Does Iowa Sweet Corn Have Even Rows On Each Ear?

The later part of July through the end of September is one of the sweetest times of the year for sweet corn lovers. And, in Iowa where corn is king to its queen pork, corn on the cob becomes the candy to any meal.

There are dozens of ways to enjoy this hand-held delight which overshadows the physical makeup of what our farmers deliver each year.

I dare you to deny that after you've lathered your cob of choice, with each bite you begin counting the rows. This may very well have been in your early years eating sweet corn but you most likely tried to count the number of kernels too.

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You're not alone. I'm guilty as well.

Just so you know, the average ear of sweet corn has 16 rows. Yes, always an even number. Go ahead and count the number of kernels in one row. I'll bet you come up with 25 to 35. Maybe more.

One of your dinner table assignments for the kids can be to count all the kernels on their ear of corn. They should come up with around 800.

What is the good and bad part of sweet corn? First, your cholesterol will not spike as corn is cholesterol free. However, corn is high in sugar and starch. But also a great source of vitamin C and A, potassium, thiamine, and fiber. Plus corn is very high in antioxidants.