RSS
Home
Silver Queen corn
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
A cornfield. (photo by Stephanie Berghaeuser)
Resources
A lot of Marylanders feel that it just wouldn’t be the Fourth of July without a big steaming plate of fresh picked Silver Queen corn. Introduced in the1960s, Silver Queen was one of (if not the) first corn types to be promoted by the variety name. Yet, Silver Queen is becoming scarcer, with some farmers selling other sweet corn labeled as Silver Queen. Many people now are so used to buying these other types of corn that a lot of customers no longer know what genuine Silver Queen actually looks or tastes like. Luckily, the seeds are available through garden supply companies and you can easily grow Silver Queen in the home vegetable garden.
The Silver Queen of Maryland legend is a sweet, high yielding white corn variety. The ears are large (about 9” long) and typically have between 14-16 rows of kernels. In the eGforums, member foodiehall said that the kernels resemble “small translucent pearls so tender that the corn is almost as good eaten raw as it is cooked.” This corn is very tender because the kernels are thin skinned. Many rhapsodize about the milky sweet taste. Residents of other states report a scarcity of Silver Queen in their areas, but it is still grown and sold on Maryland’s Eastern shore.
Sweet corn comes in three types, the breakdown of which is related to genetics. The categories are regular sugary corn (SU), sugary enhancer (SE) and super sweet (Sh2). Silver Queen is SU, but most foodies prefer SE corn types because these varieties combine the best attributes of the other two. Also, the sweetness in SU varieties tends to break down very quickly and this does not make it a good candidate for sale because it often cannot be picked, sold and eaten within the same day. Farmers are now turning away from Silver Queen for other, sweeter varieties. Silver Queen also has a tendency to be plagued by corn earworms. Plus, other corn varieties are early types that also have a shorter growing season. This allows them to be on the table by the 4th of July.
Many types of corn that vendors label Silver Queen are actually other varieties of white sweet corn. It is as though the name has become a generic term for sweet white corn. Some of these are much sweeter than Silver Queen, catering to many American’s taste for more and more sweetness. An AAES study found that only a few participants could identify Silver Queen from other white sweet corn varieties. Many rated the other corn varieties as better tasting. Yet, in other studies when participants were asked to name a sweet corn variety over half named Silver Queen.
Growing Silver Queen corn yourself is perhaps the best way you can enjoy the genuine taste of this Maryland tradition. It is a late season corn and is easy to grow. It is highly productive and adapts to many different growing conditions. Plant it in blocks of 4 or more plants to ensure pollination. Late varieties like Silver Queen can be planted as late as the first week in July, so if you missed out on this Maryland treat you can act quickly and still get a crop in. Plant the seeds about 1 inch deep and about 9-12 inches apart. Beware of planting too close to other varieties of corn or cross-pollination may occur. It should be ready to harvest in just over 90 days. Then you can quickly cook and eat it in the way it was intended-quickly, and before the sugar turns to starch.
Related Articles:
Comments
