Great Ways to Cook Corn on the Cob

[Shel_B]

A friend sent me this link, and I may try it this evening. If you try it, let us know how it worked for you.

 

Watch Ridiculously simple trick to cook corn on the cob without the mess @ Komando Video

 

Edited August 27, 2018 by Smithy
Changed title after topic broadened (log)

[mgaretz]

Interesting! I assume it would also work if you cooked it in the husk on the grill.

[heidih]

Mark - I would think that on the grill you don't get the steaming effect as well as the MW and that the silk strands would not glom onto the husk or be as "squeezable".  At any rate, I braved the annoying video and had to laugh that the image they show has a gnarly thick piece of silk embedded in the kernels. Really - I had no idea it was so time consuming or difficult to strip an ear 

[dcarch]

To me that is a big waste of expensive good sweet corn that you have to cut off so much for the method to work.

 

Also in a microwave oven, the ears of corn will not be cooked evenly the way it is shown.

 

dcarch.

[Shel_B]

To me that is a big waste of expensive good sweet corn that you have to cut off so much for the method to work.

 

Also in a microwave oven, the ears of corn will not be cooked evenly the way it is shown.

 

dcarch.

 

ROTF,LMAO ...

 

Tried it a few minutes ago with two ears of "expensive" (25¢ apiece) corn. Cut off two rows of kernels, which I ended up nibbling. Worked quite well, although there were a few silks remaining (five on one ear, six on the other), but far, far less than when  the corn is prepared our usual way.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Shel_B (log)

[dcarch]

Yes, expensive, here in NYC $0.75 each. $1.25 farmers market. (July 4th sale, $0.16 each!!!).

 

I do it two ways, 

 

I Apologize the background music on one of the videos, "Chaka Khan" sounds like "Shuck A Corn" LOL!

 

dcarch

 

 

 

[patrickamory]

If the corn is fresh (ideally within an hour of being harvested), the less done the better.

[scubadoo97]

Shucking corn takes only a few seconds per ear. Never found it to be a difficult chore. Then I have a lot more options in preparation.

[Steve Irby]

I use the microwave method all the time for corn on the cob. Twelve minutes for three or four ears of corn is going to result in some seriously overcooked corn in my experience.  I usually cook three ears at a time for a total of three or four minutes in a high wattage microwave with a carousel.  If the corn is fresh it steams up perfectly every time. If it's not fresh you shouldn't be having corn on the cob! 

[Shel_B]

 Twelve minutes for three or four ears of corn is going to result in some seriously overcooked corn in my experience.  I usually cook three ears at a time for a total of three or four minutes in a high wattage microwave with a carousel.  If the corn is fresh it steams up perfectly every time. If it's not fresh you shouldn't be having corn on the cob! 

 

I would think that all the expert cooks here would know enough to adjust the time according to the power of their microwave oven and their preferences.  What wattage is your high powered oven?

[Steve Irby]

I'm not sure of the exact wattage but probably in the 1200-1500 range. I posted the time I use as a starting point since it appears that most folks are not using a microwave oven to cook corn.  In my experience it produces a superior result without leaching out the "goodness" of the corn in  boiling water. Fresh corn in the shuck will be superior when cooked in situ whether on the grill at high heat or in the microwave as opposed to preparing naked.  To answer mgaretz  question use a hot grill and the corn will cook perfectly.  If the corn husk is a little dry pull back the husk from the tassle end and hydrate under the faucet prior to grilling .  It helps to ensure a good blast of steam to ensure uniform cooking. 

[gfweb]

To me, the strength of grilled corn is the caramelization.  I always shuck and grill naked (corn).

[mgaretz]

To me, the strength of grilled corn is the caramelization. I always shuck and grill naked (corn).

If I did it this way, I'd do a combo. Cook in the husk for a while, cut and squeeze back onto the grill to finish. That said, even though I love fresh corn on the cob, and our local Brentwood white sweet corn is famous and fabulous, we rarely cook it because my wife can't eat it. For more years than I can remember I have always shucked first and microwaved for about 2 minutes per ear.

Edited July 19, 2014 by mgaretz (log)

[Darienne]

Just did it with one ear of corn for fun...and by heck, it worked perfectly. 

[MelissaH]

We do this often, and it works marvelously. No corn silk flying around the kitchen, or getting stuck in your teeth. It's not efficient for more than a couple of ears of corn, but for just the two of us on a day when it's too hot to think of eating much, it's perfect.

[Smithy]

I tried it last night, and aside from overcooking the corn (too much time for the wattage) it did work well.

[blue_dolphin]

I do this when I bring an ear of corn to work for lunch but just microwave it for 60-90 sec, depending on the size of the ear.  I trim off the end at home in the AM and it still works fine.

[haresfur]

Never done the cutting off the end thing but have had success cooking corn in the husk in a hotel microwave and the silk comes off very easily.  So I guess it depends on if you prefer the somewhat easier shucking or prefer to have the stalk as a handle.

 

That being said, I don't bother with corn on the cob in Australia.  People here just don't understand what fresh corn is.

[Kim Shook]

I find shucking corn to be a giant PITA.  I always have.  I tried this method for the first time tonight and it will be my go to method from now on.  I don't care for grilled corn - I find it just shrivels the corn and makes it tough.  I like corn that is hot through, but not really cooked.  I did 5 minutes for 3 ears and they were perfect.  I ended up with a few strands of silk.  Miracle to me.  

[Shel_B]

To me, the strength of grilled corn is the caramelization.  I always shuck and grill naked (corn).

 

I'm just the opposite ... dislike corn any other way but raw (if it's really fresh and good quality) or very lightly cooked.  Toots likes her corn simply cooked as well, so this technique works well for us.  We've used the technique four times since posting the original message, and we've been very happy with the results.

[scubadoo97]

I can eat it any way including raw but I do like the toasty kernels

[Shalmanese]

I don't care for grilled corn - I find it just shrivels the corn and makes it tough. 

 

I used to not care for grilled corn for the exact same reason until I discovered I was cooking it wrong. If you grill them them the entire time, they get tough before they get cooked. Instead, slather them with a compound butter, wrap them in foil and cook for 3 minutes a side. Then, unwrap and cook them for just a minute or two a side to brown. The corn soaks up the butter in the foil and then crisps on the grill.

[scubadoo97]

I just roll mine around over the gas flame on my cooktop to toast them a little. Often that's enough cooking for me but it's often cut from the cob and used in a dish that requires a little more cooking and have tossed in the microwave to get them a tad more cooked but I don't like over cooked corn in general

[c oliver]

I don't remember how I learned this but it's worked great for years.  Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the shucked corn, cover and remove from heat.  Three or four minutes later, it's done.  The rationale is that corn doesn't really need to be cooked, rather just warmed.  

[eldereno]

Tried the microwave method with the whole ear last weekend with farmer's market corn.  Worked perfectly!  I hate shucking corn and can never get all of the silks off.  Love this method!

 

editted due to typo

Edited August 6, 2014 by eldereno (log)