# How do you prepare sweetcorn on the cob? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [May 14, 2023, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042 "2023-05-14T22:04:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2023, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/21 "2023-05-14T23:54:01Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Anything other than butter, though, and maybe a little bit of salt, detracts from the simplicity that is part of the essential nature of the dish. For the most part, I agree. (Though if I have some, Tony Chacere’s seasoning adds a nice level of heat that certainly doesn’t detract.) However, there is something wonderfully indulgent about elotes. I really don’t like mayonnaise, but a really over-the-top elotes is something magnificent to eat. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/22 "2023-05-15T00:13:45Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > If you cook it in the microwave, the easy way to shuck it is to cut off the stalk end of the ears with a big knife, then hold the ear with potholders or thick gloves, and squeeze the ear out of the husk. All the cornsilk remains in the husk! It’s great! Bing! Works a treat. I wrap the ears (husk and all) in plastic wrap, then nuke for a few minutes, de-shuckify them as noted above and they’re hot, sweet and ready for the butter. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/23 "2023-05-15T00:14:46Z")
Decades ago, I saw the Matthew Broderick movie Wargames in the theater and in that, I saw a character butter corn on the cob by heavily buttering a piece of untoasted sliced bread and then use that to transfer the butter to the corn. That was a new technique to me. (Though, as I said, my preference is to use lemon juice, salt and black pepper on corn.) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/24 "2023-05-15T00:20:38Z")
Wrap cobs in aluminum foil with butter, salt and crushed garlic cloves (to taste). Toss on the the campfire coals for about 15 minutes, rotating once or twice for even heating. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/25 "2023-05-15T00:21:20Z")
I just throw it in a pot of boiling water for 5-8 minutes, salt and butter. Getting it fresh from the farmstand is a lot more important than how it’s heated in my experience. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/26 "2023-05-15T00:40:11Z")
Some day I may be adventurous enough to grow an heirloom variety of field corn like Hopi Blue, and cook it “Central American style, roasted over an open fire, and rubbed with a lime dipped in chili powder and salt” as recommended in the J.L. Hudson seed catalog. I suspect that when the OP says “sweetcorn is coming into season”, it means that sweet corn is ripening in central America or a similar climate and starting to be shipped to supermarkets in northern Virginia. There’s no way even the earliest sweet corn variety planted in Virginia this spring would be ripe now. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/27 "2023-05-15T00:40:48Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Wrap cobs in aluminum foil with butter, salt and crushed garlic cloves (to taste). Toss on the the campfire coals for about 15 minutes, rotating once or twice for even heating. I do trout the same way…maybe add a slice of lemon if available. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/28 "2023-05-15T00:45:35Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Decades ago, I saw the Matthew Broderick movie Wargames in the theater and in that, I saw a character butter corn on the cob by heavily buttering a piece of untoasted sliced bread and then use that to transfer the butter to the corn. Is it just my imagination, or did Darren McGavin also do that in _A Christmas Story_? My method is to wrap the ears in wax paper (not plastic wrap) and zap for two minutes per ear in the microwave. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/29 "2023-05-15T01:05:19Z")
Growing up on a farm, we always had a huge garden of sweet corn. And Mom did a fantastic job of preparing them in a pressure cooker. Served with melted butter that we brushed on, then salted, and ate. Related story: during WWII, there was a German POW camp about 15 miles from my Grandpa’s farm, and he hired a few of them for farm help during the summer. They refused to eat sweet corn, calling it pig food. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/30 "2023-05-15T01:05:36Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > There’s no way even the earliest sweet corn variety planted in Virginia this spring would be ripe now. I don’t know where it came from, but I noticed some in my local supermarket (Boston area) starting a week ago. ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/31 "2023-05-15T01:07:47Z")
I shuck and de-silk the cobs, wrap them in damp paper towels, and microwave them. Four minutes for one ear, seven minutes for two. Then they’re served up with butter, salt, and Japanese red chili powder. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/32 "2023-05-15T01:08:00Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > > [@Jackmannii](#): > > > > There’s no way even the earliest sweet corn variety planted in Virginia this spring would be ripe now. > > I don’t know where it came from, but I noticed some in my local supermarket (Boston area) starting a week ago The answer is almost always “Mexico”. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/33 "2023-05-15T01:29:40Z")
Don’t ruin corn by boiling it. Steam is what you need. You can even do it in the microwave in a closed container with 1/4" water. Please add some corn oil. Butter and salt are a great go with, but if you want the corn to taste better add some corn oil. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/34 "2023-05-15T01:45:23Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I don’t know where it came from, but I noticed some in my local supermarket (Boston area) starting a week ago. About two weeks ago, in this Boston suburb. But I didn’t buy any: 5 medium sized ears wrapped on a tray for $5,99! Sorry, I know, I know, inflation and all, but over a buck an ear for grocery store corn is just WRONG. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/35 "2023-05-15T02:01:12Z")
I’m with @TriPolar, a good steaming is the ideal method for me when it comes to sweet corn on the cob. Flavorings-wise, I’m in the melted butter only faction (salted butter, but no additional salt). I long ago got sick of trying to get fridge temp butter to melt evenly on my corn, so now I pre-melt the butter in a ramekin and then use a silicone basting brush to evenly coat the whole cob to perfection prior to eating. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/36 "2023-05-15T02:03:43Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > Sorry, I know, I know, inflation and all, but over a buck an ear for grocery store corn is just WRONG. That’s piracy! mmm ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/37 "2023-05-15T02:10:42Z")
If it’s just me I wrap it in a wet paper towel and microwave it for 5 minutes. If I’m cooking for people I’ll throw it in the air fryer for 10 minutes so it looks fancy. (It’s actually more tasty that way too) ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/38 "2023-05-15T02:16:57Z")
This. I give the ears (still in closed husks) a good soak before, though. Helps to steam the corn in the husk. ---
**Author:** ![JoePockets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8dc957/32.png) [@JoePockets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoePockets)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/39 "2023-05-15T02:17:35Z")
Soaking the corn in the husk for a few minutes then lay them on the hot grill and steam them for about 15 mins rotating ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042/40 "2023-05-15T02:52:16Z")
Elote style. Butter, mayo, parmesan/queso, pepper, paprika and lime juice. Fresh from a street dealer in the valley preferably. Delicious. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-prepare-sweetcorn-on-the-cob/984042.md?page=3)