Favorite Sweet Corn Varieties

[cjclemens]

Here in the midwest, corn is a way of life.  Around here, sweet corn is a part of almost every garden.  I cant think of a year that we havent had at least an acre (or more) of sweet corn.  Over the years, i've selected a few favorites - of the sugary enhanced (se) hybrids, i usually grow Bodacious or Peaches 'n' Cream.  Of the Super Sweet (sh2) hybrids, I usually go with Honey 'n' Pearl or the Illini Xtra Sweet.  This year, I have Honey 'n' Pearl and some Incredible(se) to try out.  I've often thought about trying some of the vintage or heirloom varieties like Golden Bantam, but I haven't gotten around to it. 
 
My question is: If you grow sweet corn, what are some of your favorites and what do you like about them?

[AtlLaw]

Well, I know I just posted how long it's been since I've had the space to garden...  And I'm not really supprised that I've never heard of your favorite sweet corn varieties.   
 
But when you term what I used to plant, Golden Bantam, as a vintage or heirloom variety, well... now you're getting personal!   
 
Maybe I can mount drills on the sides of my walker...     That way I could plant 2 rows whilst I was walking across the back yard...    use my cane to cover up the holes... 
 
 

[cjclemens]

Golden Bantam has been in seed catalogs since 1902.  If you've been around that long, I couldnt fault you for using a walker.  That being said, I do have some fabrication skills - I could probably rig a planter you can pull with a Rascal or Hoveround.  When I start slowing down I think i'd save up for this model: http://www.planetmobility.com/store/wheelchairs/power/tracabout/index.html
You can get optional gun racks for it

[briarpatch]

Been a while but silver queen and peaches and cream were two good ones.

[eye shot]

+1 on the Illini Extra Sweet an old favorite of mine. You can freeze it a long time and it's just as sweet as the day you picked it.

[bilmac]

I grew some golden bantam last year. What I remember from long ago was that it was always kind of a small corn, but this stuff was higher than I am and had lots of double and some triple ears. All this in zone 4a. Only problem, it wasn't hardly worth eating. Just as well been field corn. I dried some and ground it to corn meal and that was worse. Like eating chopped straw.
I like bodaceous but it doesn't go with my plan to get self sufficient for seeds. I'm trying another heirloom this year, I can't remember the name.
Am I the only one who thinks sweet corn is getting too sweet? My wife thinks I'm crazy, but seems like you just as well be eating candy corn as some of the  newest varieties.

[keith44]

Silver Queen has long been a favorite hybrid type.  I am trying Golden Bantam this year, first time I've tried it, but I have had it on my plate, and if picked in milk stage, and immediately cooked and eaten it is good and sweet, miss the milk stage though and it is as bilmac describes, bland and starchy.

[AtlLaw]

Am I the only one who thinks sweet corn is getting too sweet?

Really sweet?      As in high sugar?      Now you givin me visions of good mash without havin to add all that cane sugar!   
 
Darn!  You got my mouth waterin...      

[cjclemens]

Am I the only one who thinks sweet corn is getting too sweet?

I've heard that a few times - my reccomendation is to stick with the sh2 hybrids like Honey N Pearl or Illini Xtra Sweet.  They have a lower sugar content than the se hybrids like Bodacious and Peaches N Cream.  The main reason the se hybrids became so popular is because they have a longer shelf life than the sh2 hybrids.  Heirlooms like Golden Bantam were selected without modern breeding techniques and with a limited understanding of genetics.  Since its so closely related to field corn, its marginally sweeter when compared with newer hybrids.  Its also supposedly not as sensitve to being cross pollinated with field corn, but I often wonder how badly heirloom corn varieties have been polluted with field corn genetics in the first place - but I digress.
 

Now you givin me visions of good mash without havin to add all that cane sugar!

That reminds me of a fresh corn whiskey recipe I saw not too long ago....makes me thirsty just thinking about it.

[Bugflipper]

I have been growing gotta have it for 3 years now. It is a sweet corn but has a rich flavor. Most of the other sweet corns I grew didn't have much flavor besides the sweetness.

[Buckskin]

Am I the only one who thinks sweet corn is getting too sweet? My wife thinks I'm crazy, but seems like you just as well be eating candy corn as some of the  newest varieties.

 
They x-breed them to produce more sugar for the packers, that way they can avoid adding sugar and paying tax on sugar added.  I just put on more butter and salt...
 
 
Favorite variety was 1099,  not made anymore.  It was on old variety that you had to eat at the right time or it got tough real quick, but it was the best and not too sweet. I think it faded out in the late 80's.

[scratcherky]

Silver Queen was my favorite for years, but now I like Silver King better.

[chefjeff]

Gurneys "gotta have it" is the sweetest I've ever had. Very expensive seed. A hybrid,and don't plant it early,as it needs warm soil for better germination. Holds well.Definitely the best in my book.

[connortn]

If you like it sweet, try a small patch of candy corn.  Sure is good.  Some of the corns have a weak root structure and the wind can play havoc with them if you experience storms in the summer.  Most of my corn would straighten back up in a matter of days thou.  Don't remember if the Candy Corn's root structure was good or not.

[nodlenor]

I've planted several different varietys over the years. Kandy corn is good but it doesn't compare with Incredible, Bodacious, or Gotta Have it. Incredible has a very weak root system therefor doesn't stand up to wind very well, but has a very good flavor. Gotta Have it is very expensive and isn't any better than the other two. Bodacious has a good root system and the flavor is equal to the others. I plant Incredible because my BIL is a Pioneer dealer and I get the seed for free. I'm sure there are other varities out there that are very good & sweet, this is just my 2 cents worth.

[Drilling Man]

  Over the years, i've planted several of the varieties mentioned here and more....  Different soils give veggies different taste, and in my soil (and others who use it around here) Ambrosia beats them all.
 
  It's all i plant anymore, you can google it to find out all about it...
 

 

 
  Can you tell, i love sweetcorn!  (there's a clue in the pict.)  lol
 
  DM