Sweet white corn is one of the most versatile summer vegetables.
If you're used to traditional yellow corn, try switching it up this summer with sweet corn.
You can use it in your main dishes, sides, and even desserts.
Here's everything you need to know about cooking with sweet white corn:
Sweet White Corn Secrets and Tips
Like its name suggests, sweet white corn has a sweeter flavor than regular yellow corn.
It makes the perfect addition to salads, chowders, tacos, and pizza. You can always grill it and eat it off the cob, too.
Sweet white corn gets its flavor mostly from sucrose.
After harvesting, the sucrose will start turning into starch, causing the corn to lose its sweetness. To get the sweetest corn, buy it locally and cook it as soon as possible.
Keeping your white corn cold will help to maintain its sweetness as well.
White corn is in season from summer to fall. Buying and cooking corn in season will guarantee that your recipes are as fresh and delicious as possible.
At Hitchcock Farms, we vacuum-cool our sweet white corn immediately after harvesting to keep it at peak freshness while it travels to you.
6 Great Sweet White Corn Dishes for the Summer
While corn can be delicious on its own, you might be looking for fun new recipes to switch things up.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways you can incorporate sweet white corn into your summer meals.
Here are six of the best dishes to try out this summer:
1. Grilled Corn Salad
Grilled corn adds both sweetness and heartiness to your summer salad.
This salad recipe is packed with flavor and nutrients from sweet white corn, hazelnuts, and ricotta salata.
You can cook the corn on the grill or the stovetop to give it that classic char.
Extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, basil, and kosher salt finish up this recipe and pull all of the flavors together.
This salad can be served at room temperature or chilled. It'll even taste better the next day as the flavors continue to mingle.
2. Mexican Street Corn
Also known as elote, Mexican street corn is one of the most delicious and indulgent ways to enjoy your sweet white corn.
This Mexican street corn recipe uses only six ingredients: corn, Mexican crema, cojita cheese, limes, cilanro, and chili powder.
All you have to do is grill the corn, smother it with crema, and sprinkle the other ingredients on top.
If you're making this recipe for a group, you could even set up a street corn bar where everyone can add the toppings to their liking.
Elote is best enjoyed hot off the grill, but you can reheat it in the oven if you wrap it in foil.
3. Corn and Chicken Chowder
Corn chowder is an absolute crowd-pleaser.
The roasted chicken adds extra protein and substance to this recipe, and the heavy cream gives it even more richness. Celery, onion, potatoes, and scallions also give flavor, texture, and color.
You'll need a blender or food processor to puree some of the cooked corn and thicken the chowder.
Corn and chicken chowder is a great recipe to make in large batches. It's perfect for large family dinners, potlucks, or meal prepping.
Serve the chowder with cornbread, toasted corn tortillas, or sourdough on the side.
4. Corn Salsa
If you're looking for a light summer side dish, you have to try this sweet corn salsa.
You don't even have to cook the corn, so keep this recipe in mind for those hot summer days when you can't bear to turn on the stove.
Red onion, lime, cilantro, chili powder, and cumin pack this salsa full of flavor.
You can adjust the ingredient proportions based on your own preferences. If you like spice, add some extra jalapenos.
Let the salsa marinate for a little while before serving so all the flavors come together.
5. Corn and Tomato Gnocchi
This corn and tomato gnocchi is the perfect recipe for pasta fans.
Gnocchi, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, and garlic roasted in foil packs is a delicious summer treat.
Instead of grilling the foil packs, you could even roast them on a campfire.
This recipe calls for store-bought gnocchi, but you could make your own for maximum freshness.
6. Sweet Corn Ice Cream
To truly embrace the sweetness of white corn, why not turn it into a dessert?
Making sweet corn ice cream is a somewhat time-intensive process, but it can be a fun summer project with fantastic results.
Pureed white corn adds sweetness to your ice cream while also giving it some more nutritional value.
Top your sweet corn ice cream with your favorite syrups or candies to make a sundae, or serve it in a waffle cone.
Get Inspired With Your Summer Cooking
If you're looking for new meals this summer, try out these recipes.
White corn is healthy, versatile, and full of flavor.
We hope you find inspiration in these recipes and enjoy adding sweet corn to your summer meals.
FAQs
What is the difference between regular corn and sweet white corn?
Yellow corn and sweet white corn have many similar nutritional properties, but there are some key differences.
Corn is classified by how much starch it contains.
Compared to traditional yellow corn, white corn has fairly low levels of starch, but a lot of the starch it does contain has been converted into sugar. This gives white corn its distinct sweet flavor.
Another difference between white and yellow corn is their beta-carotene contents. Regular corn has more beta-carotene, which gives it its yellow color.
Is white corn healthy for you?
White corn has lots of valuable health benefits.
It contains dietary fiber, which promotes digestion and helps regulate your blood sugar levels.
White corn is also full of potassium, iron, vitamin C, and other nutrients.
Like all foods, white corn can play an important role in your diet when combined with other nutrient-dense foods.
Is white corn a fruit or vegetable?
Although most of us think of corn as a vegetable, you might hear different answers depending on whom you ask.
According to the USDA, fully mature corn is considered a grain. However, they consider fresh corn to be a starchy vegetable.
If you ask most botanists, though, they'll tell you that corn is a fruit because we eat the seeds derived from the flower of the plant.
Regardless of whether it's a fruit, vegetable, or grain, it's a great ingredient to include in your summer recipes!
