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    Home » Blog » Whole Food Recipes » Canning & Preserving Recipes

    September 6, 2016 | By Jami

    The Ultimate Corn Guide: Grow, Harvest, Cook & Preserve

    A one-stop corn guide to grow your own corn, gardening tips, plus lots of recipes and ideas for preserving and cooking with both fresh and preserved corn.

    The Ultimate Corn Guide to grow and cook with sweet corn

    This corn guide is a part of a continuing series of Ultimate Guides where you can find all kinds of growing information and delicious recipes for cooking – both fresh and preserving – a specific fruit or vegetable. See more fruit and vegetable guides here. 

    Delicious sweet corn, perfectly cooked and slathered with butter and salt - is there another vegetable that so perfectly sums up summertime? Picnics, BBQ's, camp-outs - all of these are enhanced by good old corn-on-the-cob. Lucky for us, corn is easy to grow in most backyards and gardens! Though it does take room, even a couple short rows of corn will provide the freshest, sweetest corn you can eat.

    However, even if you can't grow your own corn, it is easy and inexpensive to buy in season, so this guide (like our other fruit & vegetable guides) provides lots of ideas for preserving corn as well as many recipes you can make - only after you've had your fill of perfectly simple corn-on-the-cob, of course! For those who can grow your own, I'm listing my favorite varieties to plant, tips for growing without spending your life weeding, how to prevent all of your cobs ripening at once and storage tips.

    Corn Guide for Planting, Growing & Eating

    Corn at 4 weeks old

    Why Grow or Buy Corn?

    I think corn has gotten a bad reputation in recent years, from the corn syrup controversy to anti-grain diets to low-carb eating. While it's true that corn is considered a starchy vegetable (starch is a type of carbohydrate, along with sugar and fiber) along with peas and potatoes, it does have health benefits. It contains a good amount of potassium as well as fiber, protein, and vitamin C.

    I found this Eating Well article on sweet corn myths to be very informative, giving information on GMO corn (mostly inedible field corn), if corn is "fattening," and noting that "an ear of corn has about the same number of calories as an apple and less than one-fourth the sugar." All good, since we love corn around here!

    Corn varieties

    Corn Varieties to Grow & Plan for Longer Harvest

    There are 3 main types of sweet corn and they are distinguished by the amount of sugar bred into them:

    • Standard (su) - the least sweet, older varieties of sweet corn - the seeds are hardier and some feel have more of a 'corny' flavor, but they don't hold well on the stalk or refrigerated, so are best eaten or preserved immediately.
    • Sugary Extender (se) - a tender kernel that can retain it's sweetness 2-4 days refrigerated.
    • Supersweet (sh2) - these varieties are the sweetest, can be stored up to 10 days, but must be isolated from su and se types to produce true.

    Each of these categories contain a number of varieties you can grow, some of which you can see here as well as read more about the types of corn and the newer introductions. I like to keep it simple, and not worry about isolating, so I only grow the first two types, su and se.

    The other thing to think about is how long to maturity and if you have room to grow a number of rows, this is how you'll get a longer harvest: choose varieties that mature a week or two apart. For example, for the last few years I have grown:

    • 2 rows of Quickie, a shorter early corn ready in 64 days
    • 2 rows of Sugar Buns, a bi-color corn ready in 72 days
    • 3-4 rows of Incredible, a 6-foot+ large-cob corn ready in 83 days

    This allows me to plant all at once, but harvest at different times so we can enjoy fresh corn for more than a month. I consider the largest, latest corn, Incredible, to be my "main season" corn so I plant more and plan to freeze a lot of this for winter eating.

    If you only have room to grow one variety, stick with tried-and-true mid-season se types like Bodacious (75 days), Incredible (83 days), Miracle (84 days) for yellow corn and Lucious (73 days) or Peaches & Cream (84 days) for bi-color corn.

    Corn beds planted and at two weeks

    How to Grow Corn

    There are a couple of important things to know about planting corn, but the biggest is probably not to plant it too early. It doesn't like cold soil and your germination will be spotty if the soil is less than 60 degrees. Corn also performs best if it's direct seeded, not started indoors (and most definitely not bought in pots at nurseries - I don't know why they sell these!).

    Grow corn in blocks of short rows rather than in long, single rows. In a small garden, 15 plants set 1 foot apart can be grown in a 3 x 5-foot bed, so you don't need a lot of room to grow corn. Set the seed 1 inch deep and 4 to 6 inches apart since the average germination rate for sweet corn is about 75 percent. Once they germinate in 7 to 10 days, thin to one plant every 12-15 inches. Tip: cover your newly seeded beds with row covers to prevent birds and cats from disturbing your bed. It really helps to get more even germination!

    No-Till Planting

    My biggest tip that I wish I could tell everyone is that you DO NOT have to grow weeds with your corn. Ever.

    I plant with a no-till method using ground watering that I described here specifically for corn and other than pulling a random weed here and there, I do not weed our corn beds for the entire season. Really!

    If you've ever had trouble finding your corn sprouts among the weeds, please, please read my tutorial for weed-free corn beds.

    Corn ready to harvest

    How to Harvest Corn

    Corn is ready to be picked as soon as the ears have filled out and the silks are dry. A way to tell if the ears are ready (other than by pulling back some of the husks) is by feeling the end of an ear - if it's rounded rather than pointed, the ears are ready.

    Store it in the husks in large plastic shopping bags for 4-5 days, if needed. It's best used in this time-frame, though I've been known to keep it longer!

    Corn Guide Recipes

    Frozen Unblached Corn Kernels - An Oregon Cottage

    Corn Preserving Recipes

    How To Freeze Corn Three Ways: Blanched, Unblanched and Whole

    How to Pressure Can Corn @Simply Canning

    Corn Cob Jelly @Simply Canning

    Traditional Canned Corn Relish @My Crazy Life as a Farmer's Wife

    Spicy Canned Corn Relish @Foodie with Family

    A recipe to use corn relish in a dip: Corn Relish Dip @Stay at Home Mum

    Pickled Corn with Red Onions @A Southern Soul

    Fridge/Freeze Roasted Tomato, Black Bean & Corn Salsa @Practiganic

    How to Dry Corn and Grind it into Cornmeal @Mother Earth News

    Quick and Easy Corn Red Pepper and Onion Sauté - An Oregon Cottage

    Sweet Corn Recipes

    Simple Corn, Pepper and Onion Saute

    Creamy Fresh Baked Corn

    Quick & Easy Roasted Corn Salsa {using frozen corn}

    Cheese-Stuffed Mini Peppers with Roasted Corn Salsa

    Quick Corn and Sausage Chowder

    Chipotle Spice Rubbed Grilled Chicken Salad with Guacamole, Corn & Black Beans

    Quick Corn and Sausage Chowder

    Simple Sausage and Corn Tart

    Sausage and Corn Stuffed Zucchini

    Zucchini, Corn, and Tomato Saute

    Best Way to Cook Corn-on-the-Cob @Spicy Southern Kitchen

    Amazing Oven Roasted Corn @Hugs and Cookies

    Grilled Corn with Basil Butter @Lets Dish Recipes

    Easy Way to Microwave Corn-on-the-Cob @Simply Recipes

    Jalapeño Popper Grilled Corn Salad @Wonky Wonderful

    Mexican Street Corn @Seeded at the Table

    Mexican Street Corn Salad @Live Eat Learn

    Copycat Chipotle's Corn Salsa @Making Thyme for Health

    Slow Cooker Creamed Corn @Barefeet in the Kitchen

    Grilled Corn Fritters @Table For Two

    Sweet Corn & Zucchini Pie @Pinch of Yum

    Bacon Wrapped Corn-on-the-Cob @Cookbooks

    Sweet Corn Risotto @Iowa Girl Eats

    Spicy Summer Corn Soup @Veggie Inspired Journey

    Loaded Cheesy Bacon Corn Potato Chowder @Averie Cooks

    Sweet Corn Shrimp Chowder @Dash of Savory

    Slow Cooker Cornbread Casserole @Creole Contessa

    Sweet Corn Spoonbread @Southern Bite

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    Ultimate corn guide pin image

    Putting up corn to last through the winter? Use the FREE Preserving Record Notebook to guide you and help you remember how much and the recipes you use each year. Simply fill out the form below to gain access to the Notebook plus more freebies in the VIP Subscriber Library!

    About Jami

    Since 2009 Jami Boys has been helping readers live a simple homemade life through whole food recipes, doable gardening, and easy DIY projects on An Oregon Cottage. From baking bread, to creating a floor from paper, to growing and preserving food, Jami shares the easiest ways to get things done. She's been featured in Cottages and Bungalows, Old House Journal, and First for Women magazines as well as numerous sites like Good Housekeeping, Huffington Post, and Apartment Therapy.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Ed says

      May 18, 2021 at 10:14 am

      4 stars
      Watering or fertilizing the corn is not mentioned. When and how to water when planting, during germination, during growth would have been helpful. How much fertilizer and how often?

      Reply
      • Jami says

        May 18, 2021 at 5:12 pm

        Great suggestions, thanks Ed. I'll add those.
        I don't do any other fertilizer after prepping the bed with a manure-compost and then organic fertilizer in the row before planting. Watering is done with soaker hoses, running to a depth of 1-inch every 4-5 days, depending on the weather. My well/pump needed about 4 hours to water to this depth (two 9x20 beds at a time), but it will vary depending on your set-up.

        Reply
      • Jami says

        May 18, 2021 at 5:20 pm

        Actually, I looked again and saw that I did go into lots of details about how to grow corn through the link provided to an earlier tutorial:
        https://anoregoncottage.com/how-to-plant-corn-weed-free/
        So the section in the Ultimate Corn Guide includes this for more info so I didn't need to list it all again. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Sherry says

      February 29, 2020 at 6:50 am

      Where can you buy corn that hasn’t had Round-up sprayed all over it???

      Reply
      • Jami says

        March 05, 2020 at 6:07 pm

        You can find it at organic farms and farmers markets that sell organic produce (or grow it yourself if you can).

        Reply
    3. Angie Rose says

      September 15, 2016 at 1:39 pm

      Jami-I am such a huge fan when it comes to growing corn! My favorite type is supersweet. This year, I switched it up and tried growing a popcorn variety! Right now, I only have room for two skinny rows, but I hope to have a garden as big as yours to designate to this great crop in the future. I also love growing broomcorn for fall decorations, so pretty! I love how you include all these great recipes! The grilled corn with basil butter looks delicious! Awesome guide Jami 😀

      Reply
      • Jami says

        September 16, 2016 at 11:05 am

        Were you able to keep your popcorn far enough away from your supersweet, Angie, or did you only grow the popcorn this year? I did grow it once when the kids were small and it is really fun, that's for sure. 🙂

        Reply
        • Angie Rose says

          September 16, 2016 at 11:28 am

          I only grew popcorn this year, but I missed my supersweet! I wanted to experiment with something new, but not having the supersweet was tough. Definitely growing some next season!

          Reply
    4. Diane Williams says

      September 06, 2016 at 5:09 pm

      Our corn mysteriously had a very ad year. It just wouldn't germinate and then ony half of those that did actually produced corn. The good news is, the corn taste great at table. Tender and sweet. But not enough to freeze this year.
      Thanks for the garden guide on growing corn Jamie. I'm heading over to look at your weed free corn beds. We are getting there but much yet to learn abut weed free gardening!

      Reply
    5. Michele Laughlin says

      September 06, 2016 at 4:31 pm

      We have grown Festivity heirloom for the past 8 years from seeds a friend gave us YEARS ago! We just harvested 48 ears and blanched them, cooled them, sliced the corn off the cobs and froze them. I have several gallon bags for winter corn chowder, or corn as a side vegetable 🙂 It's really pretty, mulit colored corn with purple, red, pink and yellow kernels and very sweet! We thought the crazy wind here in NV might be too much for the slender stalks, so we planted 4 seeds and thinned it back to two stalks for support- needless to say, every single seed germinated, and we didn't need the additional support for the stalks!

      Reply
      • Jami says

        September 07, 2016 at 3:25 pm

        I have never heard of that corn, Michele, but it sounds wonderful! And how pretty, too, to have a colorful sweet corn. I'll have to look for it - glad to hear it was a good corn year for you. 🙂

        Reply
    6. Shelly says

      September 06, 2016 at 11:20 am

      We've never grown corn in our garden but I might give it a try. I love corn but I'm really picky about the corn I like, I think it comes from my mom's family being from Iowa and being super picky about corn too. I used to help my mom freeze corn each year, she loved golden jubliee. It is a great tasting corn. We would pick up a few boxes of corn and everyone would help to shuck, boil, cut off the cob, and package for the freezer. It took most of the day but then my grandma, my aunt, my cousin, and our household would have corn for the year.

      I usually purchase a box or two from the local farm stand and freeze it for our family. But I think we might try growing corn in our garden next year. My friend one year successfully grew corn in a bunch of 5 gallon buckets, the only problem was the wind would try to knock them down. 🙂 That might be a good alternative for those who container garden.

      Reply
      • Jami says

        September 07, 2016 at 3:27 pm

        I hope you find room for it, Shelly - most people I know who grow corn for the first time always want to have it, there's just something about eating just minutes-old corn. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Michelle Marine says

      September 06, 2016 at 7:37 am

      I never been able to figure out why they sell corn in pots at nurseries either, Jamie. Crazy!! Corn is a lot of fun to grow and there are so many amazing ornamental varieties as well. 🙂 Thanks for the info.

      Reply
      • Jami says

        September 06, 2016 at 10:53 am

        I know - that and potted beets always mystifies me, too, Michelle! And I didn't even have space for ornamental and popcorn - they are fun, too, and maybe deserve their own guide. 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Jami and I'm so glad you're here! My desire is to help you live a simple homemade life through delicious whole food recipes, easy organic gardening and preserving your harvest.

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