Sweetcorn for Summer

November 2025

We are now on the tailend of our spring season and things are looking wet. We’ve had a lot of heavy showers of rain this spring so planting has been slow.

Sweetcorn is still standing strong though, and we’re looking for a good sweetcorn season! It’s one vegetable that kiwi’s love every summer and we can’t wait to bring it onto the market.

Sweetcorn loves the heat. It grows best in regions that have consistent warm soil temperatures so it has good germination. And while we have had a lot of rain, it still has been warmer than other parts of the country – our typical subtropical climate!

Growers usually have a tight window of sweetcorn picking, and it takes practise to know the right moment to pick a crop. Picking too early, means not all the cobs are filled out so a team has to go through for a second pick.

So how do you know when the cobs are ready to pick?

Our field teams start by watching the size of the cobs forming as well as the silks; the silky strands at the end of the cob. When they’ve gone from pale and silky to brown and dry, the cob is nearly ready for picking.

Giving the cob a gentle squeeze through the husk, as this way you can feel if the kernels are plump and properly filled out to the end of the cob. When the crop is nearing its picking time, one of our field team will check a selection of cobs by peeling back a small section of the husk

They are then packed into crates, stacked and ready to be sent directly to wholesalers to ship out to your nearest supermarket store!

How should you store your corncobs?

For maximum flavour, it is best to store your cobs in the fridge inside their husk. This preserves them for longer and by leaving the husk on it means the kernels don’t dry out.