When Is Corn Ready?

This is our first year of planting sweet corn and neither of us know how to tell when it's ready to be picked. A lady at church this morning said she picks hers when the corn silks die. Do you agree and if not how do you know? I hate to pull the shuck back to take a peek.

[Cyngbaeld]

It is much better picked early than late! When the silk turns brown take an ear and open it. The main kernals should be filled out.

[Mel-]

when the cornsilks die (dry out), pull off just a little of the shuck and push your thumbnail into a kernel, if juice squirts out it's ready.

after a while, you'll learn if it's ready by just the feel of the corn whether it is full or not.

Mel-

[southerngurl]

When the silks are brown, go ahead and open the top and poke a kernel with your finger nail. If the juice is clear, it's not ready, milky: just right, creamy: overripe. You should be able to feel that the top of the ear has filled out before you even open it. If you open them before they are ripe, it won't hurt anything.

[OD]

Don't wait too long after the silks start turning brown. I can never wait until they fill out really well, so we start eating it as soon as there are little blisters & we just keep on eating it until it's too tough to eat.

Be sure the silk is dry to the touch and not just brown. It can be dried on the ends of the silk and not all the way to the entry of the ear. If this is the case wait another day or two. Just be patient.

[Matt Black]

The day after the coons eat it.
M

Thanks for all the answers. I checked it a few minutes ago and I think it still has a few days to go. Will try again before the end of the week.

Matt: I haven't seen any coons out there, but there's a groundhog that comes visiting.......hope he doesn't eat until he 'pops'. (-;