I Asked 3 Farmers How to Pick the Sweetest Corn, and They Taught Me Something New

During summer road trips with the family, and sometimes just while driving to a more rural part of town to golf together, my Dad would drive us past row upon row upon row of corn. As a native Iowan, “knee-high by the Fourth of July”—a Midwestern saying about how tall farmers hope their corn to be by Independence Day—was a phrase about as common as declaring that something is “a piece of cake.”

As you might guess, fresh corn was a true sign of summer since I was born and raised in the heart of the Midwest. In my opinion, Dad’s charcoal-grilled corn needed nothing but a few shakes of salt to be the perfect side dish. This was something my family would enjoy about once per week during fresh sweet corn season, which spans from Memorial Day to Labor Day in most parts of the country, according to Dana Peters, a Barney, Georgia-based produce and floral field inspector at Whole Foods Market (who grew up on a small family farm).

Since corn was a core part of my childhood and a staple on my menu since I was old enough to eat solid foods, I thought picking the best corn on the cob from a pile was a piece of cake. However, after speaking with three farmers, I realized I was overly confident—overlooking a few important features.

Meet the Farmers

• Farmer Lee Jones, a regenerative farmer and the founder of The Chef Garden in Huron, Ohio
• Dana Peters, a Barney, Georgia-based produce and floral field inspector at Whole Foods Market (who grew up on a small family farm)
• Jerrold Watson, co-owner of Watsonia Farms in Monetta, South Carolina

How Farmers Choose the Best Sweet Corn

It's incredibly disappointing to shuck corn only to realize the kernels are mealy or MIA. But whether you're stocking up at the supermarket or a farmer's truck bed fully loaded with fresh corn, proper corn etiquette urges shoppers to avoid peeling back the husks or poking the kernels in a way that punctures them. This makes a potentially perfect cob something certain retailers and shoppers view as "damaged goods." 

Instead of breaking those unofficial shopping rules, we asked our panel of farmers to give us the dirt about picking out quality corn. The farmers suggest analyzing the following four features:

• The husk. The "wrapper" that surrounds the cob of kernels should be "green and tightly wrapped. Dull, dry, or brown husks may indicate age," explains Farmer Lee Jones, a regenerative farmer and the founder of The Chef Garden in Huron, Ohio. Aim to select sweet corn rocking a bright green husk that looks well hydrated.
• The silk. The exposed portion of silks (thin strands of fiber that are part of corn's reproductive system) should appear full and brown, according to Jerrold Watson, co-owner of Watsonia Farms in Monetta, South Carolina. File this under "things I wish I learned sooner:" The corn kernels mature right around the same time the tassel turns from light yellow to brown, so the fact that the tassels are brown is actually a great thing. If you can spy any silks under the husk, those should be clean, glossy, and pale yellow.
• The kernels. The corn kernels that line the cob "should be plump and well-filled," Jones says. You can examine this without peeling back the husk by gently pressing on the cob and running your fingers along the rows. Check to see if they feel firm, and inspect for significant gaps. "Sparse kernels suggest that the corn may not be sweet or has been overripe," Jones adds. By the way, the variety of the corn, not the color of the kernels, impacts the flavor. Some claim yellow corn is sweeter than white or white-and-yellow kernel corn, but there's no real flavor difference. There is, however, a bit of a nutritional difference since the yellow hue in that type of corn is due to the antioxidant beta-carotene.
• The weight. "Avoid undersized ears, which are usually poorly filled with kernels or under-developed," Peters says. Hold the cob in the palm of your hand, perpendicular to your fingers. An immature ear will feel light for its size. Mature and healthy corn will fill the palm of your hand and should seem heavy for its size, indicating juicy kernels full of sap (a sign of freshness).

How to Enjoy Corn on the Cob, Farmer Style

The Allrecipes archives include more than 800 creative fresh corn recipes, including fan favorites like corn fritters, corn chowder, cowboy caviar, and corn salad with chili cheese Fritos. But if you ask farmers, they agree that as long as you have quality corn, it doesn’t need a lot of dressing up. 

All three of our farming friends say that the best corn recipe isn’t really a recipe at all: Grill the corn, brush it with some butter, and add a pinch of salt. Perfection.