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Sometimes the whole plant breeding arena and the information presentations from different suppliers can be overwhelming. As a leader in the sweet corn industry we wanted to take a moment and explain corn 101 and the evolution of the perfect ear…that great taste your customer is craving.
Sweet Corn – Our Quest for the Perfect Ear!
Over the last few decades, we have worked closely with sweet corn breeders to find varieties that deliver the optimal eating experience. We are now on the cusp of a major expansion of new varieties that deliver the ultimate sweet corn eating experience. Corn Flavor, Tender Pericarp (kernel), Sweetness and Long Shelf Life.
Our life long quest at The Hugh Branch Company is to provide consumers with an exceptional corn eating experience. All of our corn is bred using traditional methods. They are not genetically modified.
To illustrate the progress we have made, it may be helpful to take a historical look at the history of corn breeding.Sugary Enhanced Hybrids (SU and SE)
These varieties were in full production in the 70’s and 80’s. They contained the SE gene which significantly raised the sugar content of existing varieties (su) while retaining tenderness and texture. The downside of these varieties was shelf life. The eating quality deteriorated quickly making it difficult for our consumers to experience the quality of these genetics.
In summary, SE/SU Hybrids rated high in sweetness, flavor and tenderness but had very low shelf life. We were not satisfied!
SuperSweet Hybrids (SH2)
The Shrunken 2 (SH2) genetics replaced the SE/SU hybrids in many markets. Shrunken 2’s were bred to deliver higher sweetness levels than SE/SU varieties of old. Additionally, the SH2 gene blocks the conversion from starch to sugar. By doing this, the SH2 varieties had substantially longer shelf life than SE/SU genetics. The SH2, however, was noted to have a very “snappy” pericarp (kernel).
The SH2 was planted in mass quantity throughout the 90’s. Many are still in production today.
In summary, the SH2 hybrids are sweet, offer good flavor and long shelf life with a crunchy or crispy eating quality.
Super High Quality Sweet Corn Hybrids (SHQ’s)
In the last few years we have seen an emergence of the new Super High Quality corn varieties. We have trialed these varieties in many growing regions throughout the US. In our opinion, these varieties deliver the optimal eating experience by providing exceptional flavor, a high level of sweetness, a tender pericarp and long shelf life.
With the success of these items, we are introducing two new brands to the Hugh Branch Family: Gourmet Extra Sweet and Disney Garden Pixie Sweet. To qualify for these brands, a variety must meet our stringent standards. It must be a Super High Quality (SHQ).
