a really daft question

Gardening to 'grow your own food' from square foot to half an acre !!
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bmpsands
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a really daft question

Post by bmpsands »

I've grown corn on the cob for the first time - some in the polytunnel and some in the outdoor veggie area. Although the cobs feel quite firm and full on the inside ones, I expected the sheath thing to split (like you see on the telly) to tell me when they were ready This hasn't happened. How do I know when to pick them?
Bea; 19 hens (most of whom I intended to get); 6 bantams (which I never intended to have); old Benji dog and young Toby dog (who I definitely wanted). Three years into country living and loving it.
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billnorfolk
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Re: a really daft question

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When the hairy tassels on the end go dark brown and fall off ,peal back the outer sheath a little way to expose corn if yellow squeeze a kernel make sure fluid fairly clear if not leave a few more days ,need to be fully ripe for sweetness .
A leek in the hand,is worth 2 in the roof.

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Totally Scrambled
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Re: a really daft question

Post by Totally Scrambled »

The tasselly things thatstick out the top should dry out an start going brown when they are ready. If in doubt gently peel the leaves back to have a look and if not ready cover the corn over again.
Dom
PS We found out the hard way that baby sweetcorn grow to the same size as ordinary sweetcorn but you can't eat them when they are big as they are hard as bullets.
We planted one block with each variety mixed up thinking the baby ones wouldn't grow very big so we'd know which were which.
Lesson learned, plant seperate block of each. :oops:
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billnorfolk
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Re: a really daft question

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Totally Scrambled wrote:The tasselly things thatstick out the top should dry out an start going brown when they are ready. If in doubt gently peel the leaves back to have a look and if not ready cover the corn over again.
Dom
PS We found out the hard way that baby sweetcorn grow to the same size as ordinary sweetcorn but you can't eat them when they are big as they are hard as bullets.
We planted one block with each variety mixed up thinking the baby ones wouldn't grow very big so we'd know which were which.
Lesson learned, plant seperate block of each. :oops:


Its because they interpolinated ,better just to plant i variety .
A leek in the hand,is worth 2 in the roof.

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bmpsands
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Re: a really daft question

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Oh my! The taste of home grown. It's been a revelation.
Bea; 19 hens (most of whom I intended to get); 6 bantams (which I never intended to have); old Benji dog and young Toby dog (who I definitely wanted). Three years into country living and loving it.
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billnorfolk
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Re: a really daft question

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bmpsands wrote:Oh my! The taste of home grown. It's been a revelation.


Beats anything in a tin or from the supermarket shelf,freezes nicely as well. )like(
A leek in the hand,is worth 2 in the roof.

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bmpsands
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Re: a really daft question

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We didn't grow enough to freeze, sadly, but we will do so next time. My friend just picks hers, wraps them up and sticks them in the freezer whole. Is that the best way?
Bea; 19 hens (most of whom I intended to get); 6 bantams (which I never intended to have); old Benji dog and young Toby dog (who I definitely wanted). Three years into country living and loving it.
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KarenE
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Re: a really daft question

Post by KarenE »

I grew a load last year and put them in the freezer. I parboiled them first and then froze them although I don't know if you're supposed to do it that way.

They are gorgeous aren't they? I grow them every year now, I'm amazed how well they do in our dodgy climate. Even if they don't wok out well, the chickens will love them.
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billnorfolk
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Re: a really daft question

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bmpsands wrote:We didn't grow enough to freeze, sadly, but we will do so next time. My friend just picks hers, wraps them up and sticks them in the freezer whole. Is that the best way?


We usually half the cobs ,blanch for a couple of minutes ,then into cold water ,once cool spread on a tray and freeze then into a big plastic resealable bag ,wallagh )like(
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lancashire lass
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Re: a really daft question

Post by lancashire lass »

billnorfolk wrote:
bmpsands wrote:We didn't grow enough to freeze, sadly, but we will do so next time. My friend just picks hers, wraps them up and sticks them in the freezer whole. Is that the best way?


We usually half the cobs ,blanch for a couple of minutes ,then into cold water ,once cool spread on a tray and freeze then into a big plastic resealable bag ,wallagh )like(


Yes I do the same )t'

bmpsands wrote:My friend just picks hers, wraps them up and sticks them in the freezer whole. Is that the best way?


No - apart from looking it up, the sugars in the kernels are turned to starch and lose that sweetness, but the other is from personal experience when I froze my very first batch of supersweet sweetcorn without parboiling, and later the cobs were not that nice.
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