corn
Also known as: Sweet corn, can yellow corn, sweet whole kernel corn, white corn
A sweet vegetable grain, eaten as fresh kernels (on or off the cob) or used dried and processed into cornmeal, masa, and other products.
Buying guidance
Frozen shoepeg corn if your store has it: a white variety with small, narrow, tightly packed kernels, sweeter than yellow corn and better at holding its texture. Frozen whole-kernel white or yellow corn is the everyday substitute, and needs no thawing. In anything long-cooked, add corn near the end -- it is usually the one element meant to stay distinct.
Substitutions
- Frozen yellow sweet corn -- completely fine, marginally less sweet.
- Fresh kernels cut from the cob, about 4 ears to the pound -- best in season; they need only a few minutes, so add them at the very end.
- Canned whole-kernel corn, drained -- softer, but perfectly acceptable.
- Cream-style corn in place of part of the whole kernel -- makes a stew thicker and sweeter; a deliberate change of direction rather than a swap.
Tips & common mistakes
Corn's sugar starts converting to starch the moment it's picked, so ears used within a day or two of purchase taste noticeably sweeter than ones that have been sitting around -- buy it close to when you'll cook it rather than stocking up. Simmered or boiled too long, the kernels turn tough and chewy instead of staying juicy and snappy.
Storage
Keep fresh ears in their husks and refrigerated -- the husk slows both moisture loss and the sugar-to-starch conversion, though even husked ears fade within a few days. Cut kernels dry out fast and belong in a sealed container in the fridge; frozen kernels need no thawing and can go straight into a hot pan.