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  • From: andrea davis-cetina <andrea.m.davis AT gmail.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Help my popcorn won't pop
  • Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2015 14:01:22 -0800

I am at a lost with my popcorn this year.
I have been growing heirloom popcorn for the last couple of years with no problem.
In the past I have hung the popcorn ears from the rafters by their husk and let them dry a couple of weeks Then I would have the shelled popcorn for sale around the 2nd week in Nov.

But this year I decided to dry them by removing the husks and putting the ears in cardboard boxes. I should have known I would not get good air circulation but the fall harvest is such a busy time, it just seemed so quick and easy. Every week I would test a few kernels on the stove top but just 1/3 would fully pop

After a few weeks lot of the popcorn started to develop mildew. So I cured the ears in the oven for 2 hours at 170 degrees. 

I'm worried I over dried them, as the popcorn is still not popping, during my stove top test just 1 in 3 pop, and 2 out 3 just crack. But when I test the popcorn that I did not cure I get basically the same result or better with sometimes 2 in 3 pop.

This year I started harvesting my dakota black popcorn on Oct. 3rd and finished by Oct. 18th

Any ideas or suggestions on how I can save my popcorn crop?

Thanks in advance,
Andrea 

Quarter Acre Farm
Sonoma, CA




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