Sweet Corn

Sweet corn is a particular maize species which differ genetically from the field maize. Its kernels are tender, delicious and eaten as a vegetable in many cuisines worldwide. In contrast to the traditional field corn, sweet corn crops are harvested while their corn-ears have just attained the milky stage. The cob either used immediately or frozen for later use since its sugar content turns quickly into starch.

Corn is native to the Central Americas which then introduced to the rest of the world through Spanish explorers. Sweetcorn differs genetically from the field maize by mutation at the sugary (su) locus.

The crop has achieved a major success as one of the important commercial cash crops in many tropical and semi-tropical countries, incuding the USA. Scientific name: Zea mays var. saccharata.

Corn grows to about 7-10 feet in height. It grows quickly under sunny, fertile, and well-drained soil supplanted with good moisture conditions. Each plant bears about 2-6, long husked "ears" filled with rows of tooth-like seeds arranged around a central woody core (cob). Optimum pollination is essential for full kernel development.

Several different sweet corn cultivars with variations in their sweetness, color, and maturation are grown keeping in mind of local and regional demands. Most farmers opt for crops that attribute superior eating and keeping quality and high yields. Examples include Standard (su), Sugary Extender (se), Supersweet (sh2), Synergistic (sy), and Augmented Supersweet. Depending on the cultivar type, the crop can be ready for harvesting in 65-90 days. Harvesting is done when the free end (silk end) of the ear is full, its silk has turned brown, and its kernels are firm but in the milky stage. Often, farmers check the kernels by pricking them with their thumbnail to ascertain harvest timing.

Baby corns are very young, miniature ears harvested when their kernels are still at the incipient stage. Its central core is sweet and tender enough to be eaten raw. Baby corns measure about 3-5 inches in length and weigh about 20-50 g each.

• At 86 calories per 100 g, sugar corn kernels are moderately high in calories in comparison to other vegetables. However, fresh sweet corn has much fewer calories than that of in the field corn and other cereal grains like wheat, rice, etc. Their calorie chiefly comes from simpler carbohydrates like glucose, sucrose than complex sugars like amylose and amylopectin, which is a case in the cereals.
• Sweet corn is a gluten-free cereal and may be used safely in celiac disease individuals much like rice, quinoa, etc.
• Sugar corn features high-quality phytonutrition profile comprising of dietary fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants in addition to minerals in modest proportions. It is one of the finest sources of dietary fibers, 100 g kernels carry 2 g or 5% of daily requirement of dietary fiber. Together with slow digesting complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber in the food helps regulate in a gradual increase in blood sugar levels. However, corn, in line with rice, potato, etc., is one of high glycemic index food items, limiting its authority as the chief food ingredient in diabetes patients.
• Yellow variety corn has significantly higher levels of phenolic flavonoid pigment antioxidants such as ß-carotenes, and lutein, xanthins and cryptoxanthinpigments along with vitamin-A. 100 g fresh kernels provide 187 IU or 6% of daily requirement of vitamin-A. Altogether; these compounds are required for maintaining healthy mucosa, skin, and vision. Consumption of natural foods rich in flavonoids helps protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
• Corn is a good source of the phenolic flavonoid antioxidant, ferulic acid. Several research studies suggest that ferulic acid plays a vital role in preventing cancers, aging, and inflammation in humans.
• It also contains good levels of some of the valuable B-complex group of vitamins such as thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, folates, riboflavin, and pyridoxine. Many of these vitamins function as co-factors to enzymes during substrate metabolism.
• Further, it contains healthy amounts of some essential minerals like zinc, magnesium, copper, iron, and manganese.