This summer I had some of the most exquisite
corn I have ever eaten. The corn they
call Ambrosia is my new favorite. It is
the perfect color of yellow and dotted with white kernels. It is a sweet corn but not too sweet and had
an incredible amount of flavor. This
home grown corn was among two varieties that my father had planed earlier this
year. When I sat down with him to talk
about why he planted this particular variety he said because the guy that sells
him his seeds, said that it is great corn with long ears. Although the ears did not seem to be much
larger than the other varieties they tasted like candy. After
doing a little research I have come to know that the variety is hybrid
sugar-enhanced sweet corn. The history
of sweet corns goes way back to native days many centuries ago. Although the sweet corn has been around a
long time, the sugar-enhanced corns are less than a century old. According to Debra Larson of the University
of Illinois, sometime in the 1960's a man by the name Rhodes discovered the
"sugary enhancer" trait. The
corn was a cross between Illinois sweet corn and a corn from Bolivia. "This
trait modified normal sugary sweet corn, resulting in about twice as much sugar
content and extremely tender kernels."
Corn is really a neat thing to garden since it cross pollinates from the
surrounding corn. When one variety is
grown next to another it can result in a new variety. This is how there are so many different
kinds. Another nice trait of sweet corn
is that it grows well anywhere there is enough sunlight. From my experience with watching and helping
with my fathers' garden, I have learned that the spacing is a critical part of
a healthy corn harvest. When the seeds
are planted 6 inches apart and the rows are 18 inches apart, the ears of corn
seem to be larger and fuller. Resulting
in delicious corn. This is one of my
most favorite summer treats. Take some
corn right out of the garden with some butter, sprinkled with a little salt and
pepper, wrap it up in some foil and throw it on the grill or in the camp
fire. I don't know if there is anything
better! Oh my goodness!!
Larson, Debra.
"Inside Illinois." News Bureau. University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign, 7 Aug. 2003. Web. 27 Sept. 2015.
