Corn, or “maize,” is one of the planet’s most popular crops. The United States produces approximately 332 million metric tons annually. It comes in two major types: field corn, which provides starch for products like cornmeal and corn oil, and sweet corn, which is sugar-rich and eaten as a vegetable for its taste. To keep it flavorful and high-quality, you must cool it rapidly and consistently to avoid sugar converting into starch.
General Information About Handling Your Harvest
Sweet corn is highly perishable and requires immediate cooling to reach consumers while still fresh. If not cooled properly, it quickly becomes tough and starchy, losing its appeal. Here are key cooling factors:
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Respiration and Degradation: The natural respiration speeds up with temperature. At 90°F, the rate is eight times higher than at 32°F. Harvesting in the cool, early morning can reduce this, conserving energy by lowering cooling needs. Another method involves immersing in cool water right after harvest.
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Moisture Retention: To maintain moisture, trim sweet corn neatly to remove shanks and flag leaves. This prevents kernel denting and preserves taste. Cool water treatment aids in moisture retention.
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Sugar Content: The sweetness comes from its sugar content, which starts converting to starch post-harvest. This conversion is four times faster at 50°F than at 32°F, emphasizing the need for refrigeration throughout its journey to consumers.
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Storage: Under optimal conditions of low temperature and high humidity, sweet corn can last 5 to 8 days. Newer supersweet varieties extend this period.
Cooling Methods
Basic room cooling is insufficient for rapid cooling. Preferred methods are:
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Hydrocooling: This method involves submerging corn in near-freezing water to quickly remove field heat. It’s most effective with a high temperature differential; cooling by about 20 degrees in 20-30 minutes. Subsequent cooling takes longer.
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Packing Ice: After initial hydrocooling, using ice around the corn helps achieve further cooling efficiently, saving energy. Use roughly one pound of ice for every five pounds of corn.
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SEMCO/SEMCOLD LLC offers high quality hydrocooling and icing systems that are ideal for cooling. Our systems and product lines can be customized to suit the capacity needs and other specifications of each our clients.
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