Shoepeg is an old name for the open pollinated white sweet corn, today sold mostly as Country Gentleman. It is still used commercially for creamed corn.

Thanks so much, farmerdilla! You are just a wealth of information on this forum. In what part of the country do you live? I am curious about your pea pictures on another thread. Did you plant these in the fall?

Hill billy from Virginia, been here in Georgia for the past 15 years. Peas (Vigna unguiculata) I plant from late April til early July. English peas (late November - early December)and mid winter ( February).

I think the dent(field) variety Pencil Cob was also sometimes called shoe-peg. It certainly has that shape of kernel.

Not that I buy any canned veggies to speak of, but I was at a Kroger store the other day, and a can of Freshlike brand White Shoepeg corn caught my eye. I know Freshlike is Dean Foods, based I believe in Wisconsin, so I don't know if it's available in all areas of the country.

I always thought that it was because of it's distinctive shape.

farmerdilla, I am a hillbilly too! I graduated from High School in Kingsport, Tennessee, which sprawls over into southwest Virginia. Thanks for your response, I do believe I will try some sugarsnaps next fall (early spring too).

donna. I know the area fairly well, used to stay in Kingsport, when I worked Gate City. loved to drive up route 23, and then head over the mountain to Jonesville on 58. always tried to spend a couple of hours at the Natural Tunnel. You might want to use the snap peas for spring rather than late fall. I only use the smooth seeded cultivars for late fall. Folks in Southwest Virginia, grew antique varieties long after they had lost favor in most of the country. I bet there are still quite a few folks growing Shoepeg/Country Gentleman. Howling Mob is in the same category, but I never knew anyone who grew it. At some of the craft shows, you might even find a cobbler who uses shoe pegs.

It is my understanding that it is called shoepeg because the kernels don't line up in rows like standard corn.

It's called shoe peg because at one time pegs were used in the construction of shoes. These pegs were used in the sole of the shoe. Shoepeg corn gets it's name from the resemblence of the individual kernels to shoepegs.