How to Cook Corn on the Cob

Ever wondered how to cook corn on the cob? Here's how to grill, smoke, boil, roast, microwave, and cook corn in various other ways!

Summer is coming, and - with it! - so is corn season!

I have a ton of great corn recipes - including my Beer Battered Corn on the Cob - but today, I wanted to address the basic preparations.

Sometimes, you just want a perfectly cooked ear of corn on the cob!

How to Boil Corn on the Cob

Boiling is probably the most popular preparation of fresh corn on the cob, for good reason: It’s quick, easy, and - when done right - produces really tasty results.

The key to properly boiling corn is to not overcook it. Fresh corn kernels contain a “milk” - when overcooked, this liquid firms up, and the corn becomes tough.

You’re aiming more to just heat it, rather than actually cook it.

For corn that is nice and fresh, bring a pot of water to a boil, then add your shucked ears of corn. Allow to cook for 3 minutes, and remove.

For corn that may be a little past its prime, add a bit of milk - about ½ cup - to your boiling water, along with a couple tablespoons of sugar. This will help bring the corn back to a sweeter taste when served.

Milk and sugar are not only unnecessary when preparing very fresh corn, they’re undesirable - you don’t want to mask the great flavour of perfectly fresh corn on the cob.

The thing that you never want to do when boiling corn on the cob is to salt the water. This toughens the kernel as it draws moisture from the corn. Not cool!

You’re free to salt the corn - whether from salted butter, or by sprinkling salt directly onto the cob - as you’re ready to eat it!

Marie's Low Country Boil Recipe

Steaming Corn on the Cob

If you have a steamer, this can be another attractive option for cooking corn.

Simply cover the bottom of your steamer with a few inches of water, and arrange your shucked ears of corn on the steamer’s rack.

Steam for 5-10 minutes, or until just heated through.

Microwaving Corn on the Cob

Some people enjoy microwaving their corn, preferring the ease and speed to all other methods. It’s all good!

There are two main ways of nuking corn on the cob, both of which end up amounting to a steaming method:

First of all, you can microwave the corn right in the husk. The husk keeps the moisture in as the cob is heated, essentially steaming it right there in its own casing.

To do this, place your unshucked cob in the microwave and heat it on high for 2-3 minutes.

Alternatively, you can steam your shucked corn in a glass bowl.

Add a couple of inches of water to the bottom of a glass cooking dish, then arrange your already-shucked ears of corn in the bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap, cut a few slits in it, and microwave for 4-6 minutes.

Once the time is up, carefully remove the plastic wrap -while the slits were put in the plastic to allow steam to escape, there will still be a fair amount of steam remaining in the bowl.

Don’t burn yourself!

Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob

Cooking your corn in the oven is a great way to impart a bit of a “roasty” flavour to your ears of corn.

Place corn - still in the husk - directly on the oven rack and roast for 30 minutes at 350F.

Much like microwaving, this also steams the cob within its casing.

Smoking Corn on the Cob

Have a smoker? You can use it for more than just meat - smoked corn on the cob is fabulous!

To smoke corn on the cob, you'll want to remove the corn silk. So, pull the outer husk down, but not all the way OFF the corn.

Remove the silk, and soak the de-silked ear of corn in a bucket of cold water for at least an hour, preferably 2+ hours.

Prepare a fire in your smoker, using whatever flavour wood chips you would like. We tend to use hickory chips, and preheat the temp to 325°F.

Replace the corn husks, place cobs into your smoker, leaving space around each.

Allow to smoke for 15-30 minutes or so, then remove from smoker. 15 minutes results in a lightly cooked corncob, smoking for longer will cook the corn more and impart more smoke flavour.

Carefully peel back the husk of each cob of corn, brush with butter (Try a compound butter!), and replace the husk once more.

Return cobs to the smoker, and allow to smoke for another 30-45 minutes, or until done. Serve with more butter.

Grilling Corn on the Cob

Grilling has long been a favorite way of cooking food during the summer months, and it’s a great way to prepare corn on the cob.

More than any other preparation, it seems that everyone has their own favorite method of doing this.

As it’s largely a matter of preference, I highly encourage you to experiment and see what you like best! A few techniques:

- Shuck the corn, grill on indirect heat for 8-10 minutes.

- Shuck the corn, heat in boiling water for 2 minutes, then grill on direct heat just until grill marks form.

- Peel back the husk of the corn, remove corn silk.

Apply butter to the cob, replace the husk (encasing the butter). Grill for a few minutes on direct heat.

If you like your corn a little charred, remove a bit of the husk before grilling - just not enough to allow the butter to escape!

- Completely shuck the corn, dip it in water, grill for a few minutes on direct heat.

- Soak a few toothpicks in water for at least 30 minutes. Wrap shucked corn in strips of bacon (1.5 - 2 strips per cob), secure ends of bacon with soaked toothpicks. Grill until bacon is cooked.

- Soak shucked ears or corn in a mixture of half buttermilk, half water for an hour or two, then grill over direct heat for a few minutes.

Bacon-Wrapped Corn on the Cob

This is such a simple way to prepare corn on the cob - there's not really anything elegant about it - but it's such a tasty preparation!

The bacon adds flavour, salt, and fat to the corn as it roasts, basting the corn in wonderful deliciousness.

4 ears sweet corn, husks removed
8 slices of bacon (regular, not thick cut)
Pepper and salt (optional)

Wrap 2 slices of bacon around each ear of corn, securing with toothpicks.

Arrange on a broiling pan, sprinkle with ground pepper.

Set broiler to high, broil for 6-8 minutes.

Remove from oven, flip cobs over, continue broiling for another 4-5 or until bacon is desired doneness.

Salt to taste,if desired - the bacon provides salt, so it's entirely optional.

Freezing Fresh Corn

Have you found yourself with more perfectly sweet, fresh corn on the cob than you can possibly eat in the next two days? Freeze some of it!

Get a large pot of water boiling, and remove the husks from your corn.

Blanch whole cobs of corn at a full rolling boil for about 5 minutes.

Once cobs have been cooked at a full rolling boil for 5 minutes, remove from boiling water and plunge into ice-cold water immediately, to stop the cooking process.

Allow to sit in the ice water for another 5 minutes, and then drain.

Blot dry with a paper towel, then use a sharp knife to cut the kernels from each cooled cob of corn.

Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze for one hour. (You can skip this if you don't need the kernels individually frozen)

Bag your frozen kernels into good quality freezer bags, or - better yet - vacuum-sealed bags.

Remove as much air as you can, label with the date, and freeze.

Eat it Raw!

If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on some peak-season, perfectly fresh corn... try eating it raw! Not really advisable for off-season or starchy corn, this is a special, highly seasonal treat!

This recipe is one of many spectacular sweet corn recipes featured in my cookbook, Maize Craze. It’s available here on my website, through Amazon, or through any major bookseller.

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How to Cook Corn on the Cob

Ever wondered how to cook corn on the cob? Here's how to grill, smoke, boil, roast, microwave, and cook corn in various other ways!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 1 Cobs

Calories: 77kcal

Author: Marie Porter

Ingredients

• 1 Ear Fresh Corn Use as many as you need.
• Butter, Salt, etc To dress your corn after cooking it.

Instructions

Boiling Corn on the Cob

• For corn that is nice and fresh, bring a pot of water to a boil, then add your shucked ears of corn. Allow to cook for 3 minutes, and remove.
• For corn that may be a little past its prime, add a bit of milk - about ½ cup - to your boiling water, along with a couple tablespoons of sugar. This will help bring the corn back to a sweeter taste when served.

Steaming Corn on the Cob

• Simply cover the bottom of your steamer with a few inches of water, and arrange your shucked ears of corn on the steamer’s rack.
• Steam for 5-10 minutes, or until just heated through.

Microwaving Corn on the Cob

• Place your unshucked cob in the microwave and heat it on high for 2-3 minutes.
• Alternatively, you can steam your shucked corn in a glass bowl.
• Add a couple inches of water to the bottom of a glass cooking dish, then arrange your already-shucked ears of corn in the bowl.
• Cover with plastic wrap, cut a few slits in it, and microwave for 4-6 minutes.
• Once the time is up, carefully remove the plastic wrap -while the slits were put in the plastic to allow steam to escape, there will still be a fair amount of steam remaining in the bowl. Don’t burn yourself!

Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob

• Place corn - still in the husk - directly on the oven rack and roast for 30 minutes at 350F.
• Much like microwaving, this also steams the cob within its casing.

Smoking Corn on the Cob

• To smoke corn on the cob, you'll want to remove the corn silk. So, pull the outer husk down, but not all the way OFF the corn.
• Remove the silk, and soak the de-silked ear of corn in a bucket of cold water for at least an hour, preferably 2+ hours.
• Prepare a fire in your smoker, using whatever flavour wood chips you would like. We tend to use hickory chips, and preheat the temp to 325°F.
• Replace the corn husks, place cobs into your smoker, leaving space around each.
• Allow to smoke for 15-30minutes or so, then remove from smoker. 15 minutes results in a lightly cooked corncob, smoking for longer will cook the corn more and impart more smoke flavour.
• Carefully peel back the husk of each cob of corn, brush with butter (Try a compound butter!), and replace the husk once more.
• Return cobs to the smoker, and allow to smoke for another 30-45 minutes, or until done. Serve with more butter.

Nutrition

Calories: 77kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 243mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 168IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg

Ever wondered how to cook corn on the cob? Here's how to grill, smoke, boil, roast, microwave, and cook corn in various other ways!

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