Not all corn is created equal. The yummy corn-on-the-cob that graces our summer barbecues, isn’t the same as that mysterious corn that stays in fields and dries up well after summer is over.
There are other kinds of corn, but this column explains the differences between field corn and sweet corn.
Taste
Sweet corn is just that. Sweet. It’s the corn we’ve all grown to love and crave during warm days and family gatherings. But what makes sweet corn so special? The answer lies in its sugar content.
Unlike its distant relative, field corn, sweet corn is harvested at the peak of its sugar development. This means that it’s full of natural sugars, making it a delightful treat to eat straight off the cob or as a tasty addition to a variety of dishes.
Field corn, the unsung hero of the corn world, plays an essential role in our daily lives. Unlike sweet corn, field corn is allowed to dry down on the stalks before it is harvested. It is grown primarily for its starchy content, making it a versatile ingredient used in a multitude of products.
From your breakfast cereals to the tortillas that wrap your favorite burrito, field corn is the backbone of countless food items. It’s also an essential ingredient in livestock feed, supporting the poultry, cattle and swine industries. Next time you enjoy a warm tortilla, remember to salute the mighty field corn for its behind-the-scenes work in bringing us so many delicious and essential products!
Appearance
One of the easiest ways to tell sweet corn and field corn apart is their appearance. Sweet corn has plump, vibrant, kernels arranged tightly and neatly on the cob. Sweet corn kernels can range from pale yellow to deep gold.
Field corn – also called dent corn – is a bit more modest in its appearance. It often has a mix of colors, ranging from pale yellow to darker hues and sometimes even a deep shade of orange. Field corn kernels are more spaced out on the cob and look dry and dented compared to sweet corn’s plump and juicy kernels.
Harvest
Sweet corn is harvested when the kernels are in their prime, fully developed and sweet. It’s a race against time because, once those sugars start converting to starch, the taste changes and it loses its sweetness. For this reason, sweet corn is usually picked when the husks are still green, and the tassels (the hair-like strands) are brown.
Field corn, however, has a more extended stay on the stalk. It is left in the field until the kernels dry and harden, allowing it to reach maximum starch content. The harvesting of field corn typically occurs in the fall, long after sweet corn season has passed.
Popularity
Most of the corn you see in fields is, well, field corn. On an acre-by-acre basis, field corn would win the popularity contest, even if most consumers aren’t that familiar with it. Field corn’s primary use as an ingredient in processed foods, animal feed and industrial products keeps it out of the limelight. Nonetheless, we owe a debt of gratitude to this grain gladiator for its behind-the-scenes contributions.
While the differences between field corn and sweet corn are huge, the fact that we rely on both to keep us fed is not. Both are corn-tastic in their unique ways, adding flavor and substance to our lives.
Stay corny, friends!
FAQs
Field corn kernels are more spaced out on the cob and look dry and dented compared to sweet corn's plump and juicy kernels. Sweet corn is harvested when the kernels are in their prime, fully developed and sweet.
Is field corn the same as sweet corn? ›
What is Sweet Corn? The variety of corn we enjoy eating is called sweet corn, which does not grow nearly as tall as field corn (another identifiable difference). Sweet corn has a higher sugar content than cow corn and is picked while immature before the sugar has a chance to turn into starch.
Is field corn edible by humans? ›
In the United States, field corn is not generally regarded as desirable for human food without commercial pre-processing.
What is another name for field corn? ›
Dent Corn: This type of corn is often used for livestock feeds, industrial products, and as well as used to make processed foods. Another name for dent corn is “Field Corn”. This type of corn is mostly grown in the United States.
Do they make cornmeal out of field corn? ›
What is cornmeal, though? Cornmeal is dried, ground field corn (not the same type of sweet corn we eat off the cob) that ranges in texture from fine to medium to coarse.
Do deer prefer sweet corn or field corn? ›
The best corn to plant for deer food plots is field corn. Choose late-maturing varieties if you want to leave corn standing in the plot for winter feeding. Avoid white corn and silage corn.
Is popcorn sweet corn or field corn? ›
Popcorn is a type of flint corn, but has its own size, shape, starch level and moisture content. It has a hard exterior shell and a soft starchy center.
Do Mexicans eat field corn? ›
If you eat it in Mexico, though, you'll be taken aback, since it's not made with sweet corn, but field corn picked at the immature stage (what's called the “milk stage”). Young field corn is chewier (and noticeably less sweet) than our standard, and that's after it's been simmered to heighten the tenderness.
What is most field corn used for? ›
On average, U.S. farmers plant about 90 million acres of corn each year, with the majority of the crop grown in the Heartland region. Most of the crop is used domestically as the main energy ingredient in livestock feed and for fuel ethanol production.
Why do farmers harvest corn at night? ›
This is to ensure the corn kernels are as dry as possible when they are harvested and cut down on the potential for breakdowns caused by wet corn stalks. Farmers in areas of the country with extreme heat intentionally harvest some varieties of corn at night to take advantage of the cooler temperatures.
"Corn is perfectly safe to eat raw, but you will want to eat young, tender corn before the sugars turn to starch for the most enjoyable taste. Marz advises staying away from field, or dent, corn which has an unpleasant taste.
What type of corn is used for popcorn? ›
Zea mays everta
Some strains of corn (taxonomized as Zea mays) are cultivated specifically as popping corns. The Zea mays variety everta, a special kind of flint corn, is the most common of these.
Is baby corn a field corn? ›
There are two methods for producing baby corn: either as a primary crop, or as a secondary crop in a planting of sweet corn or field corn. In the first method, a seed variety is chosen and planted to produce only baby corn.
Can field corn turn into popcorn? ›
No, regular corn doesn't pop like popcorn kernels. Popcorn kernels have a lower moisture content than regular corn. The endosperm on regular corn will not pop under pressure as it does on popcorn. You can try popping regular corn but you'll likely just end up with a bowl full of burnt corn kernels.
Are grits made from field corn? ›
Grits — beloved throughout the American South and among those with connections to it — are traditionally made from dent corn. Dent and flint are both types of field corn, which is a far cry from the sweet corn you eat off the cob.
Are corn chips made from field corn? ›
People don't eat field corn directly from the field because it's hard and certainly not sweet. Instead, field corn must go through a mill and be converted to food products and ingredients like corn syrup, corn flakes, yellow corn chips, corn starch or corn flour.
What is another name for sweet corn? ›
Sweet corn (Zea mays convar. saccharata var. rugosa), also called sweetcorn, sugar corn and pole corn, is a variety of corn grown for human consumption with a high sugar content.
Is baby corn sweet corn or field corn? ›
The baby corn found on appetizer plates and in stir-fry recipes isn't a special variety of sweet corn. The tiny ears are the second ear from the top of regular sweet corn that's been handpicked before the plant's been fertilized. The top ear is left on the plant to keep growing into full size.
Which corn is called sweet corn? ›
Sweet corn (Zea mays convar. saccharata var. rugosa; also called Indian corn, sugar corn, and pole corn) is a variety of maize with a high sugar content and it is prepared for consumption as a vegetable.
