Ontario grows three types of sweet corn: normal, sugar-enhanced and supersweet. Each contains three different colour groups: yellow, bicolour (yellow-and-white) and white.
Sugar content of the traditional normal type varies from 9 to 16 per cent, compared to the 14 to 44 per cent range in the others.
The natural sugars in normal and sugar-enhanced corns eventually convert to starch, causing the kernels to lose sweetness and become tough. But that doesn't happen with supersweet corn, making it particularly desirable when there's a delay between harvest and consumption.
Some of the dozens of varieties grown in Ontario are Miracle, Kandy Korn, Earlyvee, Flavorvee, Escalade, Silver Queen, Phenomenal, Seneca, Champ, Horizon and Extra Early Supersweet.
Corn is good source of folate and contains fibre, Vitamin C, niacin and thiamine. An average ear of corn has 83 calories.
Also known as maize, grain corn was the chief source of nourishment for thousands of years, sustaining the Mayas, Aztecs, Incas and the Indian peoples of North and South America.
After the early settlers arrived in America, corn was introduced to Europe and is now cultivated in Africa, China, Russia and other parts of the globe.
Originally corn was grain corn; now it's used for cattle feed and a variety of industrial applications. Sweet corn, as such, is a relatively recent development, becoming popular chiefly since the American Civil War period.
This site is maintained by the Government of Ontario, Canada.
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food
