BENIHPERTIWI.CO.ID - Panen jagung manis dilakukan pada umur yang tepat untuk memastikan kualitas rasa terbaik. Sedangkan untuk panen baby corn atau "janten" dipanen pada tahap sangat muda, sebelum biji berkembang sepenuhnya.

Selain faktor waktu, cara panen janten dapat mempengaruhi pertumbuhan tanaman jagung manis selanjutnya. Kesalahan cara panen dapat menyebabkan kerusakan terutama pada pelepah daun yang berguna untuk fotosintesis.

Berikut Cara Panen Janten :

1. Waktu Panen yang Tepat

Baby corn dipanen 6–7 hari setelah munculnya rambut di tongkol atau sekitar 45–60 hari setelah tanam, tergantung varietas dan kondisi lahan. Jangan tunggu biji jagung terbentuk. Panen dilakukan saat tongkol masih sangat kecil, dengan ukuran sekitar 4–10 cm.

2. Ciri-Ciri Baby Corn Siap Panen :

Ukuran tongkol sangat kecil dan masih tertutup penuh oleh kelobot. Kelobot masih hijau segar, belum mengering, dan tidak ada tanda-tanda biji jagung yang mengeras. Rambut jagung baru muncul dan berwarna putih kekuningan, masih segar.

3. Metode Panen

Panen manual : Pegang janten jagung dan patahkan dengan menekuk janten ke satu sisi. Sisi yang dianjurkan adalah menekuk tongkol pada sisi janten yang tertutup pelepah lebih terbuka yaitu bagian A (Gambar 1).                

Dengan menekuk tongkol pada sisi tersebut, pelepah janten tidak akan patah dan bisa bermanfaat untuk perkembangan tongkol selanjutnya. Sedangkan jika menekuk pada sisi sempit janten yaitu bagian X, besar kemungkinan pelepah janten akan patah atau lepas dari batang jagung. Tips lain untuk menghidari pelepah patah saat panen janten adalah dengan merapatkan bagian pelepah daun ke batang jagung dengan tangan (Gambar 2), kemudian janten ditekuk agar lepas dari batang (Gambar 3).

Pastikan untuk memanen tongkol sekecil mungkin sebelum biji berkembang. Jika janten tidak dipanen tepat waktu, tongkol akan tumbuh menjadi jagung dengan biji yang lebih besar.

Janten dipanen sangat muda untuk mendapatkan tekstur renyah dan rasa ringan yang cocok untuk berbagai masakan, seperti tumis, sup, atau salad.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ke satu sisi. Sisi yang dianjurkan adalah menekuk tongkol pada sisi janten yang tertutup pelepah lebih terbuka yaitu bagian A (Gambar 1).