Fried Corn

• Fried corn -- an old Southern dish designed to use up old corn -- is really corn that's simmered in milk or cream. Saute some bacon and onions in butter or vegetable oil. Add the corn, along with some milk, salt and pepper and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes. As the corn simmers, it will absorb the milk and become soft.

The Soup Pot

• Similarly, you can use hardened corn to make corn chowder or add it to other soups. Combine sauteed onions and bacon with diced potatoes, corn, broth and milk to make a hearty soup. Cook the soup over low heat for an hour or two, or until the vegetables are soft and tender. Alternatively, use that hardened corn as an ingredient in a chicken tortilla soup with chicken, broth, tomatoes, beans and corn. Top it with tortilla chips and shredded cheese.

The Casserole Dish

• You can also use hardened sweet corn in casseroles that impart moisture and flavor. For example, make creamed corn by mixing corn with a white sauce. Alternatively, toss hardened sweet corn with cream and cheese and then top it with crushed crackers or bread crumbs for a delicious scalloped corn casserole.

At the Grocery Store

• Although your options are limited once corn turns hard and starchy, you can save yourself some trouble by starting with the best ears. New hybrid varieties of corn are designed to stay sweet and fresh longer -- typically for several days or up to one week -- but the best-tasting corn is corn that was grown locally. Buy fresh corn when it's in season. Use frozen corn the rest of the year. The fresh corn in your grocery store in January has been shipped from the most southern part of the U.S., or even foreign countries. It just won't taste the same as locally grown corn. Choose ears that feel firm and full. The silks should be green and moist. Brown, dry silk or blackened, slimy silk usually means that the corn is old.