How Many Ears Of Corn Are In A Can? (And How Many Cups)
We absolutely love canned corn! It is a sweet and surprisingly nutritious product that has a very long shelf life. And, it is especially handy when you don’t have access to fresh corn cobs.
But, when a recipe calls for 1 cup of fresh corn, how much of the canned alternative can you use? Or, if you only have fresh corn, how do you substitute a can?
How many ears of corn are in a can? One can of corn kernels contains 1 1/2 cups of corn. This is also equal to 2 whole ears of corn that have been processed. So, knowing the conversions, you can now easily calculate exactly how much your can contains, and how much you need for your recipe.
In today’s jam-packed article, we will look at exactly how many cups are in various sized cans and even how many ears of corn they contain.
Then, we have also explained exactly how to make your own calculations so that you can determine what to use in a recipe!
What Is Canned Corn Made Of?
Canned corn is a preserved form of sweetcorn. Sweetcorn is a specific species of corn that also goes by names such as pole corn or sugar corn.
It is known to have a distinctively sweet flavor, which is why it quickly became the most popular corn varietal.
Sweet corns are picked (or harvested) when the kernels are still immature, also known as being at their milk stage. During the storage time, the sweeter flavors start developing as the ear of corn matures.
Then, when it has finally reached the perfect maturity, the best ears are sold as fresh whole corn on a cob, whereas the less-than-perfect ones are turned into various corn products, including canned corn or maize meal.
What Is Canned Corn?
Canned corn is a group of products made from harvested mature corn kernels. Once the ears of corn have matured, the kernels are sliced off of the cobs and stored in cans.
The benefit of this group of products is their extended shelf life and even flavor. These canned products can last several months, if not years if stored properly.Â
And, today you will even be able to find flavored canned corn products at your local grocery store. This makes it a lot better and easier to create unique and flavorful dishes with minimal effort.
Different Types Of Canned Corn
Naturally, these are a variety of types of canned corn, and we don’t just mean in flavor. The two biggest types you will find people often talk about are creamed corn and corn kernels.
Creamed Corn
Creamed corn is also known as cream-style sweet corn. It is made with whole corn kernels that have been mixed with a milky residue. This residue is obtained from pulped corn kernels that have been scraped off of the cob.
As the name suggests, this product is extremely creamy and is often further sweetened with artificial sugars. You will also see that the cans include colorants, flavorants, and other preservatives.
While none of those are fantastic, we cannot deny that we are still obsessed with cream-styled corn. So obsessed in fact that we can even eat it straight out of the can!
Corn Kernels
The second type of canned corn you can find, and the one most recipes call for, is plain canned corn. This product is made with harvested matured whole kernels that have been preserved in a type of brine.
This brine usually includes plain water, salt, and some natural juices from the kernels themselves. This liquid doesn’t really need any representatives, however, many companies do still add to further extend the shelf life.
Corn kernels are plain kernels – unflavored and unaltered. They are the perfect substitute for fresh corn kernels and can be kept on hand for years.
How Many Cups Of Corn Are In A Can?
The exact amount of cups in one can of corn will depend on the size of your can. You get many different sizes available, but usually, they are either 400 grams, 850 grams, or 3000 grams.
The reason that cans are often measured in grams and millimeters (as opposed to ounces) is because these measurements are extremely accurate. Especially when converting to cups.
Keep in mind, that there are many other sizes of popular canned products (especially corn) that are completely different. However, some only vary in a few millimeters.
Now, one standard tin of canned corn which measures roughly at 15 ounces will contain 1 1/2 cups of corn.
This number isn’t affected by which type of corn you have – cream-styled corn or corn kernels in brine. It is only affected by the size of the can.
A larger tin, which measures around 30 ounces, will contain about 3 to 3 1/2 cups of corn. And, the largest common can you can find (which is often used for catering) will contain roughly 11 1/4 cups of corn.
| Can Size | Content Weight (Net Weight) | Content Volume | Cups in Can |
|---|---|---|---|
| 72.9 mm x 106mm | 400 grams (14.1 oz) | 425ml (14.37 fl oz) | 1 1/2 cups |
| 98.9mm x 121mm | 850 grams (29.98 oz) | 882ml (29.82 fl oz) | 3 to 3 1/2 cups |
| 153.4mm x 173mm | 3000 grams (105.82 oz) | 3025ml (0.8 gallons) | 11 1/4 cups |
What If You Have A Unique Size Can?
This is exactly why grams work a lot better than ounces. You can work on 400 grams per can which give you 1 1/2 cups of corn.
So, let’s say you have a can of corn that has a net weight of 1200 grams. Then, divide this number by 400 grams. You will get 3 in this case.
Finally, you can simply times 1 1/2 cups by 3, which will give you 4 1/2 cups of corn in total.
How Many Ears Of Corn Are In A Can?
On average, in a 400 gram (15 ounces) can of corn, there are two whole ears of corn. Naturally, this doesn’t include the actual cob. It only contains the kernels of two whole corn cobs.
The size of the cob will also affect this to an extent. The average cob measures between 6.5 to 7.5 inches.Â
And in turn, one corn cob will give your roughly 3/4 cup of corn kernels. So, two ears will give you 1 1/2 cups of kernels, which in turn is equal to one can (15 ounces/400 grams) of corn.
| Can Size | Content Weight (Net Weight) | Content Volume | Ears of Corn in Can |
|---|---|---|---|
| 72.9 mm x 106mm | 400 grams (14.1 oz) | 425ml (14.37 fl oz) | 2 medium ears |
| 98.9mm x 121mm | 850 grams (29.98 oz) | 882ml (29.82 fl oz) | 4-5 medium ears |
| 153.4mm x 173mm | 3000 grams (105.82 oz) | 3025ml (0.8 gallons) | 15-16 medium ears |
How To Use Canned Corn
This depends entirely on what you want to do with the corn. If you want to use canned corn kernels inside of a salad, you can simply give them a rinse and pat them dry.
Then, you can either serve them as-is or pan-fry them in a few spices.
If you are making some type of stew, soup, or casserole, you could likely substitute the water in the recipe with the liquid (brine) in the can too.
Add the entire can (water and corn kernels) inside the mixture and allow it to cook. Adjust the flavor to your liking.
You can do a lot with plain canned kernels. You can roast them, saute them, pan-fry them, deep-fry them, and marinate them.
Serve them cooked or raw with your favorite dish. They will add a fantastic sweet flavor that complements especially salty and savory recipes.
Related Questions
Now that we’ve gone over how many ears of corn are in a can, let’s take a look at a few related questions on the subject!
Is canned corn healthy?
Canned corn isn’t as healthy as fresh corn because it has been processed. However, it does still contain many vitamins and minerals.
For plain corn kernels, just be aware of the sodium (salt) levels. And, for creamed corn, be aware of the sugar levels (added with sweeteners).
Do you have to cook canned corn?
You definitely don’t have to cook canned corn, regardless of whether they are cream-style corn or plain corn.
You can simply drain the corn kernels, pat them dry, and serve them as-is. Because they have been cured, they have softened and can be eaten.
Does canned corn make you fat?
Anything consumed in excess will lead to weight gain. And, because cream-style corn contains quite a lot of sugar, you should be especially aware of how much you consume.Â
Is corn healthier than rice?
Corn is technically a type of grain, although there are a few debates on whether it is a rather a true fruit or vegetable.
If compared to rice, it does have more sugars, and proteins, and is lower in carbs and calories. Whether it is healthier depends entirely on what you define as healthy and what your dietary needs are.
