It’s a little late this year because of a muddy spring, but sweet corn has arrived on the stands, and the gorging has begun.

Sweet corn goes for upwards of $5 a dozen — but aficionados say there is nothing like fresh local corn.

Fenik’s opened Wednesday at 6413 Lake Ave. in Elyria Township.

“The quality is very good, it has high sugar content, and it should be plentiful,” said Pat Fenik.

On Thursday, Sweet’s Gourmet Sweet Corn put out its first-picked corn for sale at Lorain and Bagley roads in North Ridgeville.

But it could be a week or so before corn is available at Aufdenkamp Family Farm at 3275 North Ridge Road in Vermilion, said Richard Aufdenkamp.

“I usually have it by now,” he said.

This year, the first sweet corn in Northeast Ohio is probably offered by the Amish and Mennonite farmers, one agricultural expert said.

“They can get on the wet land with their horses and plant sooner than with a 25,000-pound tractor,” said Michael Miller, educator for the Ohio State University extension office.

Farmers were late putting in both corn and soybeans this year due to muddy fields that were “pretty close to pudding in consistency,” Miller said.

There was a lot of excitement a couple weeks ago when the first sweet corn landed at the Homerville auction in Medina County, Miller said.

“The guy who gets the first sweet corn on the market is going to make some money off of it,” Miller said.

Fenik said he takes great pride in being the first to open locally, saying the secret is being about three miles from Lake Erie.

“We’re the first to open and the last to close,” Fenik said.

Corn aficionados all have their favorite ways to eat the sweet, starchy goodness.

“We like it roasted on the grill with salt, pepper and butter,” Fenik said.

He said his Latino friends like to smear mayonnaise on the kernels.

Miller said it is too early to say if field corn, soybeans and other crops will be a big success in 2009.

Last year, there were worries about lack of rain, but the heavens opened just in time for a good overall harvest, he said.

Choices, choices

All growers and agricultural experts have favorites.

Silver Queen is the favorite corn choice of Miller and Amanda Denes, organizational director for Lorain, Erie and Huron counties’ farm bureaus.

Denes describes her perfect kernels as “the small white kind,” while Miller likes his corn full-grown.

Some varieties

White:

• Silver Queen
• Whiteout
• Sweet Ice
• Sugar Pearl

Yellow:

• Bodacious
• Kandy Korn
• Incredible
• Bi-Color
• Honey Cream
• BiQueen
• Sugar & Gold

Quickie

“I like something that I can really bite into — a big ear of corn … big and starchy,” Miller said.

Contact Cindy Leise at 329-7245 or cleise@chroniclet.com.

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