How many ears in a bushel of corn?

In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “How many ears in a bushel of corn?”, discuss answers to other related questions like how can you estimate the corn yield and how long the corn takes to be done.

How many ears in a bushel of corn?

Bushel is a volume measurement for grain. It was not meant to be in terms of cubic feet but is currently considered to be about 1.25 cubic feet in volume.

An 8 inch (20.3 cm) ear of corn contains about 0.5 lb (0.23 kg) of corn grain, so approximately 112 ears of corn would equal one bushel. And one bushel of corn weighs 56 lb (25.4 kg). 

How many kernels on an ear of corn?

Corn kernels are the fruits of corn. One ear of corn contains approximately 800 kernels in 16 rows.

How can you estimate the corn yield?

The amount of corn produced in a field can be calculated by using the formula:

Corn yield (bushels) =Field size KPEEars1000 kernel size

How long the corn takes to be done?

How long the corn will take to be done depends on the freshness and sweetness, as well as whether it is still on the cob, in its husk, or shucked into kernels. So the type of corn and the amount of it determines how long you need to cook corn.

Type of corn

Different types of corn require different time frames to be cooked but it ranges from 2 to 10 minutes in general. But whichever type you use, resist the temptation to salt the boiling water, as this may harden the kernels.

Fresh corn

Boiling fresh corn needs 5 to 10 minutes. This time frame depends on the corn season. The sweeter and fresher the corn, the less time it takes to boil. This reduction in time is due to the high moisture content in fresh and sweet corn. 

Husked corn

Boiling corn in its husk takes a longer time, about 10 minutes. To boil husked corn, submerge it in boiling water and cook it for 10 minutes. Before removing the husk, wait for the ears to cool enough to handle them or use tongs. You will notice that the husk is easier to remove from a cooked cob than an uncooked cob.

Unhusked corn

Unhusked corn requires relatively less time to cook than husked corn. It needs a minimum of 2 minutes or a maximum of 5 minutes to cook unhusked corn. To boil unhusked corn, place the ears of corn in boiling water and remove them after 2–5 minutes, depending on the freshness and sweetness. The freshest, sweetest kind will take no longer than 2 minutes to boil.

Frozen corn

Frozen corn is convenient to use in stews and soups, or when you simply don’t have access to fresh corn. Unsurprisingly, frozen corn takes longer to boil than fresh corn. To cook frozen corn, add them to boiling water, lower the heat, and cook them for about 5–8 minutes until they are tender.

Frozen, shucked corn can be cooked in 2 to 3 minutes when added to boiling water.

Amount of corn

The amount of corn that you are going to boil also defines the time to cook it. The more corn you cook at once, the longer the boiling time. So it is better to cook corn in batches when you need to cook many cobs at once.

How to know when corn is done?

Corn is done just right when the kernels are tender and full of flavor. Cooking corns for too long toughens the kernels, which makes them chewy and lose their sweet flavor. But when the corn is undercooked, the kernels get too crunchy and not heated all the way through.  Therefore, it is very important to understand and to know when the corn is perfectly done.

When you are making corn, try to use a timer to be more exact. If you are cooking it on the grill or in the oven, set the temperature to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for about 15-20 minutes by turning them over every 5 minutes. When you are to boil corns, cook them for 3 to 5 minutes in boiling water and 10 minutes if the water was not boiling earlier.

When done, pierce the kernels with a paring knife. The kernels should be tender but not too mushy or tough. Examine the texture of the corns. It should be tender and a bit soft but crisp at the same time. 

Other FAQs about Corn that you may be interested in.

Why does corn not digest?

Why does corn have hair?

Can you eat canned corn without cooking it?

Conclusion:

In this brief guide, we answered the question “How many ears in a bushel of corn?”, discussed answers to other related questions like how can you estimate the corn yield and how long the corn takes to be done.

References: 

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