Who has the sweetest sweet corn? Me or my sister? This post was going to be about how my corn just wasn’t producing good ears and I had to accept a hand out from my sister so I could taste good sweet corn at least once this summer.
I was over at my sister’s house and garden late this afternoon in time to watch her carry in a big armload of sweet corn from their garden, ears and ears of freshly picked sweet corn. I acted kind of pathetic and nice at the same time and she offered that I could pick an ear to take home for my own supper.
So I picked an ear of corn from her corn patch. It’s the one at the top in the picture.
Then when I got home, I decided to check my own corn, just in case.
And guess what? I have sweet corn, too! The bottom two ears are from my own garden. The ears aren’t that long but who cares, it’s my own sweet corn! And there is more out there to pick later!
So who has the sweetest sweet corn?
I do, because mine was picked and cooked within a matter of minutes. The corn I got from my sister had to ride in my car, then sit in the car for a few minutes while I ran into the grocery store, then rest on the kitchen counter while I went out to my garden. My goodness, it had to have been at least 45 minutes “old” before I cooked it. Whereas the corn I picked from my own garden got cooked right away, so there was no chance of any of that sweet goodness turning to starch.
But I still owe my sister a ‘thanks for the sweet corn’, even though it turned out I didn’t really need it. After all, I might need an ear or two next year and so if I don’t properly thank her she might not be so willing to share again. So I’ll post this picture of her garden because it looks pretty good and she’ll like seeing her garden posted for everyone to see and admire.
Not only did my sister and brother-in-law put in raised beds this year, they also added that nice fence around the garden to keep out kids and dogs. It’s the kind of fence you buy in sections and then just push the ends into the ground.
They said the fence could not have been any easier to install. With kids, dogs, and cats, and now this fence, they also don’t have any trouble with rabbits in their garden, like I do. But just in case any rabbits were foolhardy enough to brave the kids, dogs, and cats, and go through or under the fence, they put this critter in the garden to really scare them off!
I was a bit scared when I first saw it. It’s guarding the pumpkin patch where my pumpkins are being grown for me.
Thanks for the sweet corn, Sister with the Homestead! Ummm, I’ll be back later for ‘my pumpkin’.
All 3 ears of corn look yummy, I can see them steaming hot with butter dripping off of them!
I would not want to meet that scary critter in a dark alley :).
the corn looks delish! so does your sister’s garden. that scary dragon thing has got to go! I’m gonna have nightmares!
Carol, the corn looks delicious. The one on the bottom looks so plump and juicy. One of these days, try your fresh, just picked corn, raw and let me know how you like it.
Yum… both types of corn look better than mine! 😉 And I LOVE that little creature guarding “your” pumpkins at the homestead–which has a beautiful garden, by the way.
Yikes, that thing is frightening! I think your sis needs a pink flamingo instead. But her fenced garden sure looks great!
I wish I’d had fresh sweet corn for dinner, instead of a bowl of Cheerios.
Carol,
Nice post – thanks for the compliments on the garden. BTW, you can have a pumpkin. We have enough growing out there to open a pumpkin stand – LOL!
Next time you are over, see if you can find 3 other creatures lurking in the garden — I’m surprised you missed them!
Sister with the homestead
Your sister’s garden looks wonderful and I have to admit – that little crittur would have sent me at least six inches up into the air. 🙂
Congratulations on your corn! I think that is something. I’ve never tried it because I don’t think I have the room but also because my dad, who was a very good gardener, struggled to grow it…and I remember picking off the yucky worms and my mom saying something like, “They only go after the sweetest ones.” (Never make your kids pick worms off corn!) What do you guys do who grow worm-less corn?
I buy at the Farmers’ Market (when I get there) and I enjoy that very much…but from picking to eating! Wow! That must be divine! I remember when we lived in So.CA that my husband was given a dozen of the biggest ears I had ever seen (still) (They actually grew stuff right on the former Marine base in Tustin…commercially, probably the Irvine Co or some other corp.)….They were spectacular and very good. Anyway, fast forward to now and the ears around here have been pretty small (the rain thing), but oh, so tasty! Good things DO come in small packages…lol!
Your sister’s garden looks wonderful to me!
Carol: Your corn looks wonderful!
BTW – Where did your sister get her fence? If it was locally, does she know the manufacturer? And does it really keep out the rabbits? I’m looking for something that looks nice for my own garden. From looking at your sister’s fence, it seems as if it should keep out the rabbits since there are extra posts on the bottom. Thanks!
That corn looks wonderful! I can almost taste it right over here in England! I remember reading that if you pick corn first thing in the morning, more of the starch is turned to sugar. If you pick in the evening it is less sweet.
The garden does look nice & the fence helps to make it look neat. The fence probably came from one of the large home improvement stores. Just shop around. Sister of the Homestead has a penchant for decorative garden items but very tastefully done as you have to look to see them. (No large deer or that type of thing, but tiny items that hide out in the greenery.
Iowa Gardening Women… they were VERY GOOD with butter dripping off of them. Very Good.
Gina… that thing is scary, isn’t it.
Robin’s Nesting Place… I might try raw corn this weekend. There are a few more ears out there to pick.
Blackswamp_Girl… thanks for the nice comments. I’ll have to go see what else she has guarding the garden out there.
LostRoses… I’d make your feel better to say that sometimes a bowl of Cheerios is better than sweet corn, but who would I be kidding? It’s not! My sister-in-law, by the way, collects flamingoes.
Sister with the Homestead… I will try to find those other creatures sometime, and thanks in advance for the pumpkin!
Me… hopefully those critters also send bunnies hopping away.
Gotta Garden… thanks for the nice comment. The ears of corn, though small, were quite tasty!
Tracy… she got it at Menards. I don’t think it will keep out rabbits, however. Certainly, the gate that comes with it won’t keep rabbits out. But it is pretty!
Matron… that settles it, I’m going to have sweet corn for breakfast tomorrow morning!
Eleanor… Sister with the Homestead does have a good eye for garden ornaments!
Thanks all for the kinds words and comments.
Gosh. If 45 minutes makes that much difference our grocery store vegies are obviously pathetic imitations of taste.
It’s true though Carol, your own fruit and vegetables always taste best. I knew the outcome as soon as I read your title.
This post is making me weep, Carol – I haven’t had a really fresh ear of corn in a decade.
Your sister’s fenced in garden should be on a tour!
Annie
Stuart… maybe I’m exaggerating just a little tiny bit.
Annie in Austin.. I had a fresh ear of corn right after breakfast as a snack on Saturday. Yum! I’ll tell my sister what you said about her garden.
Carol,
They all look good but I just love the bi-colored corn varieties.
Guess I’ll have to find some corn to fix for lunch today!
I stuck the seed in the ground this year and let it grow. Im from Canada, i didn’t think i could grow such amazing corn, the cob was absolutely full, amazingly sweet, no bugs or anything, just perfect big corn!! That crooked bycolored corn looks sucky, but if its good who cares i guess.,…later homies