Corn Mega Factory: Processing Millions of Corn Kernels for Canned Corn

Introduction every year enough corn is harvested to fill 1.5 million olympic sized swimming pools but do you know how those golden kernels become the 150,000 tons of canned corn in stores it all begins with a Single Seed in the fields canned corn Selecting the Right Corn production starts with picking the right types of corn focusing on those with soft and sweet kernels for the best taste and texture farmers get the soil ready by plowing and adding nutrients corn seeds are then planted in rows with enough space for Healthy Growth in the United States sweet corn is usually planted in March and April the US is the biggest producer of sweet corn with about 268,000 Acres growing 2.9 billion pounds each The Importance of Timing year harvesting sweet corn needs careful planning Farmers pick the right time to harvest based on the type of corn and the weather the corn has to be just ripe enough to be juicy and soft but not too ripe or the kernels will become hard and less tasty timing is very important for canned corn sweet corn is usually harvested when the kernels are full and juicy called the milk stage which happens between mid August and mid October the silks on the corn should be brown and dry and when you press a kernel a Milky liquid should come out showing that the corn is ready it's important to harvest at the right time because if you wait too long the sugars in the corn can quickly turn to starch making the corn less tasty farmers use Harvesting the Corn special machines to harvest sweet corn a corn Harvester with blades at the right height is used to cut the cobs from the plant stems the front part of the Harvester has a tool called a corn head this tool has rows of rollers or plates that grab the corn stocks and gently pull the ears from the plants the machine can Harvest 140 tons of corn per day the stems are cut just above the ground and the cobs are then sent into a container the ears are moved onto chains that guide them from the Harvester to a truck driving next to it the truck driver works with the Harvester operator to keep the speed and position steady once the container is full the large pile of corn is moved to a truck that takes it straight to the factory for processing a single kernel of corn can produce a plant that yields more than 600 kernels after the cobs are harvested Arrival at the Processing Facility and sorted they are taken to the factory keeping the corn fresh is very important for a good final product that's why factories are often near the Farms to reduce transport time and keep the corn as fresh as possible the corn is canned within 4 hours of being harvested to keep its nutritional value at the factory the corn cobs go through cleaning and husking nearly 15 ,000 tons of corn are canned here each year in fact canned corn can retain up to 90% of the nutrients found in fresh corn making it a healthy and convenient Inspection and Dehusking option the process starts when fresh corn cobs arrive at the factory at this point keeping the corn fresh and in good shape is very important for a good final product trucks unload large amounts of corn at the plant and machines move the cobs onto conveyor belts workers then check the cobs to make sure they meet quality standards looking for any problems with color consistency or overall quality after this the corn cobs are prepared for the next steps shelling and canning this means removing the outer leaves and cob hairs the cobs are moved into the canning plant on a conveyor belt where machines designed to peel and clean them are used these machines quickly take off the leaves and hairs from the cob in just a few seconds the cob is completely clean brushes or air Jets may be used to remove any remaining husk pieces the cleaned corn cobs are then ready for the next step in the process did you know Kernel Removal corn cobs were once used as a substitute for coffee during the American Civil War after the corn cobs have been checked and prepared the next step is shelling the cobs are lined up and ready to be handled by the kernel remover this machine has spinning knives that strip the kernels from over 7,000 cobs an hour as the cobs move through the machine the blades remove the kernels in just a second each machine can remove more than a ton of kernels per hour twice a day the machines are stopped to check the blades clean them and sharpen them the kernels fall into the center while the empty cobs move to the sides the kernels then go into a rotating drum that takes out any pieces larger than the kernels themselves nothing is wasted corn waste leaves and cobs will be used later as animal Blanching the Kernels feed next the kernels drop into a mix of water and a liquid from cutting the corn this mix helps move the kernels without hurting them the kernels then travel along a conveyor belt with millions of them flowing like a river of gold after this the corn kernels are cleaned and checked again any damaged discolored or or lowquality kernels are taken out it's important to choose only the best kernels for the next step after shelling cleaning and sorting the corn kernels move on to blanching blanching happens after the kernels are removed it involves briefly putting the corn kernels in hot water or steam this step is important because it stops enzymes that can change the flavor and color of the Corn keeping it fresh the blank lanching takes place in a large cylinder where a screw moves the kernels through the process workers check the kernels to make sure they are good quality blanching usually takes about 4 to 5 minutes during this time the kernels are in boiling water which stops the enzymes and locks in the color and texture it's important to control the time and temperature carefully to avoid overcooking the kernels after blanching the kernels are quickly taken out of the hot water and put into cold water this fast cooling stops the cooking and helps keep the corn fresh and crisp the cooling also helps keep the natural color and prevents the corn from being Filling the Cans overcooked after the corn kernels have been blanched and cooled the next step is to can them this involves placing the kernels into cans that have already been cleaned and sterilized the canning process starts with making a brine or syrup solution which helps keep the Corn's flavor texture and color this solution is usually made from a mix of sugar salt and water thousands of cans of different sizes are brought to the filling area the cans are filled using a rotary filling machine which can handle 300 to 450 cans per minute any kernels that fall to the side are collected and put back into the filling line the corn kernels are placed into the cans filling them to a set level it's important to leave some space at the top of the cans known as head space to allow for the liquid and kernels to expand during the heating and storage process after the Sealing the Cans cans are filled with corn kernels and a mix of water salt and sugar this serves several purposes it keeps the corn fresh improves the flavor and makes sure the kernels are fully covered the liquid acts as a preservative and helps keep the Corn's quality to remove any air trapped in the cans a step called de aration is often used this creates a vacuum seal which stops spoilage and keeps the corn fresh once filled the cans are sealed with a special machine the double sealing process makes sure the cans are airtight preventing contamination and keeping the corn fresh some canning methods also briefly heat the cans to remove any remaining air which helps keep the corn from going bad the vacuum seal created during this process is so strong that canned corn can last up to 5 years without losing it quality after the cans are filled with Sterilization and Quality Control corn kernels and liquid they are tightly sealed this is usually done by machines that use heat and pressure to secure the lids the lids are firmly placed on the cans but the process isn't finished yet because important tests still need to be done these tests are done in a lab to check the quality of the product airtight seiling is very important to keep out bacteria and ensure the safety and quality of the canned corn the cans go through a sealing machine that uses heat and pressure to secure the lids the heat makes an airtight seal and the pressure ensures the seal is tight around the edge of the can forming a strong barrier against air moisture and germs the sealed cans are then cooked to make sure they are safe to eat this can be done using pressure cooking or hot water baths depending on what the canned corn needs the heat kills any remaining germs and makes the inside of the cans sterile after this the cans go through a sterilization process which is very important for food safety it gets rid of harmful germs and helps keep the canned corn fresh for a long time the sealed cans are placed in machines called autoclaves which use heat and pressure the doors are closed tightly and the process begins the cans are heated to 250° C for 4 to 6 minutes this heat kills any harmful germs and enzymes that could spoil the corn this step ensures the corn stays fresh for years after cooking the cans are quickly cooled to room temperature this stops the cooking process and helps keep the Corn's quality rapid cooling also prevents overcooking making sure the corn stays Labeling and Distribution crisp after the sterilization process is done the cans are taken out of the autoclaves and slowly cooled down cooling is important to prevent overcooking the corn and to make sure the cans aren't damaged by sudden temperature changes throughout the canning process strict quality checks are in place inspections and tests are done to make sure the corn meets the right standards for Taste color texture and safety metal detectors are used to find and remove any metal pieces that might have accidentally gotten into the cans during processing this step is very important to prevent contamination and keep consumers safe each can is also weighed to make sure it has the right amount of corn and liquid at this stage cans of sweet corn are ready to be labeled the labels show important details like the production date expiration date ingredients nutritional value and batch code after labeling the cans are packed into boxes this facility makes an impressive 42 million cans of corn allowing you to enjoy the tasty sweet corn all year round the boxed cans are then stored in places where the temperature and humidity are carefully controlled from there they are sent out to stores and supermarkets what's your favorite way to enjoy canned corn in your meals let us know in the comments below and if you enjoyed learning about the Journey of sweet corn from field to can give us a like And subscribe for more food stories and insights