Sweetcorn

Sweet corn occurs as a spontaneous mutation in field corn (otherwise known as maize, which is what’s used to make polenta) and was cultivated by several Native American tribes. In 1493, Christopher Columbus returned to Europe with corn seeds, but the familiar tins didn’t make it to our shores until the 1960s and it wasn’t grown commercially here until the 1970s! 

We don’t often grow sweetcorn ourselves, as it takes up a lot of space for a crop that provides only one or two harvests. The Barcombe badgers love it when we do though and despite modern varieties not losing their sugariness as quickly (gone are the days where you’d have to literally race from the plant to the already boiling pot to prevent it turning starchy) we think you can taste the difference when it’s as fresh as can be.  

If it’s a year where we’re prioritising something like celeriac in our fields, we do all we can to get hold of some, still in its husks (nature’s perfect packaging), from other local growers.
Whole, organic sweetcorn is hard to come by, and whilst the frozen stuff is more than adequate for things like chowder or fritters, Sussex grown ears will improve any tried and trusted recipe. Of course, nothing beats chomping on a cob dripping in salty butter or olive oil! We also recommend slicing the kernels off and charring them in a pan to top tacos, or use in stuffings, and rather than chucking the tough cores, let them impart a sunny sweetness to your summer stocks.