Sweetcorn
Sweet kernels to grill or boil right after picking, before the sugar turns to starch.
- Season: August, September, October
- Peak season: August, September
- Botanical family: Poaceae
History
Maize was domesticated in Mexico about 9,000 years ago from a wild grass called teosinte. A staple food of the Maya and the Aztecs, it reached Europe with Christopher Columbus. Sweetcorn, which is sweeter, comes from a natural mutation and became popular mainly in the United States.
Origin and growing regions
France is Europe’s leading sweetcorn producer, grown mostly in the south-west:
- Nouvelle-Aquitaine (Landes)
- Occitanie
Benefits
Sweetcorn is tasty and filling:
- Energy: Rich in carbohydrates, it keeps you full for a long time.
- Fibre: Found in the skin of the kernels.
- Lutein and zeaxanthin: Yellow pigments that support eye health.
- Gluten-free: Suitable for people with gluten intolerance.
Varieties
- Sweetcorn: Sweet kernels, for grilling or boiling.
- Popcorn maize: Hard kernels that pop in the heat.
- Field maize: For flour and animal feed.
- Blue corn: Blue-purple kernels, for colourful flours.
Zero waste
- Storing: In the fridge, in its husk: 2 to 3 days. It loses its sugar very quickly.
- Freezing: As cobs blanched for 4 min, or as kernels: up to 12 months.
- Nothing goes to waste: The cobs (the core of the ear) flavour a stock. Extra kernels go into salads, fritters or soup.