Sweet Corn Cultivation Sweet corn is a variety of maize with a high sugar content and prepared as a vegetable.Unlike field corn varieties, which are harvested when the kernels are dry and mature,sweet corn is picked when immature (milk stage) and eaten as a vegetable, rather than a grain. Since the process of maturation involves converting sugar into starch, sweet corn stores poorly and must be eaten fresh, canned, or frozen before the kernels become tough and starchy.Sweet corn occurs as a spontaneous mutation in field corn and was grown by several Native American tribes. It soon became a popular vegetable in southern and central regions of the United States.The kernels are boiled or steamed. In Europe, China, Korea, and Japan, they are often used as a pizza topping, or in salads.Corn on the cob is a sweet corn cob that has been boiled, steamed, or grilled whole; the kernels are then eaten directly off the cob or cut off. Creamed corn is sweet corn served in a milk or cream sauce. Sweet corn can also be eaten as baby corn.