what makes corn sweet?

Answer 1

The most important factor is genetics. The sweet corn varieties that we grow have been carefully selected so that the sweetness and tenderness we humans desire in sweet corn are bred into the seed. In the past 15 or so years, super sweet corn has been increasingly prevalent. In the past, sweet corn was at its peak at the moment it was picked; the old adage was to have the pot of water boiling on the stove before you picked the ears of corn, so you could cook them immediately. It is true that the sugars in the corn start to turn to starch when the ear is detached from the stalk, but the deterioration in the newer varieties is much much slower than in the old fashioned kind. The newer sweet corns can spend days in the refrigerator without getting unpleasantly starchy, while the older kinds would not be great a couple of days after picking. Some old-timers say that the new super sweet corns are surely sweet but somehow not "corny," and I don't want to argue that point.
No matter what kind you grow, though, there's nothing like freshly harvested corn on the cob! Try grilling it, too!

Answer 2

The sugars in the corn, also called endosperm. Within an hour of picking, the sugars begin to turn into starches. While different varieties are sweeter than others, you should eat corn right after picking for the sweetness, or else blanch and freeze it to preserve the sweetness. Kandy Korn is a good variety, but there are many.

Answer 3

It`s the starch in the corn that makes it sweet. You can have different varieties of white corn which i think is sweeter then yellow corn. You have white and yellow varigated corn also, but starch breaks down into sugar to make it sweet.

Answer 4

The variety of the corn. The amount of natural sugars and starches in the corn.

Answer 5

There is sugar in the corn. When you pick it the sugar starts to turn to starch. So preparing it as soon as possible after it is picked will be the sweeter than say a couple days later~more starchy.