Sweet corn may be yellow, white, or bi-color. Consumer preference has been trending toward bi-color and white. 

Harvest at an immature stage with milky liquid rather than doughy when kernels are pressed.

Sweetness degrades rapidly; ears should be cooled quickly and may be held for a few days at 32°-34°F, 95-98% RH with chilling injury potential at 31°;  Supersweet, sh gene corn may be held for up to 3 weeks.

Quality Specifications

Sweet corn cobs should be well filled with uniform kernels, juicy, not overly mature or dimpled. Husks should be fresh, green and crisp. Little to no evidence of insects or disease. Sweet corn degrades quickly once picked.

Common Quality Issues

Poor pollination results in uneven kernels; the tip of the cob may have poor kernel fill due to high temperatures during silking.

Brown, dry, or flaccid husks may indicate old sweet corn or product that was not handled appropriately postharvest. 

Dimpled kernels indicate old ears