Menu

  • Home
  • Garden
    • Big Gardens
    • Small Gardens
    • Vegetables and Herbs
    • Yard and Backyard
    • Gardening Tips
    • Ornamental Plants
    • Indoor Plants
  • Home Design
    • Living Room
    • Kids Room
    • Bedroom
    • Home Office
    • Kitchen
    • Bathroom
    • Home Decor
    • Architecture and Design
    • All About Home
  • Interesting
    • Positive Stories
    • Interesting News
    • Stories Behind the Photographs
    • Odd News
  • Health & Beauty
    • Hairstyles
    • Makeup
    • Diet
    • Lifestyle & Mental Health
    • Fitness & Weight Loss
    • Beauty Tips
    • Health Tips
  • Recipes
    • Meals
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Desserts and Cakes
    • Cookies and Snacks
    • Keto Recipes
    • Video Recipes
  • DIY
    • DIY Ideas
    • DIY Tutorials
  • Pets
    • Cats
    • Dogs
    • Rodents
    • Aquatic Pets
    • Birds
    • Funny Animal Videos
  • Home
  • Garden
    • Big Gardens
    • Small Gardens
    • Vegetables and Herbs
    • Yard and Backyard
    • Gardening Tips
    • Ornamental Plants
    • Indoor Plants
  • Home Design
    • Living Room
    • Kids Room
    • Bedroom
    • Home Office
    • Kitchen
    • Bathroom
    • Home Decor
    • Architecture and Design
    • All About Home
  • Interesting
    • Positive Stories
    • Interesting News
    • Stories Behind the Photographs
    • Odd News
  • Health & Beauty
    • Hairstyles
    • Makeup
    • Diet
    • Lifestyle & Mental Health
    • Fitness & Weight Loss
    • Beauty Tips
    • Health Tips
  • Recipes
    • Meals
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Desserts and Cakes
    • Cookies and Snacks
    • Keto Recipes
    • Video Recipes
  • DIY
    • DIY Ideas
    • DIY Tutorials
  • Pets
    • Cats
    • Dogs
    • Rodents
    • Aquatic Pets
    • Birds
    • Funny Animal Videos

Sweet Corn Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits

2
Sep
26
Sweet Corn Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits
By Nightlight
/ in Diet,Health and Beauty
/ tags diet, health, Nutrition
0 Comments

Sweet corn is a particular maize species which differ genetically from the field maize. Its kernels are tender, delicious and eaten as a vegetable in many cuisines worldwide. In contrast to the traditional field corn, sweet corn crops are harvested while their corn-ears have just attained the milky stage. The cob either used immediately or frozen for later use since its sugar content turns quickly into starch.

Corn is native to the Central Americas which then introduced to the rest of the world through Spanish explorers. Sweetcorn differs genetically from the field maize by mutation at the sugary (su) locus.

The crop has achieved a major success as one of the important commercial cash crops in many tropical and semi-tropical countries, incuding the USA.

Scientific name: Zea mays var. saccharata.



Corn grows to about 7-10 feet in height. It grows quickly under sunny, fertile, and well-drained soil supplanted with good moisture conditions. Each plant bears about 2-6, long husked “ears” filled with rows of tooth-like seeds arranged around a central woody core (cob). Optimum pollination is essential for full kernel development.

Several different sweet corn cultivars with variations in their sweetness, color, and maturation are grown keeping in mind of local and regional demands. Most farmers opt for crops that attribute superior eating and keeping quality and high yields. Examples include

  • Standard (su),
  • Sugary Extender (se),
  • Supersweet (sh2),
  • Synergistic (sy),
  • and Augmented Supersweet.

Depending on the cultivar type, the crop can be ready for harvesting in 65-90 days. Harvesting done when the free end (silk end) of the ear is full, its silk has turned brown, and its kernels are firm but in the milky stage. Often, farmers check the kernels by pricking them with their thumbnail to ascertain harvest timing.

Baby corns are very young, miniature ears harvested when their kernels are still at the incipient stage. Its central core is sweet and tender enough to be eaten raw. Baby corns measure about 3-5 inches in length and weigh about 20-50 g each.

Health benefits of sweet corn

  • At 86 calories per 100 g, sugar corn kernels are moderately high in calories in comparison to other vegetables. However, fresh sweet corn has much fewer calories than that of in the field corn and other cereal grains like wheat, rice, etc. Their calorie chiefly comes from simpler carbohydrates like glucose, sucrose than complex sugars like amylose and amylopectin, which is a case in the cereals.
  • Sweet corn is a gluten-free cereal and may be used safely in celiac disease individuals much like rice, quinoa, etc.
  • Sugar corn features high-quality phytonutrition profile comprising of dietary fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants in addition to minerals in modest proportions. It is one of the finest sources of dietary fibers, 100 g kernels carry 2 g or 5% of daily requirement of dietary fiber. Together with slow digesting complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber in the food helps regulate in a gradual increase in blood sugar levels. However, corn, in line with rice, potato, etc., is one of high glycemic index food items, limiting its authority as the chief food ingredient in diabetes patients.
  • Yellow variety corn has significantly higher levels of phenolic flavonoid pigment antioxidants such as ß-carotenes, and lutein, xanthins and cryptoxanthin pigments along with vitamin-A. 100 g fresh kernels provide 187 IU or 6% of daily requirement of vitamin-A. Altogether; these compounds are required for maintaining healthy mucosa, skin, and vision. Consumption of natural foods rich in flavonoids helps protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
  • Corn is a good source of the phenolic flavonoid antioxidant, ferulic acid. Several research studies suggest that ferulic acid plays a vital role in preventing cancers, aging, and inflammation in humans.
  • It also contains good levels of some of the valuable B-complex group of vitamins such as thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, folates, riboflavin, and pyridoxine. Many of these vitamins function as co-factors to enzymes during substrate metabolism.
  • Further, it contains healthy amounts of some essential minerals like zinc, magnesium, copper, iron, and manganese.

Selection and storage

Sweet Corn Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits

Sweet corn is a summer season crop in the temperate regions. However, it can be cultivated around the seasons in the tropical belt. In the US markets, fresh corn ears appear on the shelves by May and last until September. Fresh cobs in the form of vacuum packs or processed canned kernels may also be sold frozen in the markets all around the year. The cob generally available as yellow, white, or bicolor seed types. One may also buy them from neighborhood retailers, or for even more enthusiasts, may collect from the “pick-your-own” farms from the local farmers.




Fresh baby corns usually come in small packages wrapped in a plastic paper. Try to buy medium sized, firm, and fresh arrivals.

While buying, look for well-formed ears with light green color tight husks and clean, golden-brown silks. Gently pull down the husk from the tip-end to check for color as well as the stage of kernels underneath. You may buy fresh-husked cobs wrapped in plastic paper. Look for the harvest date; buy only if they are fresh as the kernels soon turn sugars to starch and lose their sweet, juicy flavor. Avoid if the husk is dry as it indicates the old stock and hence out of flavor. Do not buy overly matured cob either.

Once at home, use them as early as possible. If you have to store, keep them in the refrigerator, preferably along with its husk, to maintain flavor, taste, and moisture. They stay well for up to two to three days if stored at 90 percent humidity 32 °F.

Preparation and serving methods

Sweet Corn Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits

Organic produce would not necessitate washing. Just remove the husk and silk and use as a vegetable. However, you may wash the husked cob in cold running water or dip them in salt water for about 15-20 minutes. Mop them dry using a paper towel.

Sweet corn kernels can be used much like a vegetable rather than as a cereal grain. In general, its whole or section of the cob may be served as a main dish. If you desire so to use only kernels in the cooking, then slice through the kernel base all along the central woody core to separate seeds from the cob using a paring knife.



Here are some serving tips:

  • Farm fresh, milky-stage sweet corn can be enjoyed as it is without boiled or steamed.
  • The whole corncob may be grilled and served with salt, lemon, and pepper seasoning.
  • The whole cob may be steamed, or boiled in salt water and served with butter or oil.
  • Boiled kernels are an excellent accompaniment to salads, pizza, pasta, risotto, stews, omelets, fried rice, rice pilaf, etc.
  • Sweet corn soup and chowder are favorite starters in almost all corners of the world.
  • Do not discard the water after boiling the cob. It can be used along with onion, carrots, parsnip, celery-stalks, etc., in the preparation of delicious vegetable stock.

Sweet Corn Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits

Safety profile

Allergic reactions to sweet corns are rare. It is free of gluten and can be a safe food alternative in celiac disease patients. Persons with high blood sugar levels, however, should limit sweet corn consumption in their diet since it carries lots of simple sugars.

The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this web site is for general information purposes only.
Source: nutrition-and-you.com
Thanks for sharing this!
What You Need to Know About Grass-Fed Beef 8 years ago
Vegan Protein Sources
Vegan Protein Sources 8 years ago
Top 10 Foods to Eat Before Workout 6 years ago
← Garlic – Growing Guide
Zucchini Fritters Recipe →

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Quiet Corner

Tags

All About Home Architecture and Design Beauty Tips Cats cooking design diet DIY DIY Tutorial DIY Tutorials dogs Do It Yourself easy to make fitness food garden garden ideas Gardening Gardening Tips health Health and Beauty health tips healthy food Healthy Recipes home Home Interior Houseplants ideas Indoor Plants interesting Interesting Facts Interesting News Interesting Things Keto Keto Recipes meals Nutrition Ornamental Plants pet pets plant recipe recipes tips Yard and Backyard
WHO WE ARE

Quiet Corner is your place for relaxation! Quiet Corner will help keep you informed and it’s the definitive resource for weight loss, smart nutrition, health and beauty, home and gardening and all little things that make life happy, filled with tips, tricks and recipes to get you the body—and the life—you want…

LATEST COMMENTS
  • Great plans for the perfect greenhouse design my wife loves!!! I
    KEN KOPP
  • Thank you for sharing this very knowledgeable information.
    Diana
  • Beautiful
    Christina Mary Wolstenholme
POPULAR ARTICLES
  • How To Grow Banana Trees In Pots 431 people like this
  • Small Garden Design – Tips and Tricks 397 people like this
  • Keto Peanut Butter Blondie 370 people like this
  • Homemade Keto Chocolate Chips 333 people like this
OUR PAGES
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled

    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

    Non-necessary

    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.