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Aug 5, 2009 10:33 pm US/Central
Good Question: How Come Minn. Corn Is So Good?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
It's one of the best parts of a Minnesota summer, fresh sweet corn. But why is sweet corn so sweet? And how long does it go from field to the store?
How long from the field to the store?
"A few hours," said Dave Nathe, corn grower with Riverside Farms in Elk River. "I was at Lund's this morning, Lund's will probably get in their stores at noon today," he said.
Nathe's corn ends up in Winnepeg, Canada in one day, and also is sold at the Minneapolis and Nicollet Mall Farmers Markets.
How much corn is sweet corn?
In 2007, Minnesota farmers grew 114-thousand acres of sweet corn, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They grew 68 times more field corn, a little more than 7.8 million acres! Field corn is used for grain and feed among other corn byproducts.
Why is sweet corn sweet?
Specialized, genetically-engineered seeds enhance the sugars in sweet corn. It's picked before the kernels convert to a starch. That's why it's sweet.
"You can watch it grow. A lot of people don't believe that, but you stand out in the field, you can see it moving," said Nathe.
How is the corn harvested?
Nathe uses a quarter-million dollar corn picking machine. It moves 2.5 miles per hour, and takes just five minutes to cut down four rows of corn. The machine separates the ears from the stalks.
How many ears per stalk?
"Usually you get one or two," said Nathe. If there are two ears on a stalk, the second ear is almost always a dud.
How long will corn hold its flavor?
It starts losing its flavor as soon as it's picked, said Nathe, although it's barely noticeable for the first two or three days. Nathe suggests storing it in a cool, dark place, and eating it quickly!
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