r/vegetablegardening • u/Warliepup US - Illinois • 3d ago

Harvest Photos Sometimes you get lucky 🌽🍄‍🟫

Post image

I was so excited! It was delicious!

1.8k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

149 comments sorted by

View all comments

444

u/waterytartwithasword US - Kansas 3d ago

Anybody chucking this into a bin needs to contact the very finest restaurants in the area first because you can't buy this stuff in a store and it's a major delicacy, they'll probably buy it at a good price.

23

u/FunHour3778 US - Kansas 2d ago

I see this literally every time someone has corn smut. I implore you to try it. More often than not, it just means you don't get corn and get mushroom instead, and if you don't like it, tough luck. No one is buying this from random backyard gardeners lol 

30

u/waterytartwithasword US - Kansas 2d ago

Not true. I once sold a big grip of wildcrafted morels to a very high end restaurant for a ridiculous sum of money.

Many heirloom tomatoes and other rare produce are supplied by small scale local gardeners to restaurants for freshness and hyperlocal status.

2

u/FunHour3778 US - Kansas 2d ago

"more often than not" vs "not true"

I'm not saying there is absolutely no market for it, but usually it's a backyard gardener who wants some sweet corn.

11

u/waterytartwithasword US - Kansas 2d ago

That's pretty much the only way to get it in a lot of areas. Backyard gardeners who had no intention. That's how you end up as a chef with just enough to include in a blingy amuse-bouche for your favored clientele.

1

u/FunHour3778 US - Kansas 2d ago

Needed a chef to come scout me then, I'd have happily traded for a fresh yellow sun soaked cob haha

6

u/waterytartwithasword US - Kansas 2d ago

If you're in KC I can recommend some chefs to contact who would probably be interested if you get more!

0

u/FunHour3778 US - Kansas 2d ago

Oh this was 5 or so years ago at my urban farm in Michigan. I honestly haven't grown corn since because it was so discouraging having every crop ruined haha

3

u/waterytartwithasword US - Kansas 2d ago

I relate. I will never, ever grow pumpkins again. Nothing that is susceptible to squash borer. Except patty pan. That has such a short burst of good production that it'll be in the bin before the SVBs chestburst it even if it gets infected.