What to use instead of corn
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Sweet kernels with a pop, in a salad, saute or salsa
The kernels are cooked briefly so the skins stay intact, and the burst of sugar and juice against a charred edge is the whole point of esquites.
Frozen corn kernelsRan out
1:1 by volume, thawed, patted dry and seared in a dry pan
Nearly as sweet as fresh, since it is frozen within hours of picking. It carries surface water, so the pan has to be hot enough to char rather than steam.
Canned corn, drained and driedRan out
1:1 by volume, seared 4 min
Softer with no pop left and a salty, tinned edge. Searing hard puts some colour and flavour back, and it never regains the texture.
Peas or shelled edamameRan out
1:1 by volume
Sweeter and greener with a firmer pop that holds up in dressing for hours. No starch, so a saute stays looser.
Diced jicama or water chestnutRan out
1:1 by volume, plus 1 tsp sugar per cup
Pure crunch with no sweetness of its own, which is why the sugar goes in. It stays crisp overnight where corn goes soft.
What doesn't work: Creamed corn from a tin. It is already cooked soft in a starch-thickened liquid, so there is no pop and no char available, and it turns a salad or a saute into a sauce.
Starch and body in a chowder or fritter batter
The kernels release starch and the milky liquid scraped from the cob thickens the pot, which is what makes a corn chowder taste of corn rather than potato and cream.
Frozen corn with cornmealRan out
Match the corn by volume, plus 2 tbsp fine cornmeal per 2 cups, simmered 15 min
The cornmeal puts back the body the cobs would have given. Grainy if it goes in late, so add it with the stock.
Canned corn with its liquidRan out
1:1 by volume, plus 1/4 cup of the tinned liquid
Thinner body and a saltier, flatter flavour, so cut the recipe salt. The liquid is where most of the corn starch ended up.
Hominy, choppedRan out
1:1 by volume
Chewy and nixtamal-scented with no sweetness, so the chowder reads as pozole. It thickens far less, so add 1 tbsp masa harina.
Diced potato with frozen cornRan out
1 cup diced potato + 1 cup frozen corn per 2 cups fresh kernels
The potato starch thickens the pot while the corn carries the flavour. Heavier and more filling, and it needs 10 minutes longer.
What doesn't work: Cornstarch to thicken in place of the corn's own starch. It sets the liquid without adding any sweetness or corn flavour, and the chowder comes out glossy and slick rather than creamy.
If you have the stripped cobs, simmer them in the stock for 20 minutes and scrape them with the back of a knife. That milky scrape is most of what makes a chowder taste of corn.