Nov. 09, 2011
Today, we’ll show you how Prima Bella’s popular sweet corn is cut, boxed, cooled, packed and shipped. Sweet corn has a high sugar content than other field varieties, which are harvested when the kernels are dry and mature. Sweet corn is picked when immature and eaten as a vegetable instead of a grain, and must be eaten while fresh, before the kernels become tough and starchy. California sweet corn is typically harvested on a weekly basis between April and October and is controlled by climate. Sweet corn takes 75 to 100 days to mature before it is hand-harvested and hand-peeled to provide the best quality.
Getting the field heat out of the corn is essential to the process and relies on hydro-cooling, the first step in effective cold chain maintenance. The corn is then taken to a cooler where it is kept at thirty-two degrees for twenty-four hours. During the value-added packaging process, each ear of corn is cut perfectly to fit into the retail container, which is then shrink wrapped.
Sweet corn's flavor profile includes excellent bite-depth, texture, cylindrical tips, straight kernel rows, and most noticeably, sweetness. Once the sweet corn has been packaged, it is ready to be sent to retail distribution centers and onto the supermarket. Once in the supermarkets, sweet corn should be kept away from overhead sprinklers, as the water can significantly shorten the vegetable's shelf life.
www.primabellaproduce.com
