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Illustrates: Will Leite
The term has nothing to do with the color, but with maturation: the corn is still “green”, that is, it is not ripe. Until it is at the right point to be harvested green, corn takes, on average, 90 to 100 days from planting, depending on its variety. It may seem strange to consume the product like this, but green corn is soft and, therefore, ideal for making juice, sweets and eating it on the cob. Most of the mature corn produced in Brazil is destined for the manufacture of feed for poultry, cattle and pigs. In the US, corn is widely used for ethanol production, as they do not have a climate prone to sugarcane plantations. It is worth remembering that, in terms of color, the two corns are the same, yellow – the greenish color is only seen when the ear begins to form on the plant.
Green corn is used in: canned goods, mush, cooked cobs, juices, curais, ice cream
Ripe corn is used in: cornmeal, grits, flour, oil, popcorn
QUESTION Alvaro, Portão, RS
CONSULTANCY Luiz Eduardo Veiga Lopes Jr., rural producer
Read too:
– Why does corn have “hair”?
– Why doesn’t all corn become popcorn?
– What is the origin of popcorn?