When is Sweet Corn Ready to Pick?

How do you tell when your sweet corn is ready to harvest?  When will it have the best flavor and texture? It doesn't matter what variety of sweet corn it is, whether yellow, white, or bi-color, the test for ripeness is the same.

First, the ear of corn will fill out on the stalk. Once the ears begin to fill out, the silk at the top of the ear will begin to dry and turn brown. When you see this browning begin, peel back the husk to see if there are plump kernels inside. Press open a plump kernel with your thumbnail. If the fluid is clear, it is not time to harvest this ear. Put the husk back in place and secure it in place with twine or a rubber band if necessary. If the fluid is milky, it is time to pick. If the liquid is white and thick, the ear is over ripe.

Before you pick any ears, however, go put a pot of water on the stove and while it's coming to a boil go out and harvest your ears of corn, shuck them, and cut off the stems and any bad tips. Bring them into the kitchen, rinse them if you need to, and put them in the pot as soon as it comes to a boil. Just when the water comes back to a boil, pull out those sweet ears and enjoy the best corn you'll ever taste!


My grandfather used to say that you wait a few days after the silks turn brown to start checking for ripeness. Don't wait more that three or four days, though, because you want the corn in the pot at peak ripeness. That is, before the too much of the sugar in the kernels turns to starch.(milky vs. white liquid).



It helps also to know the variety of corn, the date you planted it and the days to harvest from that planting, so you know when to start watching the corn more closely for signs of ripeness.

If you plant an open pollinated variety, and you happen to let an early, nice looking ear of corn go past ripeness, let it continue to ripen and then dry on the stalk until about a month after your your corn harvest is done. After the husks turn brown, remove them from the plant and put them in a cool dry place, out of direct sun light. Once they are completely dry you can store them in a cool dry place until next year for seed.