Sponsored: What is the difference between field corn and sweet corn?

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Sponsored: What is the difference between field corn and sweet corn?

QUESTION: What is the difference between field corn and sweet corn?

ANSWER: First, let’s start with the fact that there are 6 different types of corn and they fall into two categories – SOFT or HARD corns based on the amount of hard or soft starch in the kernel.

Field, sweet corn and flour corns are considered SOFT corns.

Field or Dent corn – zea mays indentata - Most of the large cornfields you would see in the United States are planted with field corn. Field corn is used for animal feed, fuel (ethanol) and to make ingredients for food companies. Some field corn is used to provide seeds. If you picked an ear of field corn and tried to eat it you would find it to be dry and not sweet.

Sweet corn – zea mays saccharata or zea rugosa - Also known as “sugar corn”, sweet corn has been bred to contain a higher natural starch amount giving it more sweetness so it was more appealing to eat and could also be used for canning. Most of the sweet corn grown today are hybrids that fall into 3 categories: standard (normal sugar), sugary enhancer and supersweet.

http://extension.illinois.edu/veggies/corn.cfm

Related Items

Flour corn – zea mays amylacea – Used to make corn flours for baked goods.

HARD corns:

Flint corn – zea mays indurata – Similar uses as field corn has less soft starch than the soft corn. Hominy and grits are made from flint corn.

Indian or ornamental corn - A multicolored corn used primarily for decoration is a type of flint corn.

Popcorn - zea mays everta – Popcorn, the oldest and hardiest variety of corn is planted only on about 184,000 acres throughout the U.S. The state with the largest amount of acreage in popcorn is Nebraska. Popcorn is the only variety of corn that will pop.

www.goift.com/news/130906-popcorn-feature-u-s-popcorn-harvest-what-to-expect-bard

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Ingles Markets Corporate Dietitian

twitter.com/InglesDietitian

facebook.com/LeahMcgrathDietitian

800-334-4936

Tags:

Notes from a plant nerd: Orchidaceous!

Please don’t get me wrong, I love the orchids of...

Up Moses Creek: 2 a.m.

A sudden, loud crack came through the open bedroom...

Up Moses Creek: The Hatband

I was on the ridge this morning admiring the autum...

Up Moses Creek: I’ll Fly a Ways

It takes something special to draw me out of Moses...

SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM

Contribute >

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Partner content: Dinner — Something for Everyone?

Whether it’s a family gathering or a co-worker get together, what kind of meal can you make that will please everyone?

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Partner content: Stories of dining during a disaster

Hurricane Helene was and continues to be a traumatic event for our region, but even within the worst of it, there are stories of resilience and ingenuity in ways that many had to deal with making or getting meals while having no power or water for days.

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Partner content: Ways to (Continue to) Help Western NC

There are many churches and community relief and service organizations that are and will continue to help in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Please make sure you check on what local area churches may be doing or need in terms of donations. Money is often the best thing to donate so they can buy what they need. Volunteer time is also often appreciated.

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Partner content: Post Hurricane

It is difficult to know what to write after a disaster of the magnitude caused by Hurricane Helene. It certainly teaches us the importance of coming together as a community to check on and help our friends and neighbors, and how vital our emergency response teams, first responders, National Guard, churches, shelters for both humans and animals, and relief organizations are in times like this.