When my mom makes corn on the cob she boils it with salt. I’ve been told it should be boiled with sugar.
I have never cooked corn on the cob, so I have no freakin’ clue.
So, tell me kind Dopes, how do YOU do corn on the cob?
I cook the corn while they are still in the husks. Take some fresh corn with husks, trim the base where the stalk comes in just a little to open up any closed vascular channels. Soak the corn in salted watrer for about an hour. Throw the damp corn in husks onto the BBQ, rotate a few times until the outer husk is dry and browning. This just takes about 10 minutes. Peel of the husks (HOT, HOT, HOT!!), hit with butter and enjoy!!!
I’ve never cooked it myself, but I believe my mother just boils it. The best corn on the cob I’ve ever had, though, was roasted in a bonfire. I wonder if you could bbq it to get a similar effect.
Get it nice and wet, spread lightly with butter… add salt, pepper. Wrap in tin foil and put on the grill from 15-20 minutes depending on how “done” you want it. Always turns out nice this way (for me).
Husk corn. Wash to remove silk. Wrap in Glad Wrap. Microwave about 2 minutes. Peel off wrap, HOT HOT! Add salt, pepper and butter. Enjoy.
Adjust time depending on microwave power.
It does taste fabulous on the BBQ, we set a small pot of butter on the grill for dipping.
A really easy way is the microwave. Sorta no different from boiling it on the range, except you don’t heat up your kitchen and it kinda tastes better since all the flavor isn’t being poured down the drain. Clean and rinse the corn and pile it on a mic-proof plate, cover with plastic wrap or wax paper, wrapping under and pulling tightly to make a seal. The little bit of water left from rinsing will help steam it. I cook it 1 minute for every 2 ears.
If cooking indoors, boil for 12 minutes in lightly salted water. (I’ve never heard of cooking it in sugar.) It’s much better done on the grill as described above.
Bring water to a boil. I add a few teaspoons of sugar. Add the husked corn, and boil for 20 minutes. Drain the water and add butter and salt to the pot of corn.
After reading this thread, I’m going to try grilling it soon.
Great. Now I gotta go to the store for some corn on the cob.
We were grilling tonight anyway…
- Find a corn field.
- Boil a pot of water. No salt, no sugar.
- Pick corn.
- Peel the husks off as you are running towards the pot of boiling water. Don’t worry about the silk; it will fall off in the water.
- Dip corn into water.
- Count to 100.
- Remove corn from water.
- Eat with salt, pepper, butter, cayenne, paprika, cream cheese, cheez whiz, sugar or mayonaise (yes, really. I learned those last six from the amazing corn the Mexican vendors sell on the street around here.)
Whatever you do, if it’s reasonably fresh corn, don’t allow the water to come back to a boil, and don’t leave it in the water for more than two minutes. If it’s not reasonably fresh corn, make corn bread out of it. Old corn is a waste on the cob.
Gah! 12 minutes? 20 minutes? Heathens! Corn doesn’t need to be cooked, only warmed! (Of course, I’m in the middle of corn country, so we can get it fresh.)
I boil the corn in salted water, too. I’m not sure why you’d use sugar–corn is already sweet. I only cook it for about two minutes, if that.
I’m a boiler, usually. I never make less than about 6 ears at a time, so using the microwave can be a bit fo a hassle, and the cooking is never even enough to be ideal.
I add quite alot of sugar to the water, perhaps 1.5 cups per gallon of water. Boil and cook until tender. Usually I just grab an ear and squeeze it between thumb and forefinger. Kinda hot, but it’s the easiest way to tell if it’s done. I don’t go by time since corn of different ripeness, density and season will cook differently.
Using TwoTruts method is another great way to do it, though the timing she suggests will give you some really raw corn IMHO. Doing it on the BBQ while wrapped in husk is a slow process. Say, 25 minutes or so. Usually a better way to go about it is to take the ears, peel back the husks (but not tear off the base) and clean out the silk. Then, remove about 50% for the outer husk while still leaving enough to leave a couple layers to conceal the entire ear. Smooth the husks back over the corn and toss on the BBQ, turning regularly. In 20-25 minutes, depending on the heat of the grill, you’ll have some damn tasty grilled corn.
I like TheBoneyKingofNowhere’s suggested method, and I think I’m going to have to give it a shot. Might be good for cooking up a small portion when I’m grilling just for myself, very low maintenence and gets buttered in the foil.
Lots of people boil corn in sugar. I’ve also heard milk. You don’t need to do that if the corn is any good; adding sugar to the boil makes poor or long-picked corn edible. But if you’re buying corn that was picked less than a few days ago, you should be fine without it.
–Cliffy
ugh, sugar.
I boil in plain water for a short amount of time, just enough for the colors to brighten, maybe 5 minutes. If the kernels get crinkled I have failed as a cook. Make sure the water’s at a rolling boil when you drop in the corn.
12 minutes??? That seems way too long for me, but I like my corn crisp.
My grandma used to soak the husked corn in water with a tablespoon or two of milk and a tablespoon of sugar for an hour or so. Rinse, then quickly boil–4-6 minutes, tops. She had some idea that the milk/water/sugar soak made the corn stay sweeter during cooking.
Yup, this is totally ture. Though, most of the corn in grocery stores need the help. Finding a decent roadside stand in July and August isn’t as easy in the city as it is in the sticks. Plus, I like corn year-round. And corn just doesn’t keep and travel well enough in off months, so you need that sugar boil method to help out the less thanideal corn. And for me, less than ideal corn on the cob is still worth doing.
The best way to cook corn on the cob is without any water or milk at all. Remove the husk and roast it over an open flame or shove it directly into hot charcoal. You know it’s done when most of the kernels are dark yellow and a few of them are varying shades of brown, maybe even one or two black. The darker kernels will be nice and chewy. Then you can put butter and salt on it. However, if you want it to taste even better, substitute fresh lime juice or mustard seed oil for the butter.
I normally lightly salt the water, husk the corn, then boil the ears for several minutes. I’ll try reducing the time I boil it.
This weekend I’m going to try grilling the corn.
acsenray, I like the lime juice idea. If I try that, I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Barbeque grill, with husks on, soaked in water for 15 minutes previously. Butter & black pepper.
Steamed alongside crabs (simultaniously) with Old Bay on top. A MD specialty.
Locally grown Silver Queen corn is my fav, followed by yellow sweet corn.
BOIL the corn? BOIL it? You want all the flavor to disappear? No wonder you put sugar or salt in the boiling water!
Blasphemy!
Corn on the cob is to be steamed lightly for a few minutes 'til it’s done warmed up. Add salt, pepper, butter.
Or, if it’s Olathe sweet corn (that I am very much looking forward to), steam it and eat. No need for any seasonings.
If you have a bbq or a campfire, you can cook it there, too.