Corn/Maize: Sourcing, Prep, Cooking

[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)

[Bojac86]

I gave this method a go and it worked great for me

[ChocoMom]

So, I am allergic to corn and almost never buy or cook it.  ( I grow some for my chickens, but that's about it.)  However, Sunday is Father's day, and it ended up on the menu as my hubby and FIL love it. I decided to grill it, but I don't know if it has to be par-boiled first, or do I just throw it on the flame?  And, for about how long does it have to cook? 

 

I know this must be amongst the silliest of questions, but I'd like to make it right- and appreciate any direction on this.  Thanks in advance. =) 

Andrea

 

 

[robirdstx]

When I grill it, I just put it on the grill, turn it every minute or so to get an even char, and it’s done in about ten minutes.

[ChocoMom]

@robirdstx  ... Thank you!   When I see it in photos, it looks lovely.  

 

Its supposed to be 90F and humid here on Sunday, so boiling anything is the LAST thing I want to do!  Thanks again! Andrea

[scubadoo97]

No boiling needed.   Just toss it on and toast those ears 

[kayb]

FWIW, and it's too late for Father's Day, I like to rub it down in butter, sprinkle with smoked paprika, and wrap in foil before grilling. You still get a bit of char. And the butter and the smoked paprika !!!!

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Another way for grilled corn is to peel the husks carefully back, leaving them attached at the stem end, remove the silks, spread with butter and sprinkle with salt. Then replace the husks as well as you can, there will be some gaps where you will get charring, but the corn steams in the sweetness of the husk and I like this treatment a lot. The husks char, giving the corn a smoky flavor, but be careful removing the husks as it will be hot at this point. I always take a piece of foil inside an old towel and lay the ears down against a platter or plate, grasping the stem end and break it off, then roll them off onto your serving dish.

[ChrisTaylor]

I grill it in the husk. Low temp. Maybe 20 mins. Then peel the husks back -- fire helps! -- and season.

[scubadoo97]

I like toasted kernels so toast without husk.   Usually on the gas stove 

[ChrisTaylor]

Not exactly relevant for 'first foray into grilling corn', but in re-reading this post I had a flashback: 

If you've got access to very fresh corn and have a fondness for making, it's worth a shot. To, y'know, replicate something you've maybe never tasted. 

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 hours ago, gfweb said:

 

Sous vide corn

 

 

Everything beautiful!

 

What time and temperature do you do your corn?

 

[gfweb]

9 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Everything beautiful!

 

What time and temperature do you do your corn?

 

Thanks!

Thirty minutes, 182f

[JoNorvelleWalker]

4 hours ago, gfweb said:

Thanks!

Thirty minutes, 182f

 

Most everyone seems to prefer more well done corn than I do.  I do mine thirty minutes at 140F.  In searching back though old eGullet content I found I had equally good results steaming corn at 140F in the CSO.  A lot easier than worrying with floating sous vide bags.  I had completely forgotten about the CSO for corn.

[gfweb]

11 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Most everyone seems to prefer more well done corn than I do.  I do mine thirty minutes at 140F.  In searching back though old eGullet content I found I had equally good results steaming corn at 140F in the CSO.  A lot easier than worrying with floating sous vide bags.  I had completely forgotten about the CSO for corn.

Me too. Floating corn bags are a PITA

[JoNorvelleWalker]

26 minutes ago, gfweb said:

Me too. Floating corn bags are a PITA

 

This is where I received the revelation of 140F:

 

https://forums.egullet.org/topic/144300-sous-vide-recipes-techniques-equipment-2011/?do=findComment&comment=1810427

 

[gfweb]

36 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

This is where I received the revelation of 140F:

 

https://forums.egullet.org/topic/144300-sous-vide-recipes-techniques-equipment-2011/?do=findComment&comment=1810427

 

Nice. Next time 140 f

[Auspicious]

2 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Most everyone seems to prefer more well done corn than I do.  I do mine thirty minutes at 140F.  In searching back though old eGullet content I found I had equally good results steaming corn at 140F in the CSO.  A lot easier than worrying with floating sous vide bags.  I had completely forgotten about the CSO for corn.

 

 

Really. Really fresh corn is fine right off the stalk. From a market maybe four minutes in boiling water.

[mgaretz]

I use the method posted here long ago by @shel.  Keep the corn in the husk and microwave for 3 minutes per ear.  Remove from the microwave then cut off the stem end just beyond the curve, towards the silk.  Then you squeeze the corn out of the husk from the silk end.  Holding it with a towel while squeezing helps if it’s hot. Slides right out with minimal to no silk.

 

If you cut too close to the stem it won’t slide out, so you’ve got to get just to the silk side of the fattest part.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

21 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

The Chart by @Okanagancook says cook corn on the cob in the husk in the CSO on steam at 400 for 30 minutes.  You do yours for the same amount of time at 140, on the steam setting?

 

Thirty minutes at 140F* on the steam setting.  The corn has been shucked and washed.  A temperature of 400F was probably on bake steam or super steam (steam setting goes up only to 210F).  I once looked into trying corn in the husk but it didn't fit.

 

*I'd be inclined to try 150F.  Corn is on sale this week.

 

[Okanagancook]

Yes, must have been super steam but that does seem like a high temperature for a long time.  I tried to find the post I used to make that entry but couldn’t.  I did find a 2016 entry from you where you thought 140 for 12 minutes on steam worked as well as sous vide.  We are  all probably thinking it depends on the corn Cobb 😬.  The 3 to 4minute microwave method is probably the easiest especially because the silk is removed easily AND the CSO would then be free for other foods.🙃

 

[ElsieD]

1 hour ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Thirty minutes at 140F* on the steam setting.  The corn has been shucked and washed.  A temperature of 400F was probably on bake steam or super steam (steam setting goes up only to 210F).  I once looked into trying corn in the husk but it didn't fit.

 

*I'd be inclined to try 150F.  Corn is on sale this week.

 

 

I'll try that.  Corn is cheap around here right now too.  We love corn.

[ElsieD]

53 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:

Yes, must have been super steam but that does seem like a high temperature for a long time.  I tried to find the post I used to make that entry but couldn’t.  I did find a 2016 entry from you where you thought 140 for 12 minutes on steam worked as well as sous vide.  We are  all probably thinking it depends on the corn Cobb 😬.  The 3 to 4minute microwave method is probably the easiest especially because the silk is removed easily AND the CSO would then be free for other foods.🙃

 

 

Yes, but - but - but - microwave = no steam.

[Anna N]

1 minute ago, ElsieD said:

 

Yes, but - but - but - microwave = no steam.

Not quite true. If you microwave it in the husk there is enough moisture there that it basically steams.