What's the difference between canned and frozen corn?

[neeter]

Hi, I'm thinking about making the buttercrust corn pie this weekend. The recipe calls for fresh corn kernels, but to save time I bought canned corn and frozen corn kernels. What's the difference?
Is one better for cooking/baking then the other?

Thanks so much!
Anita

[Chefmom]

Um, the true difference is that one is...um...frozen and the other is...um...canned!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Okay, I know, personally I think it's a matter of preference. I like canned corn and I use it just straight up, or in recipes. Fresh corn is wonderful, but not available all the time, and not so good fresh corn can swear you off corn for a long time.

It's a personal thing, if you like canned corn over frozen, then use what you prefer in the recipe. I have always thought Del Monte's "Summer Fresh" or something like that was the closest to a lightly blanched fresh corn. But, naturally there are plenty of people who will say that frozen corn is the best.

The moral is, use what you like!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Tami

[Jewel]

I've been the the Food Industry for quite a while, and I can tell you that if you want the closest to fresh, use frozen. Canned has been 'processed' and has added sodium, even though it varies in the amount. Frozen veggies and fruits of any kind have usually been frozen within hours of being picked. There are actually times that frozen veggies are fresher than fresh! Sometimes the stuff in the produce bins at the market have been sitting in a warehouse for awhile before it's brought in to the distributor, before it's brought into the actual store. When frozen properly, the bagged fruits and veggies are fresher.

For the past 5 years I've been in the business of making the freezers that freeze meats, veggies, fruits, you name it! Those trucks arrive at the plant (say DelMonte) generally within a few hours, but normally a maximum 12-18 hours after being picked. The veggies are loaded onto the conveyor, then flash frozen, bouncing around on a bed of air (to keep them from sticking together like in the old days...remember the block of peas?) and then bagged.

If I can't buy GOOD fresh, I buy frozen! Guess I've been in the business long enough and toured enough plants to see enough for me! Just my opinion... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by Jewel (edited 06-11-2001).]

[Ralph]

Well said, Jewel!

I also remember reading many moons ago that the vitamin & nutrient content in frozen veggies is better than that of canned, unless you're looking for salt! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[makedah]

There was a recent article in Shape (was it Shape?) refuting the idea that canned veggies had less nutrition than frozen. Too bad I don't remember where my article is now.

Anyway, I have recently switched to frozen (when I can't get fresh), but I don't like the texture of cooked frozen corn (in soups/stews its okay). I'm going back to canned corn for eating straight-up. I always get the kind with no added salt or sugar -- sugar in corn? blegh! And I simply can't abide frozen green beans -- but now, the canned taste yucky to me, too!!!

[BosunsWife]

Just chuckling out loud here. Makedah, I just read an article in Parents magazine that said that canned and frozen are much better than fresh. I think it just depends on what magazine and what source you want to read. Its like most anything, you can always find something you want to hear if you look far enough.

[BosunsWife]

Ditto on what Jewel said. Also, IMO store canned veggies for the most part taste nasty. The only ones that I can abide are canned green beans - the frozen ones taste like cardboard.

Oh, to live close to mom, I adore her home canned green beans.

[This message has been edited by BosunsWife (edited 06-11-2001).]