Before cooking, remove husk and any remaining bits of silk. Trim the cobs, remove undeveloped tip ends or any disfigured kernels.

If boiling fresh sweet corn, cook for 3 to 4 minutes for young cobs, 5 to 7 minutes for mature cobs. If steaming, cook corn for 7 to 11 minutes, depending on size (small cobs, 7 minutes; medium, 9 minutes; large, 11 minutes).

To barbecue, wrap with husks soaked in cold water or with aluminium as a protective covering. Use this same method to roast corn in the oven.

To microwave, husk sweet corn and place cobs on microwaveable baking dish, and cover with plastic wrap. If cooking only 1 or 2 cobs, wrap individually. Microwave on High power 2 minutes per cob or just until tender. Let stand 2 minutes before unwrapping.

Corn can also be frozen after a brief blanching.

Sweet corn is an excellent addition to mixed vegetable dishes such as succotash, rich puddings and crisp fritters. It's well-suited to flavourful sweet relishes. Baby ears of corn have long been prepared as tender pickles.