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Standard sweet corn is a mutant type of corn that varies from field corn by a mutation which causes the kernels to accumulate more sugar than field corn and significantly less starch. Today several hundred sweet corn varieties are available. The newer varieties of Supersweet corn contain three to four times more sugar than traditional sweet corn varieties and retain their sugar and flavor for up to two weeks after harvest, when stored correctly.
The Supersweets, have two main advantages over the other types: 1). it is at least two to three times sweeter, and 2). the conversion of sugar to starch is negligible, thus this corn type will remain sweet up to 10 days after harvest if cooled properly, then refrigerated. Because of these advantages, the supersweet varieties are the superior variety for shipping to distant markets.
Sweet corn comes in three colors: yellow, white and bicolor (yellow and white). Cross-pollination of yellow kernel varieties with white kernel varieties will result in production of bicolor corn. Also is a bicolor is cross pollinated with a yellow variety, kernel color will be predominantly yellow. Although there are geographical preferences for certain kernel colors, there is no relationship between color and sweetness.
Sweet corn is produced in about half of our states. Almost 50% of United States production comes from the Southern supersweet region. It is graded right in the field where it is picked and then packed in crates or a trailer, rushed to a cooling facility for quality assurance.