“Corn Sweat”: What Is It and Why Has It Made Your Summer Stickier?

Chances are, depending on where you live, you have stepped outside at some point in the last few months and immediately regretted trading the comfort of air conditioning for the heat and humidity of summer. Chances are also that at some point in the not-too-distant past, you have consumed corn in some form – on the cob, popped, as oil – maybe even while Sweating due to the heat and humidity mentioned above.

These two summer probabilities are inextricably linked, especially in the Midwest, where millions of acres of farmland are used to support the nation’s large corn industry. Even though people expect uncomfortably muggy days in the summer, the high temperatures and sticky dew point readings in states like Iowa, Minnesota and Kansas are the direct result of a little-known agricultural and environmental phenomenon called “corn sweat.” Yes, corn does indeed sweat, and when it does, millions of people feel the effects.