- Jersey sweetcorn on sale in the UK
- The local crops mean the produce is available two weeks earlier than usual
- Did you know? Check out our sweetcorn facts below
- Try our sweetcorn recipes from Waitrose
SHOPPERS in the UK will this week be able to buy British sweetcorn two weeks earlier than usual – thanks to the crops grown in sunny Jersey.
About 100,000 cobs are expected to be sold in Morrisons supermarkets over the coming weeks.
They have been grown by family business Woodside Farms, which is run by Trinity farmer Charlie Gallichan, who stepped in to fill the gap left by Amal-Grow following its closure last month.
Mr Gallichan and other farmers got together in February this year when Amal-Grow announced that it would cease trading in July. Woodside Farms invested millions of pounds in new equipment to ensure that the Island’s supply of local vegetables continued.
Morrisons, who say it is the first sweetcorn crop in Jersey to be grown for export, turned to Island suppliers to meet demand, which has grown significantly during the last decade.
They say that Jersey’s warm, sunny and relatively dry climate combined with sandy soil and the shelter provided by the Island’s small, hedge-lined fields, creates ideal growing conditions for sweetcorn and puts the local crop several weeks ahead of those in the UK.
David Bartle, sweetcorn buyer at Morrisons, said: ‘Britain’s love affair with sweetcorn carries on growing.
‘Only a decade ago, this was a niche product.
‘Our Jersey crop is going to be excellent. It is had lots of sun, light rain and little wind.
‘The cobs will be bright yellow, juicy, and with a big sweet taste.’
Sweetcorn was originally grown in the USA and Australia and British farmers only started to grow the vegetable for UK supermarkets in the 1970s.
Around 2,500 hectares of UK farmland are now devoted to growing sweetcorn, which include areas of Kent, Norfolk, Sussex and Worcester.
- Corn was first grown by Native Americans more than 7,000 years ago in Central America.
- Sweet corn leaves were used as chewing gum by Native Americans.
- Corn is grown on every continent except Antarctica.
- Corn plants typically grow 7 to 10 feet tall. Sweet corn plants are several feet shorter.
- One acre of land can produce 14,000 pounds of sweet corn.
- Its a good source of vitamin C and A, potassium, thiamine and fiber, and very high in antioxidants.
- Corn is a 100% whole grain.
- Corn is high in natural sugars/starches.
- One average ear of yellow sweet corn equals 86 calories. [/breakout]
