Joined: Jun 2011 Gender: Male Posts: 61 Location: Cedar Creek, North Carolina
Re: Glass Gem Corn « Reply #3 on Nov 25, 2011, 7:32pm »
Castanea it seems it must be hard to get. I was given a sample when I ordered some other seed from Heirloom Vegetable Seeds Seed Trust. They had a comment box at the end of the order process and I commented on the picture of the corn and they sent some complimentary. Go figure. But my grow out this year was successful and I have given away as much as I can. Four persons on this site have enough to make a good seed population for next year. I have enough to be able to give some more away next summer after my grow out. By this time next year we should be well on our way to many people on Homegrown Goodness having a sample to grow out. Two years from now it should be old hat.
Joined: Jan 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 1,879 Location: Zone 9b
Re: Glass Gem Corn « Reply #4 on Nov 25, 2011, 7:42pm »
After I posted that I looked for it all over the internet. Seeds Trust was supposed to have it for sale August 2011 but never did as far as I can tell. That's great that you are spreading it around.
Re: Glass Gem Corn « Reply #6 on Nov 25, 2011, 8:37pm »
I got some from gray, looking at the kernels I received they average a little bigger than your standard commercial popcorn kernel and are rectangular in cross section vs rounded like most popcorn although I don't know if kernel shape has anything to do with poping ability or just pericarp thickness. I will say that some of them are the closest thing to transparent I've ever seen in corn, they almost look like plastic costume jewelry vs living tissue.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 725 Location: N. Colorado, Zone 5a
Re: Glass Gem Corn « Reply #7 on Nov 25, 2011, 8:49pm »
I too was waiting for it to be available from Seeds Trust. I even emailed them, and supposedly i was put on an email list to be notified when it would be available, but that never happened. Not sure why. I'm still hoping to get some in the future. It's certainly a flint corn, i wouldn't be surprised if it popped fairly well.
Re: Glass Gem Corn « Reply #8 on Nov 25, 2011, 10:06pm »
Actually, it looks a lot like the Indian corn Ive been seeing around me for a while, the one I assumed was Wilda's Pride. And by "a lot like" I mean EXACTLY. It may actually be rather common around me. It's probably too late in the season to be finding Indian corn at the farmer's market now, but if everyone's desire for this is so ardent, I'll try and rememember to pick some extra up next year.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 725 Location: N. Colorado, Zone 5a
Re: Glass Gem Corn « Reply #9 on Nov 25, 2011, 10:32pm »
I've had similar Indian corn before too. It's not special enough that i couldn't breed my own. It's probably just a simple matter of selecting the clearest and most see-through kernels that happen to be nice bright shiny colors.
Re: Glass Gem Corn « Reply #10 on Nov 25, 2011, 10:58pm »
The "color" part is probably key. Based on the "palette" of the corn (the range of kernel colors possible) I have a feeling that Earth Tones is somewhere in it's ancesty; once you adjust for the fact than one is transparent/tranlucent and one is opaque, their color range is similar, and rather different from "conventional" Indian corn (most strains of which are a much more somber set of hues). That turquoise, green and orange are not common in most mixes. It it also is sort of important to take count of the ratio of the colors. Taking the stuff I have seen as a representative sample, a lot of it tends to very quicky get one color overwhelmingly dominant (usually white, yellow or blue) getting one with a good balance (like these have) is of times rare, so rare in fact, the last time I found one with good balace, I gift wrapped it and gave it to my cousin as a Thanksgiving present. And keep the pericarps clear, when you add in colored pericarp, those pretty colors tend to get really really ugly. As for the had thing, I'd say it's simply a matter of using the light trick (shining a light through the kernel) hard, glass starch let light though, soft doesn't so you can see the soft's "shadow" the smaller the shadow, the clearer and more glassy the corn will be. if all you see is a "lick" you probably alright. Oh and yes the stuff does pop pretty decently. one of the stippled strains I work with is sort of kissing cousin to this sort of stuff, and is just as glassy. I often popped the "failures" (the non stippled/mottled kernels and they popped okay (though with more old maids than a true popcorn would have). On thing for other cooking though, this glassy corn fractures quite easily when soaked so if it gets wet, then Jimmy or no Jimmy you will crack corn and you probably will care.
Joined: Jun 2011 Gender: Male Posts: 61 Location: Cedar Creek, North Carolina
Re: Glass Gem Corn « Reply #11 on Nov 26, 2011, 4:04pm »
Canadamike It grew about 8 feet tall. It averaged 2 ears but some had 3 or 4 small ears on multiple suckers. The ears were all about 5 feet off the ground which seemed good for keeping some predators away. My garden is fenced so I dont have trouble with such things as raccoons. I have not tried to pop it as I am trying to save as much as possible to do a large growout next year. Joesph said it looked like popcorn to him. He has some maybe he will chime in with his expertise and let us know his observations so far with the kernels he has looked at. It really is exciting to pick the ears and see the diversity of color. Each one is like opening a christmas present. I do not know much history on it. You can do a search and come up with the guys name, Greg Schoen who supposedly got it from some indian guy in oklahoma. Would be interesting to hear more on the history if this guy or someone from seeds trust would chime in. Gray
Joined: Jun 2011 Gender: Male Posts: 61 Location: Cedar Creek, North Carolina
Re: Glass Gem Corn « Reply #12 on Nov 26, 2011, 4:11pm »
CORNS [Seed Exchange] c/o Carl L. Barnes R.R. 1, Box 32 Turpin, OK 73950-9714 No web address. Info: $1.00 and SASE Carl and Karen Barnes, who have been collecting and growing corn for 50 years, started this exchange, which is devoted entirely to corn. And lest you think that means plain old ordinary yellow grocery-store corn, CORN has some remarkable things--old dents and flints, flour corns, popcorn, white, red, black, blue, orange, purple, and multi-colored corn, old Native American varieties, and plenty more. That's just part of what this exchange has to offer. The growers in this exchange maintain many other kinds of corn, save seeds (it takes some skill to keep corn varieties pure), and trade it with others who do the same. They also offer two or three varieties for a donation of $3.00 per packet.
Joined: Jun 2011 Gender: Male Posts: 61 Location: Cedar Creek, North Carolina
Re: Glass Gem Corn « Reply #14 on Nov 27, 2011, 8:29am »
Holly I think I read on an internet search that Mr. Barnes had died recently. He is the half indian man that had the corn. Maybe his widow is not doing the seed anymore. Thanks for the warning.
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