By Charity Shumway |

Choosing Which Corn Variety to Grow

The names of corn varieties are too awesome not to stop and savor. There are the corn varieties with a vehicular ring to their names: Challenger, Tahoe, Aspen, Excel, Accord, Avalanche. There are the corn varieties with adventure story names: Pegasus, Silver King, Silver Queen, Ruby Queen, Seneca Dancer, Camelot, Lancelot, Merlin (apparently, corn was a popular side dish at the round table). There are the varieties with mad lib romance novel words for names: Country Gentleman, Temptation, Brocade, Sugar Buns, Cloud Nine, Quickie, Bi-licious (that romance novel took a surprise turn at the end, didn’t it!) And then there’s just my plain old favorite: Howling Mob.

You could choose to grow a certain variety of corn based on name alone (that’s how I always pick my nail polish colors) but just in case you prefer a more rational method, let me break it down for you.

The Types of Sweet Corn

Basically, sweet corn varieties fall into three main categories:

  1. Traditional sweet corn. These varieties are like heirloom tomatoes. They’re what your grandma grew, and they come true from seed, so you can collect kernels and plant them next year and get a whole new crop, no trip to the seed store necessary. These varieties tend to be hardy and have a nice creamy texture when cooked, but the downside is they don’t hold their sweetness for very long. If you cook them right after you pick them, though, yum. You’ll often see them labeled with an “SU,” which stands for “normal sugary.”
  2. Sugary enhanced. These varieties are hybrids, bred, as you might guess from the name, to be even sweeter than traditional sweet corn. But it’s not just that they have higher sugar content. They also retain their sweetness longer, so you can pick them and store them in the fridge for a few days. You’ll see them labeled “SE.” These guys get a lot of blue ribbons. If you’re tired of all this information and you just want me to tell you what kind of corn to grow, here it is: grow a sugary enhanced variety. I’ll go even further. Grow the variety called “Champ.” It matures quickly, has big ears, and tastes like a picnic in Iowa.
  3. Supersweet hybrids. You’ll see these varieties labeled “Sh2.” Unless you’re planning on starting a commercial corn operation, just skip these. Basically, these are bred to be harvested mechanically (sugary enhanced varieties are too tender for that) and shipped (they stay sweeter longer than any other type). They’re extra sweet, but they have a tough texture.

Corn Color

So what about yellow corn, white corn, or bi-color corn? If you love bi-color corn, are you limited to traditional varieties, or something like that? Nope! Within each of the three types above, you’ll find yellow, white, and bi-color varieties. Here are a few color-sorted suggestions:
  • White — Try Spring Snow, Seneca White Knight, or Cotton Candy.
  • Yellow — Try Sugar Buns, Champ, or Tuxedo.
  • Bi-Color — Try Chubby Checkers, Peaches & Cream, or Kiss ‘N Tell.
  • And don’t forget Red! — Ruby Queen is the variety for you.
In case you’re wondering, it’s true, my suggestions are based ever-so-slightly on name…
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