Corn on the Cob

Our family loves corn on the cob!!  Kimiko and I have very fond memories of buying corn from the Amish farms near our Grandma’s house in Pennsylvania.  We would take our purchase back to her house and sit out on the front porch to shuck it with our Grandpa.

We also have a great uncle, Clyde, who grows corn on his farm.  We used to run through the corn rows with our cousins.

I don’t think any corn can compare to that fresh-picked Pennsylvania corn we remember eating.  But we can still get really great corn from our local grocery stores.  We wait until it is on sale for 4 or 5 for $1.  Where I live, we get Brentwood corn.  Brentwood is a local city that grows a ton of corn.  Every July they celebrate with the Brentwood Cornfest.

Seeing as corn is just starting to come into season here in California, I thought I’d share some buying and cooking tips.  For those of you in other states, you may not be able to get good corn for a while.

When selecting corn, there are a few things to look for.  First, make sure the husk is intact and firm.  Second, look at the cut end.  If it is dried out, you know it was cut a long time ago.  Third, pull apart a few of the leaves of the husk to expose the pointed end of the cob.  The kernels should be large and plump all the way to the end.  If the kernels at the end are small, dry, and underdeveloped, it was picked too early.

Bad

Good

There are many different ways to cook corn, but we usually eat it grilled (by our Dad) or boiled.

The GrillMaster

Grilled Corn

Corn with still husks on

Soak corn in water about 20-30 minutes.

Our dad just fills up the sink to soak the corn.

Meanwhile, start coals.  Place corn, husks on, over high heat.

Continue to grill over direct heat, turning occasionally, until husks are charred black.

Perfectly done!

Let cool enough to be handled; shuck.

Boiled Corn

Corn, shucked

Place corn in large stock pot.  Break cobs in half if necessary to get them to fit.  Fill pot with water to cover corn.

Place over high heat.  When water comes to a boil, turn off heat.  If not serving immediately, leave in hot water to keep warm.

We like our corn with butter and salt.  I recently discovered that I also like it with pepper.  Our dad grew up putting mayonnaise on his corn.

Random corn facts:

• Corn is a grain and can therefore be called a grass
• There is one hair for each kernel
• There is always an even number of rows