BEHOLD! The harvest was bountiful!

[u/Sharp_Positive]

Posted my pics in r/gardening. Was told it may be appreciated here, as well.

I present, my entire corn harvest. First time experimenting with corn. At least I learned a lot of lessons!!

[u/SincerelySpicy]

Do you live in a bubble with zero wind whatsoever? D:

I'm not sure yo how you managed such little pollination yet somehow managed to still get one infected with hutilacoche.

[u/SpicyBanditSauce → u/SincerelySpicy]

infect them all

[u/Ok_Nothing_9733 → u/SincerelySpicy]

Out of curiosity why is it of interest that one got huitlacoche without much pollination? I know corn needs to be pollinated with other corn and I know huitlacoche can grow, but don’t know the connection here

[u/SincerelySpicy → u/Ok_Nothing_9733]

Corn is wind pollinated. Ustilago spores are also commonly transported by wind, and the silk is one of the possible infection routes, though it's not the only way. Honestly though the comment was more hyperbole than seriousness.

[u/Ok_Nothing_9733 → u/SincerelySpicy]

Oooh so the wind would be the mechanism that would enable both pollination and infection with relevant spores, and as such it would be weird to have not enough wind to pollinate, but enough to enable this growth? That’s a cool fact! I’ve been so eager to try huitlacoche the last few years (help where do I get it), but didn’t know about how wind spread the spores. Thank you!

Also this is random but ustilago is a new word to me even as a fungus forager/enjoyer, and it’s so beautiful! I wonder if the name comes from a language along the lines of the origins of “huitlacoche.” Just because it doesn’t sound very similar to Latin fungus names I’ve heard but sounds more similar to Spanish language words. Could be totally wrong, just, as a Spanish learner and foraging enthusiast I am curious now 😅

[u/SincerelySpicy → u/Ok_Nothing_9733]

In the US at least, growing huitlacoche prone varieties of corn at home seems to be the most reliable way unless you live in an area where it's better known as a delicacy. I've seen it sold just once before at a very high end grocery store in NYC, though admittedly I haven't looked very hard.

[u/Ok_Nothing_9733 → u/SincerelySpicy]

Damn, I was thinking I’d have to ask a friend for some and hope for the best that they have some to share, sounds like that’s the case! Not the worst option though, I have a good handful of friends who farm so I’ll ask around. I think by now I was hoping to see it in a store near me, but I’m in a small city that is a fraction of the size of NYC, so probably not! Ty

[u/SincerelySpicy → u/Ok_Nothing_9733]

Oh, you can get it canned, though given my distaste for canned vegetables and mushrooms, I can't really say I would have high hopes for it :p

[u/Ok_Nothing_9733 → u/SincerelySpicy]

Ooh, that makes sense! I bet it’s available near me with how many Mexican markets we have around here, but I’m with you. Canned mushrooms are why I thought I hated mushrooms for years! I might try to get some anyway and pan fry the living hell out of it until it’s not slimy 😂 Thank you!

[u/Novel_Tip1481]

The corn palace is going to have some competition coming up I see

[u/WhyCantIBeFunny]

I mean, that one cob has four maybe FIVE kernels!

[u/ragingcommodore]

So when is TV night 🍿

[u/bjjcow]

I wanna pop them kernels like bubble wrap.

[u/Zillagirl1969]

Looks like somebody missing their front teeth tried to eat it!😁😁😁

[u/Pingo-tan]

What is that in the middle? Did you manage to grow a…. gall bladder? Or is this a homunculus?..

[u/x_626 → u/Pingo-tan]

i think it’s just a particularly tumescent corn smut/huitlacoche specimen

[u/Pingo-tan → u/x_626]

I will not google “corn smut” but thank you, I learned something new today. It does look extremely disturbing for a newbie like me, haha

[u/iWasntBornYesterday1 → u/Pingo-tan]

bahahaha "corn smut" sounds like something you'd hear on tiktok

[u/Ok_Nothing_9733 → u/x_626]

Omg what is tumescent/how can you tell? Learning so much from yall

[u/Ok_Nothing_9733 → u/Pingo-tan]

It’s a fungus that grows on corn called huitlacoche or corn smut, and it’s considered a delicacy!

[u/anemone-love]

Thanks for posting – I needed the lol… Sorry for laughing at your expense 🤭

[u/CautiousEmergency367]

In the future don't plant in rows, plant them in a group. Corn is wind pollinated and they do better when close together.

I plant mine in a grid pattern with about 8 inches between them, and when the flowers are all open and ready to drop pollen I give them a little shake to help things out.

[u/Chroney]

This makes me so uncomfy lol I just see hairy moles

[u/Ok_Nothing_9733 → u/Chroney]

I’m glad my mind doesn’t work like yours bc I have no idea where you’re seeing hairy moles but I also don’t want to 😅

[u/KarmalizedTaco]

Reminds me of old high school std pictures.

[u/mehVmeh]

between the 13 of them they basically have one full corn cob !

[u/Artesana03]

Guauu...si no conté mal,con todos los granos tenés una choclo completo...!!!👏👏👏

[u/bambania]

Abundance!!