When is sweet corn and tomato season? Peak summer vegetables at the farm
Short version: vegetable picking runs about Jun to Oct, and sweet corn and tomatoes peak in late summer. Ripe sweet corn has dry, brown silks and full kernels that squirt milky juice when pressed. Ripe tomatoes are fully colored and still firm.
When is sweet corn season?
Sweet corn is a mid to late summer crop. University of Minnesota Extension says ears are ready about 18 to 24 days after the silks first show, depending on weather, and most varieties take roughly 65 to 90 days from planting. Farms that plant in waves keep picking going for several weeks.
How do you tell sweet corn is ripe?
Nebraska Extension says to pick when the kernels are completely filled and in the milk stage, with dry, brown silks. Press a kernel with your thumbnail: milky juice means ready, clear juice means early, and paste means past its best. Traditional sugary types turn starchy fast, so eat them the day you pick. Supersweet types hold their sugar for days in the fridge, per UMN Extension.
When are tomatoes ready?
Tomatoes need a long, warm, frost-free season, so farm picking usually starts in mid summer and runs until the first frost. Nebraska Extension says to pick when fruits are fully colored and firm. In very hot weather near 90°F, tomatoes can soften before they color fully, so pinkish ones are fine to finish on the counter.
How do you store them?
Keep sweet corn cold and eat it soon. Keep tomatoes at room temperature, out of the fridge, until ripe. UMN Extension notes tomatoes are one of the easiest foods to can at home.
Where can you pick sweet corn and tomatoes?
We list 220 vegetable farms. Some that mention sweet corn or tomatoes:
- Everitt Farms, Ringoes, NJ
- Szalay's Sweet Corn Farm, Peninsula, OH
- Moelker Orchards & Farm Market LLC, Grand Rapids, MI
- Skelly's Farm Market, Janesville, WI
- Bolkeys Farm Market, Erie, PA
- Carter's Produce Farm Market, Pettisville, OH
- Filasky Farm, Aquebogue, NY
- Freedom Valley Farms, Freedom, NY
- Mobilia Fruit Farm, North East, PA
- Moseley Roadside Market, Warrens, WI
- Pangratz Farm Market, Girard, PA
- Sabol Farm Market, Girard, PA
See all vegetable farms near you.
Quick questions
When is sweet corn in season?
Mid to late summer. Ears are ready about 18 to 24 days after the silks appear, per University of Minnesota Extension.
How do you know sweet corn is ripe?
The silks are dry and brown and the kernels are full and squirt milky juice when pressed with a thumbnail.
When are tomatoes in season?
From mid summer until the first frost in most of the country. Pick when fully colored and firm.
Sources
- University of Minnesota Extension: growing sweet corn
- Nebraska Extension: when to harvest fruits and vegetables
- University of Minnesota Extension: growing tomatoes
General guidance, not advice for a specific farm. Farm rules, prices and dates vary, so check with the farm.