If you’ve read anything by Michael Pollan or seen movies like Food Inc., you may – like me – be a little skeptical about corn. After all, it’s America’s largest crop, one of the most industrialized vegetables in history, and found in nearly any processed food via corn syrup, corn starch, corn oil, corn meal, etc. But rest assured, I want to talk about fresh, whole corn on the cob and not any of its crazy modified offshoots.
- How to Pick: Look for corn with bright green husks. Avoid husks that are dried out. For extra insurance, peel back the husk to check if the kernels are whole and firm.
- How to Store: Like asparagus, corn is best eaten very fresh. As soon as it is picked, the natural sugars begin to convert to starch, which means the corn will be less and less sweet the older it gets. So, serve corn as soon as you purchase it.
- How to Prepare: Boil/Steam: Bring a large pot of water to boil, submerge husked ears or place them on a steamer and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove husks and silks before serving. Grill: Peel off the husks, remove the corn silks and wrap tightly in foil (add some butter, salt and pepper inside the foil if you want). Grill over medium heat for 13-15 minutes. If you want to keep the husks intact, be sure to soak the ears in cold water for at least 15 minutes before grilling. Microwave: Remove husk and silk, wrap in a paper towel and cook for 1-2 minutes. Raw: Remove husks and silks and rinse in cold water. Using a sharp nice or a corn zipper, remove kernels and toss into a salad or mix with beans.
- Recipe Ideas: Bon Appetit’s Summer Corn Soup or Williams-Sonoma’s Baked Penne with Corn, Zucchini, and Basil both sound like a perfect summer dinners. For a delicious appetizer or side dish, I want to try Fine Cooking’s Fresh Corn Fritters or Epicurious’ Barley and Corn Salad with Chive Dressing. Come Fall, I can’t wait to try 101 Cookbook’s Roasted Corn Pudding in Acorn Squash or for dessert, Smitten Kitchen’s Corniest Corn Muffins.
- Fun Fact: One medium corn ear yields about 1/2 to 3/4 cups of kernels.
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In Iran, a popular way of serving corn is by dipping it salt water and grilling it till it’s a bit charred.
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