All stories from this date's edition of the web site are listed in the column to the right of this text. To browse other previous editions, click HERE . The first time I planted sweet corn, I had a choice of planting open-pollinated varieties such as Golden Bantam and Country Gentleman or hybrids like Iochief and Silver Queen. Thanks to research at the University of Illinois, the choice expanded in the '70s to include two new categories of sweet corn. Peak flavor also lasts longer, both in the garden and after picking.
Some people think supersweet varieties are actually too sweet, with less real corn flavor.
Sweeter than standard varieties but not as sweet as supersweets, sugary enhanced sweet corn doesn't require isolation from other varieties. The shelf life of sugary enhanced sweet corn, although longer than standard varieties, isn't as long as that of the supersweet varieties. That makes more of a difference to commercial growers than to home gardeners, though. Now, just in time for the 21st century, there's another brand new class of sweet corn that combines the virtues of the others. Honey Select, winner of an All-America Selections Award for 2001, is one of the new Triplesweet hybrids.