How Many Kernels In An Ear Of Corn?

Summer may signify hotter days, barbecues with friends or family, days by the lake or floating down a river. Plus, lots of different fresh produce to enjoy that is finally in season. One of those is the long-awaited corn on the cob — marking that summer has arrived. Corn needs a lot of heat to grow and is harvested and ready to eat during the summer months. If you love this vegetable, corn on the cob is probably a common accompaniment on your lunch or dinner plate, or maybe it's the side dish that you look forward to at barbecues.

If you're a fan of corn, nothing quite compares to a fresh, just-picked cob that can be boiled, and then slathered with butter, salt and pepper, or maybe you prefer to savor the flavor without any additions. When this ingredient is available at farmers' markets or in the produce aisle of your local grocery store, you may want to add fresh corn to other recipes. If you eat canned corn throughout the year, measuring out just how much you need per recipe is easy, but a fresh ear of corn isn't as obvious or simple when it comes to knowing the equivalents.

If you plan to use fresh corn, it can be tricky just by looking at an ear of corn to know how much you'll need, especially if a recipe calls for a specific measurement, such as a cup. How many ears of corn do you need? Well, it turns out that there is an easy rule to make buying corn and cutting off the kernels for your pasta dish, soup, omelet, or even salad. 

According to the Food Network, "one ear of corn equals about 1/2 cup corn kernels." Knowing this equivalent of how many kernels on average are on one ear of corn will make shopping for fresh ears of corn so much easier. If you're easily inspired and think up a fun dish while out grocery shopping, now you know exactly how much to buy. Or if your favorite recipe calls for corn and you usually use canned corn, but want to savor the season and add fresh corn kernels instead, now you know exactly how many ears of corn to buy.