Everything you need to know about... sweetcorn! - Fun Kids

Hi there, and welcome to another tasty episode of… the Morrisons Fruit & Root Crew, where we’re on a mission to uncover some of the stories behind the hero seasonal food we eat – from juicy fruits to veggies with va va voom.

It’s August – the sun is shining, the fields are tall, and we’re munching on one of the brightest and sweetest treats of the summer.

Here’s a clue… it’s not ice cream. Can you guess if our hero is a fruit or a veg? Only one way to find out!

Let’s Spin the Peel of Fortune!

This month’s hero is a fruit – the one and only… Sweetcorn!

Golden yellow, bursting with flavour and totally tasty. Sweetcorn is the king of barbecues and lunchboxes alike.

Do I need to clean my ears out though? Did it say FRUIT?

Yes, you heard right – Sweetcorn is technically a fruit. And it’s kind of a grain too… one that’s called maize. You’ll find sweetcorn everywhere in summer – in salads, on barbecues and maybe even growing in your own garden!

Let’s dig into some…

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FRUITY FACTS!

Did you know that sweetcorn grows faster than almost any other crop, with stalks shooting up several centimetres a day in peak summer. Some people even say you can hear it grow on hot nights – a gentle creak-creak as it stretches!

Sweetcorn was first grown by Native American tribes over 9,000 years ago. It made its way to Europe after explorers brought it back from the Americas – and we’ve been munching it ever since!

Incredibly, each corn cob has an even number of rows – usually 16, and about 800 corn kernels in total. Every kernel has its own silk strand – that’s the stringy stuff you find when you peel it! And it gets stranger than that…

In old times, people thought rubbing cornmeal on bee stings and boils could help heal them. And corn isn’t just for eating – it’s also used in fuel, fireworks, plastic, glue and even chewing gum. Honestly, it’s the secret ingredient to everything.

Did you know there’s a world record for the most corn kernels eaten in one minute using a cocktail stick? It’s currently 80.

That’s enough to make your teeth rattle!

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DOWN ON THE FARM!

Hey there! My farm in West Sussex grows sweetcorn.

In August, our fields are full of tall green stalks topped with silky tufts – that’s how we know it’s harvest time! Sweetcorn needs warm soil, sunshine and well-drained ground to grow well. We plant it in spring, and by late summer the ears are plump, juicy and ready to go.

We harvest the corn when the kernels are soft and milky – that’s when they taste their best. You can tell it’s ready when the husk turns slightly dry and the silk goes brown.

To keep things sustainable, we rotate crops, avoid pesticides where possible and sometimes even plant special wildflower borders to keep pollinators happy.

And here’s a cool fact – each stalk usually only grows one or two cobs, so we need a LOT of plants to feed all you hungry corn lovers!

Once picked, the sweetcorn is chilled to keep it sweet and sent off to shops and markets all over the country.

GET IN MA BELLY!

Sweetcorn isn’t just tasty – it’s totally versatile.

You can keep it simple – boil it and smother it in butter and salt
Or grill it for something different with spicy Mexican Corn on the Cob
Make a creamy sweetcorn chowder on cooler nights
Or turn it into sweetcorn fritters with cheese and chilli – yum!
For warm days, try Sweetcorn Confetti Salad
You could try a Mexican Street Corn Pasta Bake
How about a Creamed Sweetcorn Rigatoni
And don’t forget popcorn! Though that’s from a different kind of corn, it’s still part of the same family.

So whether it’s sweet, savoury, spicy or buttery – sweetcorn’s got a golden ticket to your plate.