QUESTION: Why corn ears get less sweet when picked?

ECOC ECOC ecoc at
Tue Apr 18 17:57:24 EST 1995

Question:   Immediatly after an ear of corn is picked, it is very sweet when
eaten.    However, if you pick the corn and wait just one day before eating,
the corn is not as sweet, as it would have been had you eaten it immediatly.
My understanding is that the glucose in the corn is being converted into
starch after the ear of corn has been picked.   One way to retain the
sweetness of the corn is to first put just picked ears of corn in hot
water for a little while and then put the ears in a cold container.
How come this technique works?   What bio-chemical action is happening?
If possible, please e-mail the answer to me directly.   Thank you.

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