In fact, ears of corn hung by a home's entrance came to symbolize a triumph over hunger by indicating a plentiful harvest. The first reference to sweet corn in the US is in Thomas Jefferson's garden book of 1810. Here he writes that the corn was sweet only when just picked, quickly turning to starch. In fact, early cookbooks advised cooks to take their kettles of boiling water to the fields to capture the corn's full flavor. When shopping for fresh supersweet corn, look for ears that have been properly displayed in refrigerated bins.
Immaturity is indicated by soft, undeveloped kernels.
Such kernels lack full corn flavor when cooked. Overmaturity is indicated by large, excessively firm kernels that are usually deeper in color than at the most desirable stage. Worm injury is not serious when confined to tips. Because the husks draw moisture from the kernels, some retailers have begun to offer customers tray-packed corn which has already been husked, then wrapped tightly in plastic. As a result of the labor involved, this corn costs somewhat more but it is actually the optimal way to purchase supersweet corn.