Shoepeg corn facts for kids

Shoepeg corn is a special type of white sweetcorn. People love it because it's super sweet! Its kernels (the little corn pieces) are small and narrow. They are packed together tightly on the cob, but not in neat rows like other corn. This corn has a gentle, sweet taste. The kind you'll most often find today is called Country Gentleman.

Where Does Shoepeg Corn Grow?

Shoepeg corn is very popular in certain parts of the United States. It's especially well-known in the Southern states.

A Pioneer in Canned Corn

A long time ago, a man named Malcolm Mitchell from Maryland helped make canned shoepeg corn famous. His family's company, F.O. Mitchell & Bro., Inc., started way back in 1903. They sold a brand called Mitchell's Shoe Peg Sweet Corn. You can still find this brand today!

The Mitchell family sold their brand to another company, Hanover Brands, in the late 1980s. The area where they first grew and processed this corn later became a military testing site. This happened after the U.S. joined World War I in 1917.

How Did Shoepeg Corn Get Its Name?

The name "shoepeg corn" comes from an old term used in making shoes. This was back in the 1800s.

What is a Shoepeg?

In those days, shoemakers used small wooden pegs. They used these pegs to attach the bottom part of a shoe (the sole) to the top part. The kernels of shoepeg corn look a lot like these tiny wooden pegs! That's how the corn got its unique name.

What Can You Do With Shoepeg Corn?

Shoepeg corn is a common ingredient in many dishes. You'll find it in salads and other corn recipes. This is especially true throughout the Southern United States.

Fresh or Canned?

It's not very well-known in other parts of the country. Sometimes, you might find fresh shoepeg corn in certain areas. But most of the time, it's sold in cans.

Good for Fishing!

Did you know shoepeg corn is also great for fishing? It's considered the best type of corn to use as bait for catching Sockeye salmon.