SWEET CORN

So growing up in Ohio, and only a short distance from my grandparents farm, we always had fresh sweet corn in the late summer.  I can remember the summer saying was for the corn to be “knee high by the 4th of July”.  Driving through the Ohio country side you would see acres and acres, as far as the eye could see, fields of corn.

I also can remember spending hours shucking the corn from its light green husks.  Being covered in the corn silk.  The only reward was the fact that we would be getting to either have fresh boiled or grilled sweet corn within hours.  But there are some things you need to remember when you are cooking your corn.

Selecting Fresh Corn:

Good corn on the cob always begins with selecting the freshest, just ripe ears of your favorite variety of corn.  Mine is the multi colored sweet corn. The absolute best corn is corn that is picked ripe and straight from your own vegetable garden! Now I know everybody can not have a garden and grow their own corn, so pick fresh corn from your local grocer or farmers market carefully!

When buying corn at the market, the husks (outer green covering) should be bright green and fit snugly around the ear of corn. The kernels should be in tight rows right to the tip of the ear of corn, and be plump and milky.

In the grocery store, it is perfectly acceptable (well maybe a little frowned on) to peel back the outer green husk to check and see if the corn looks ok to you. Believe it or not, a lot of the grocery stores around here now allow you to clean them in the store, placing plastic bins by the corn for you dispose of the husks.

Husking the Corn:

For maximum freshness, only husk the corn just before cooking.  When ready to cook your corn on the cob, pull all the husks off of the corn and discard. Remove silk (the white hairy threads just under the husk) from the corn and discard. TIP: To help remove the silk wet a paper towel and wipe down the corn.

Boiling the Corn:

Choose a pot large enough to hold the amount of corn you want to cook, with room for water to cover the corn. Cover pot and bring cold unsalted water just to a boil on high heat. Some people like to add a little sugar to the boiling water, but never add salt as it will only toughen the corn.

Add husked corn ears and bring the water back to a boil on high heat (covered or not). NOTE: Since corn tends to float on top of the water, I cover the pot. This helps the water come back to a boil faster and helps the corn cook. It will take approximately 3 to 4 minutes to bring the water back to a boil. Once water comes back to a boil, immediately remove the corn ears from the water. The corn is now cooked perfectly and NOT overcooked.

Boiling time is a matter of taste; some people like to just boil them a minute or two to warm their corn on the cob, leaving the kernels crisp and fresh. Others like to let them boil 3 to 10 minutes for softer kernels. How long you cook your corn on the cob depends on your tastes.

This brings back so many memories of “THE FARM”.