Fresh corn season is upon us.

[RonB]

Just a reminder on the best way I have found to remove silks from fresh corn:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWKj3NTzx8Y

The only point I have to add is to make sure you cut past the taper on the end of the ear. If ya don't, it will be difficult to get the ear out of the husk.

[Mosca]

You’re a couple weeks ahead of us, but we are getting corn from the south in stores right now; it’s obviously plumper, fresher, and greener. By the end of the month we’ll be able to get it at the stands by the fields, or later the same day at the store.

[Spinaker]

Dang, rule around here is “knee high by Fourth of July”……..see ya mid-late August.

Life hack from corn country…..nothing better than taking fresh sweet corn right off the stock and biting into it. Ugh, it is amazing.

[Smoker_Boy]

Huskee - You also had a roto tiller, too.

[Huskee]

Smoker_Boy Days gone by... well I still have it but don't need it for a garden any longer. Unless I buy property around me and cut lots of woods down. Lotta work to grow corn and tomaters.

[Smoker_Boy]

Huskee - Agree with the growing corn thing.
We had a good system for growing cherry tomatos and then canning them.

[tstalafuse]

Do you husk the corn in the store before you buy? I am assuming it is so you can see if the ear has bad spots on it or not since they sell by the ear an not by weight. I had never seen that until we moved to CO and every grocery store has a big trash can next to the bin of corn to do it.

[RonB]

You can do it in most groceries here.

[Mosca]

We used to, but no longer. Honestly I haven’t had a bad ear in a few years. At the farmers markets here, they do it for you.

[klflowers]

When I was a kid my mom and aunts used to husk corn in grocery stores and it embarrassed me. Now if there isn't a trash can next to the bins I ask for one

[Huskee]

So, clarification question- does this only work when it's cooked?

[RonB]

Yes - ya must cook it first.

[Huskee]

RonB Thanks, I figured. But him not acting like it was hot made me wonder if he was simply trying to show how he cooks it, and how he shucks it, irrespective of each other.

[Smoker_Boy]

That is awesome.

I watched Renee Forsberg (Bobby Flay culinary director) use a rubber band on Iron Chef America.
It worked pretty slick on uncooked corn.

NOTE: I was watching Renee for her culinary knowledge and knife skills.
The fact that I always thought she was nice-looking had nothing to do with it.

[smokenoob]

Gotta try that, sweet corn is in here! Thanks RonB

[johnec00]

We're a month or so past the fresh corn season here, but we've been "shucking" corn that way for years. I don't think we microwave for anything like 4 minutes per ear, but I would have to ask my daughter who actually does it. In any event, the corn is not really cooked, but we like it just the way it comes out (that is "rare" and fresh).

[mgaretz]

I have been doing it this way for years. 3 minutes per ear. And yes, make sure you cut past the taper. I also squeeze through a towel.

[fzxdoc]

I've noticed over the years that you're often ahead of the pack, mgaretz . Good on you!

K.

[fzxdoc]

"rare and fresh" corn, as johnec00 says, is how we like it too. Microwave (for the ears) or sous vide (for the kernels cut off the cob) fit the bill perfectly.

I've never microwaved corn ears unshucked though. I'll have to mull that over vis a vis the cleanliness of the situation and my percieved or possible phobia for cooking a hidden bug, worm or whatever under the husk along with the corn. It might be gross to discover a nuked worm when squeezing the cooked corn out of the husk onto a serving plate.

Usually I microwave pest-eliminated well-washed shucked corn.

Kathryn

[RonB]

It's just free protein...

[klflowers]

I am with you Kathryn. I'll just keep doing it the way mom does it. Shuck it and rinse the silk off.

[johnec00]

Can't deny that it could be an issue, we've never had it happen with probably a hundred or so ears. In any event, I'd think the solution would be the same as if a worm was discovered when corn is shucked in the normal fashion - toss in compost heap. Obviously though, the ear can't be washed prior to cooking.

[johnec00]

Checked with my daughter Emily, she says she mics on high 2 minutes, turns the ears and 1-2 more minutes depending on the number of ears. She also says the exterior is not hot to the touch since the microwave heats the liquid in the kernels, not the relatively dryer leaves.

[johnec00]

RonB my meaning was that all the leaves are relatively dryer than the kernels. All I know is that the person that actually does them says they are not hot. Maybe if you waited a while the leaves would get hot, but she doesn't let them sit around, they're ready to eat!

[mgaretz]

Mine are definitely too hot to handle by hand right out of the microwave.

[johnec00]

mgaretz I suspect that you cook longer than we do. We like our corn just warm enough to melt the herb butter! Otherwise, I don't know what the difference is.