no yellow colored flour corn

[blueadzuki]

Yes that would be it. Different corns differ in the hard/ soft starch ratio and the position of the deposits of each even on the same ear (which is, I suppose why "flour/flint is it's own type from either flour or flint, and how you can have "cap corns" (corns with a similar starch ratio to a dent but no dent itself.). Yellow flour corn would have to have a thin layer of hard to be yellow.

The purple endosperm gene however, is in the soft starch. It's rare, as I said, but it is there.

[12540dumont]

Try Leaming's Yellow or Reid's Yellow. That said, Hickory King, Texas Gourdseed, or Cherokee White will always be my MOST beloved flour corns.

[flowerbug]

Mar 16, 2020 14:04:58 GMT -5 12540dumont said:

Try Leaming's Yellow or Reid's Yellow. That said, Hickory King, Texas Gourdseed, or Cherokee White will always be my MOST beloved flour corns.

we don't grow corn here for a number of reasons, but i'm curious as to what you consider the properties of these particular corn varieties that makes you so fond of them?

[12540dumont]

I always have 3 criteria for beloved seeds:
1. Taste
2. Easy to Grow
3. Reliability

If it doesn't taste good, why bother? These 3 flour corns are just yummy. Remember Flint to boil, dent/flour to bake. I'm more of a baking person. That doesn't mean I don't eat polenta, I do and love it. I just think that flour corn is superior for baking, and it's easier to grind.

Easy to grow. I'm busy. It's a big farm with lots to do and not much help. I don't have time to wean things along. These 3 corns, I planted from seed, fertilized twice, hoed the weeds twice and watered once a week. I got enough corn to share for 9 families, seeds for the freezer, seeds for friends, and plenty to eat.

Reliable. I've planted these every other year without a hiccup. They've survived drought, wild pigs, errant children, gophers, and stupid interns.

Farm help is any oxymoron. Like Steev says, they show up if they "feel like it", work if they're not too busy checking their phone or if it doesn't get too hot, too cold, too much like hard work. I'm a fussy employer. I expect people to show up wearing shoes.

These corns are very tall. That said, they are plants to be reckoned with at the end of the season. To that end, I pick and chop the same day. They make a monster compost pile. And they are much easier to chop when green.

[steev]

Yeah, showing up is #1 on the list of good worker's traits; I had a very good helper for a few weeks, then he stopped coming, no notice; my policy is come or call that you're not, or I'll look for somebody dependable, as my clients expect of me. Luckily, a former helper (often finding me workers) called to ask could I employ his youngest brother (17, as was he when he first came); OMG this kid is green as grass; we went to a client with a large pink magnolia over the front lawn, huge numbers of fallen blossoms; he gets out the mower; I took the manual edger over to him, telling him to use it first, and went around back to see what needed doing there; coming back out, I found him trying to rake the blossoms with the edger; I showed him what to do with it and pointed out that we have a rake in the truck, which he's used. Not the dumbest thing a helper has done, but definitely a contender. Oh, well, 17 and looking at the world through his bellybutton. I hope it's not too long until I hear that "POP" when he pulls his head out.

[flowerbug]

i was gardening as a kid and mowing lawns for extra $ from age 10 until 13, at which time i went to work for the family business in the summers. rest of the time i kept mowing lawns when i could.

gotta get 'em to leave the phones at home.

thanks for info on corn, i certainly understand about not wanting to have to baby a plant.  that is one reason why we don't grow corn here.  just too hard to keep the raccoons from raiding and to keep the seed lines clean enough because of how much GMO corn is grown around us.

[DarJones]

Got to put in a plug for Cherokee Squaw as a corn variety that is really useful for chicken feed. I've made blue corn tortillas from it as well.

I was going through corn seed Sunday and found one from South America that is a distinctive pale yellow flour corn. It was labeled as a Cuzco mix. I got it from someone on this forum several years ago. Unfortunately, I don't think the seed is viable after 10 years in storage. Does anyone have something similar in their stash?

[12540dumont]

You mean something similar to Cuzco or something 10 years old?

[DarJones]

hmm, Well if you had seed that was stored 10 years, it would not be likely to germinate so I guess I was asking if anyone has Cuzco.

[blueadzuki]

I have a whole BAG of Cuzco and then some and could get more (given that bodegas are immune from the lock-down). Th problem is that 1. Cuzco itself isn't usually yellow (though I have a handful that are yellowish) and 2. Pure Cuzco won't grow around here, or pretty much anywhere except the Andes region. I think what you were asking was if anyone had any of whatever that mix was (i.e. a part Cuzco that could actually grow here) and I don't have that.

[blueadzuki]

Oh assuming you meant Cuzco Giagante (the quarter sized white kerneled corn). Cuzco de Huactay (Mountain Cuzco) can be yellow.

[12540dumont]

Actually, I got an 80% germ out of the stuff in the freezer from 2011. But I was just pulling your tomato Dar.

[Joseph Lofthouse]

The Cuzco that was shared around the forum some years ago was 96% pure with an introgression for day-neutral flowering. I think that yellow color is awesome!!! Definitely unique.