Popcorn black is an organically grown variety. Popcorn black originates from Romania. This old variety produces a large amount of very dark purple to almost black corn seeds. The small seeds are very tasty. To eat them, they can be prepared with butter and sugar or salt. The easy-to-grow plants ripen quickly. To let the seeds pop well, they should not be completely dry. A humidity of about 15% is ideal. Normally 3 - 5 cobs are produced per plant. This deliciously sweet tasting corn variety has a nice nutty and aromatic flavor. These plants are very beautiful to look at and the corn cobs are also very beautiful. The corn seeds have a firmer bite than the seeds of sweet corn. The taste is slightly less sweet than the taste of sweet corn. To grow well, the plants need a lot of warmth, sun and shelter. Also provide sufficient water and do not let the plants dry out. Give the plants a sturdy support. Like sweetcorn, popcorn should be set in blocks for optimum pollination. This unusual popcorn variety requires some processing before it can be eaten. Make sure the cobs are well ripened before picking. The cobs are ripe when the tassels on top have turned brown and the outer shell of the cob is yellow. The seeds inside the cob should feel hard. Let the corn dry in a warm, humid place. Hang the popcorn upside down to dry, but make sure they don't dry out completely. A humidity of about 15% is ideal. Without this moisture the seeds can't pop.
Use Popcorn black to make delicious, homemade popcorn. This can be done in a pan with a little oil. Put a lid on the pan and only remove the lid when the seeds have popped. Sprinkle the popcorn with some salt or sugar to finish it off. Non hardy annual. Height: 100 - 300 cm.
Indoor sowing: middle of March
Outdoor sowing: May - June
Germination: 10 - 14 days
Germination temp. : 10 - 20°C
Sowing depth: 2½ cm
Transplanting outdoors: May
Plant distance: 45 - 50 cm
Plant position: very sunny and sheltered
Days till harvest: 80 - 90
Sow indoors, for an early harvest, from the middle of March. Sow 1 little seed per pot approx. 2½ cm deep. Provide a temperature of 10°C. Less makes no sense. A higher temperature provides a quicker and better germination. Keep the temperature as even as possible and don't let the temperature drop during the night. Harden the seedlings of, by putting them outside in the sun during the day for approx. 10 - 14 days from the beginning of May. Or by putting them in a cold frame. Transplant the plants on a very sunny plot with some shelter from the middle of May. Put the plants in blocks to assure a good germination. Pop corn is a wind pollinator.
Sow outdoors from the middle of May, when there's no danger of nightfrosts. Sow the pop corn in rows and blocks to assure a good pollination. Keep the plants 45 - 50 cm apart and sow in rows approx. 45 - 50 cm apart.
Let the cobs get completely yellow and dried out on the outside before you harvest them. The grains have to be competely hard. Hang the cobs in a warm, moist and ventilated room for a couple of weeks to dry out. Leave them hanging untill the cobs have a humidity of approx. 14 % in the grains. The grains need enough humidity to let them pop. Test a few grains to see if they pop. Moisten the grains eventually with a little bit of water and give them a good shake. Don't plant sweet corn in the same area as pop corn. Because the cross-pollination can have a negative effect on the quality of the corn.
