When To Use Fresh Vs Frozen Corn For The Absolute Best Cornbread

At face value, cornbread is a relatively simple baked good with minimal ingredients, and it's among one of the oldest foods in the United States. Although now a fixture in the cuisine of the American South, cornbread's origins stem from the Native Americans, who either roasted or dried corn and then ground the kernels into meal for cooking. Corn was a staple crop grown in North America, long before wheat arrived in the late 1700s, so early settlers and colonists had to adapt to using cornmeal to make bread. Jumping forward to the present, we have a plethora of options when it comes to making cornbread, and some of the most delicious cornbread uses whole corn kernels in addition to cornmeal. 

So, if you want to try this, should you use fresh, frozen, or canned corn kernels? As with most ingredients, seasonal is best, and fresh, in-season sweet corn is the ideal option for making the most flavorful cornbread. However, if you're craving cornbread in January, it's better to choose canned or frozen corn over fresh. Most frozen produce is flash frozen, which means that the fruits and vegetables are harvested, then quickly blanched and frozen, helping to preserve both texture and nutrients. 

While it's usually available between May and September, sweet corn is generally at its best and sweetest in the late summer months of July and August, depending on where you live. If you're seeing sweet corn on the cob at your local farmers market, that's a great indicator to go ahead and use fresh corn in your next batch of cornbread. Pick up some figs at the farmers market this summer too, and try our unique cast iron fig cornbread recipe. Look for in-season herbs at the market as well, because, along with salted butter, cornbread is even better with a fresh herb dressing. 

When corn is out of season, particularly in the late fall, winter, and spring, it's best to use frozen kernels instead of fresh. Although you may see refrigerated corn cobs packaged in plastic at the grocery store during the off-season, it's best to avoid those as the longer fresh corn is refrigerated, the more sweetness it loses. When using frozen corn, be sure to let the kernels thaw completely then pat them dry before adding them to your batter. Try mixing in a cup of thawed corn to this sweet-and-savory honey sage skillet cornbread recipe by gently folding the corn in right after you've combined your dry and wet ingredients.