As someone who has endured hot and muggy weather for many summers in Northern Illinois, I never knew of this phenomena known as "corn sweat".

I found out that corn is getting a bad reputation as of late, particularly field corn. The next time you drive by a farmer's field here in Illinois, with corn growing as far as the eye can see, don't look at it with anger.

Many people noticed noticed that this summer was warmer and muggier that usual.  Experts have attributed the muggy weather it 'corn sweat'.  Corn sweat is the moisture given off by corn that evaporates into the atmosphere. This moisture adds significantly to the humidity.

The Star Tribune reports that this past summer, extra moisture was piped out of the ground and into the atmosphere due an larger acreage of corn crops reaching peak maturity.

Evapotranspiration, the technical term for "corn sweat." The American Meteorological Society defines it as "the combined processes through which water is transferred to the atmosphere from open water and ice surfaces, bare soil and vegetation that make up the earth's surface

Did you know that during the growing season, 3,000- 4,000 gallons of water are released into the atmosphere, each day in Illinois, per acre of corn...that's a lot of humidity. Humidity, more than heat, is what makes us feel uncomfortable.

For me, I'll take the extra humidity for some great tasting sweet corn.

BONUS VIDEO: How to Choose the best tasting Sweet Corn without peeking inside the husk!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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