Are Field Corn and Sweet Corn the Same?

The kind people eat on the cob (typically in the summertime) is known as sweet corn (Zea mays convar. ... Field corn, also called cow corn (because it's used to make cow feed), is taller than sweet corn and has thicker leaves. It stays in the fields until the kernels are dry, mostly because it's easier to process that way.

What is the difference between sweet corn and field corn?

Sweet corn, bred for its sweet taste, is harvested when kernals are at the milk stage and are fairly high in moisture content. Field corn is harvested when the kernels are hard and relatively dry and is used as a starch for animal feed.

Can you eat field corn like sweet corn?

Fresh Field Corn

You can also eat field corn just like you eat sweet corn, boiled or roasted and slathered with butter and salt. ... Since the planting and care of field corn plants is the same process as growing sweet corn, you can plant both kinds and enjoy an extended harvest.