the stalk turns brown first. For the bursting variety, the harvest period shifts as the cobs are harvested at peak maturity. That is, the later the better. Therefore, you should wait until the stem, the cob, and the leaves acquire a brown color.
Terms of maturation
The ripening time of the crop varies depending on the variety and the region of Our Country in which it is grown. For example, in the Moscow region, early-ripening varieties are most often grown, the harvest of which can be harvested as early as late July and early August. Among the varieties that are sown in fields in the Moscow region, the best are: Dobrynya, Lakomka 121, Early Golden 401, Spirit F1. They are distinguished by high yield, resistance to many diseases and ripen among the first among all varieties.
On average, it takes from 65 to 150 days from germination to full ripening. The flowering period begins approximately at 60-65 days, but this depends on the variety, as well as the stage of milky ripeness occurs at 75-85 days. The term varies not only depending on the variety, but also on the region of Our Country in which corn grows, as well as on the quality of care for it.
How to collect
So, when you understand that the corn is ripe (in the Moscow region this period falls on the end of August and lasts almost until the end of September), it’s time to harvest it. No special preparation is needed for this procedure, so harvesting will be easy and hassle-free.
Collection is best done in the early morning. Put on gloves first so you don’t hurt your hands. Squeeze the cob in the palm of your hand, hold the stem with the other palm, pull the cob down and turn.
It should be noted that most sweet varieties lose their taste within a day after harvest. This means that the crop must be immediately sent for processing or eaten. However, there are tricks to keeping the beans sweet.
Place the cobs in a cold place, such as the vegetable storage compartment in the refrigerator. In this way, you will slow down the conversion of sugar to starch and keep the corn tasty for a week.
Considering that most varieties, especially hybrid ones, produce 2-4 ears per plant, pick them off gradually, keeping a collection interval of at least 10 days.
When collecting popcorn (in the Moscow region this period begins by mid-September), try to be in time before the onset of frost. Again, arm yourself with gloves and start breaking off the cobs. When the stems and leaves dry out, this procedure will not take you much time and effort.
Subsequently, popcorn is dried for at least 4 weeks, and it is better to stand 6-7 weeks to leave only a small amount of moisture in the grains. They dry it by putting it in mesh bags, which are then hung in a warm room with good ventilation. At the end of the drying stage, the grains are separated from the cobs by scrolling it between the palms. This procedure is also recommended to be carried out with gloves so as not to damage the skin with the sharp edges of the grains.
Properly dried popcorn kernels can be stored in airtight jars in a dark and dry place. High humidity will cause them to become damp and unusable.
Video “Determination of maturity of corn”
The author of this video demonstrates how and by what signs you can determine that it is time to harvest corn.
