Teenagers with hand-lettered signs and pickup trucks packed with stacks of sweet corn are being seen on street corners in many Iowa cities as we’re smack dab in the middle of prime time for that delicious veggie. Aaron Steil, a consumer horticulture specialist at Iowa State University, says if you haven’t spotted a local grower yet and decide to head to the supermarket for sweet corn instead, you may still be getting local ears.
Sweet corn is best when you get it right from the field, so if it’s been on a semi and sitting on a store shelf for a while, it may get squishy and starchy. Steil says the best bet is buying from that kid in the pickup, but if you head for the store instead, it may not be quite as fresh.
Some Iowans will want to freeze a batch of that sweet corn to pull out in the wintertime for a pleasing taste of summer.
If you just plan to eat the sweet corn, be sure to keep the ears in the fridge. If it gets warm, the sugars will degrade faster and the taste won’t be as fresh.
