While it is difficult to pinpoint just what exactly makes New Jersey grown corn so distinctively flavorful, there is no debate that the Garden State does produce the superior variety of this grain. Late summer Jersey corn has tender white or yellow kernels and a succulently sweet flavor. It’s a symbol of the hot season.

New Jersey sweet corn can be classified into four levels of sweetness. The standard sweet corn is sugary, or Su. The next most popular classification is Se, sugar enhanced, which most farmers sell at their stands. The other two classifications are supersweet and sweet breed, which is a cross between supersweet and sugar enhanced.

New Jersey ranked tenth in the nation last year for sweet corn production with about 78.1 million pounds grown on 7,100 acres of land. Impressive.

When: Jersey corn becomes available late June, and can be harvested through October. Sweet corn reaches its peak from July through the end of August. The freshest corn can be found at local farm stands around New Jersey.

What to look for: Ideally, you want to buy and eat your corn the same day it is picked, because the sugar in the corn begins converting into starch as soon as it is removed from the stalk. So the fresher the corn, the sweeter it is. When buying, look for ears that feel plump. The kernels should come all the way to the tip, have tightly spaced rows, be medium sized, plump, and milky if pricked. The silk at the top should be golden brown in color and slightly sticky. The more silk, the better. Husks should be bright green, and make sure the bottom of the ear, where it was detached from the stalk, is not brown, which would indicate that the corn is a few days old. Never buy husked corn.

Storage: Store your corn in the refrigerator, husks on, until you are ready to cook them. The cold temperature helps to slow down the sugar to starch conversion.

Preparation: Begin by removing the husk and corn “silks”completely. The most popular way to eat corn on the cob is to boil it. Fill a large enough pot with water, bring it to a boil, and place corn in boiling water. The amount of time they cook depends on your own preference, usually anywhere from three to seven minutes. Overcooking results in tough kernels. For grilled corn with a mild flavor, soak the corn in their husks in water for about a half an hour prior to grilling. Grill them for about eight to fifteen minutes, or until they are evenly heated. Husking the corn before grilling it will produce a more intense grilled flavor, only requiring about five to seven minutes to cook.

Peak season Jersey corn is best enjoyed slathered with butter and sprinkled with salt, and pepper, but that is not the only way! Give this recipe for corn salsa a try.

Kayla Calabro is a senior studying Culinary Arts at Drexel University and pursuing her love of creating specialty cakes.

Article photo by Edward Bottone, In Season photo by TimWilson via Flickr (Creative Commons), "Plate" photograph from FoodCollection/Getty Images.