Listen closely: Here’s how to pick the perfect ear of sweet corn.

The crispy delicacy has come into season at area farms and the Downtown Lawrence Farmers Market.

Aliza Green’s book, “Field Guide to Produce,” offers these tips for choosing sweet corn:

¢ If the producer is OK with it, pull back enough of the husk to expose the kernels. They should be full rows of pearly, rounded teeth. The rows should be evenly spaced and milky all the way to the tip of the ear.

¢ Husks should be bright green and fit snugly.

¢ Silks should be dry, not soggy.

¢ It’s OK if there is a worm on the ear. “Just cut off the tip and enjoy,” Green writes. “It has probably chosen the sweetest ear for you.”

¢ Try to buy corn quickly after it’s been picked, because the sugars turn quickly into starches.

¢ Prehusked corn may be old or tough, and the quality of prepackaged ears is difficult to gauge.

¢ Avoid corn with flattened, tightly packed kernels. It will be starchy because it’s overmature.

¢ Find recipes that include corn on page 3C and at ljworld.com.