[Catherine]

I have been growing sweetcorn for the first time this year and we have eaten one cob.  The rest dont look like they are ready except another allotment holder told me that when the tassels are brown they are ready, so I picked one when the tassel was brown and the kernals had not filled they were just pointy but not plump.  Another person told me to unwrap the cob to press the kernal, I did that and it rotted off because it wasnt ready so now I have about 20 cobs waiting to be eaten when they are ready but I dont know how to check. :oops:

[HLT]

I would be interested in the answer to this one too! We grew sweetcorn this year for the first time and I've waited since April to reap the rewards of our efforts.  All this time I thought the corn wasn't ready to pick, however a farmer friend of ours looked at it yesterday and told me it had gone over-ripe, so now all it's good for is for our rabbit and 6 chickens - who love it by the way!!  I'm gutted really, as it had been great for me and my 2 boys watching it grow over the months!  But you learn by experience I guess!

So how CAN you tell when corn on the cob is ready for picking then?

[Ropster]

The advice you were given is correct
wait untill the tassles are brown, then gently peal bacck the top layers at the top of the cob, it the kernals are fat and yellow then you kould burts one to see if the juice is milky (perfect) or just pick them, if they are yellow they are probably ready to eat.
If they are not ready fold the leaves back over the cob. Chances are the bit you have poged will go brown but the rest shouldnt

[paintedlady]

Unfortunately there is not much more than the advice Catherine was given:

- brown tassle
- kernels look fuller & a little more yellow than when immature
- push a thumbnail into one of the kernels & you should get a milky sap

Thereafter it is a combination of the above and experience - just the feel of a cob nearly ready to pick seems "fuller" in the palm of your hand.  The 1st cobs picked might be a bit immature (usually because of impatience   ) but the ones a week or two later should be at their best.  Leave them too long and they do lose that tenderness & sweet juice and are indeed chewy (but nothing stopping you from cooking one so that you learn from it)  A cob starting to go past its best has yellowing leaves and miserable look about it - the plant has done what it has to and is basically dying back    :roll:

[Wombat]

Where I peel back the leaves an inch or so to check at the top of the cob, I put a rubber band or some string around to keep them in place afterwards and it seems to keep the kernels in good condition.

[Catherine]

An update on my sweet corn.  I checked all my cobs that had the brown tassels and I found two that were ready to eat.  BUT  the kernals at the top of the cob had not filled but further down they were lovely and juicy.  So I picked them.  They were cooked fifteen minutes after I had cut them on the plot.  They were fabulous.

How long do I need to leave them on the stems, does anyone think they will continue to ripen or have I had it now?

[Aunt Sally]

Pick them when the juice is milky not watery, if it goes creamy then they have gone too far and the sugar will be turning to starch making them not so tasty.  Any kernels at the top that have not filled out are due to them not being pollinated and they will not change now.

[Catherine]

Thanks Aunt Sally.  Is there anything I can do next year to make sure they are pollinated properly?  I must admit I left them to it this year but I want to do much better next year.  I did plant them at the correct planting, though they were really buffeted by the strong winds as soon as they went in and I had to support quite a few with canes to make sure they grew properly. I did think that they might not make it at one time but they seem to recover.

[compostqueen]

I think we all get some that don't ripen to the tip and you can cut that bit off.

I think they pollinate better if they're not planted too wide apart, which is what I did last year and some kind chap told me to plant them closer which I did this year and voile.  I have lovely sweetcorn. Three fat yellow cobs last night for the roasted veg I was preparing. Fab