Sweet and juicy corn is one of the best parts of summer. But standard boiled corn on the cob isn’t the only way to prepare and eat it. These corn hacks make the most of summer’s bounty.
1. Leave no corn silk behind
Get perfectly shucked corn on the cob with this simple hack. Microwave your corn, husk on, for four minutes. Then, cut the base off the husk, grab the top of the corn, and shake it until the corn slides right out, sparklingly clean.
2. Grill it
You can make perfectly cooked corn on the grill. Leave the husks on, and grill for 15 to 20 minutes. The kernels will steam inside the husks, leaving you with juicy, perfectly cooked corn.
3. Early-morning eats
Buying your corn at a farmers market or roadside stand? Make sure you get it in the morning. Cooler temps mean sweeter corn. If it’s been sitting in the sun all day, the sugars can turn into starch, leaving you with bland cobs.
4. Cut it up
Tired of corn kernels flying off the cob when you slice them up? Never fear. Place the cob vertically on top of the center of a Bundt cake pan. As you slice off the kernels, they’ll fall neatly into the cake pan below.
If you’re more safety-minded or don’t have a Bundt pan, just turn your corn cob on its side, and de-kernel horizontally.
5. Flavor it
Adding fresh herbs, garlic or spices to butter makes a flavorful spread that’s perfect for adding an extra dose of flavor to your corn. You can even make honey butter to highlight the corn’s sweet, summery flavor.
6. Cooler corn for a crowd
For big barbecues and family events, cook your corn in a cooler. Add your corn to a clean cooler, then pour two kettles of boiling water over it. Close the cooler, and 30 minutes later, open it back up and enjoy your perfect corn.
More:Cheesy corn-bacon casserole brings some Southern flavor to your holidays
7. Pickle it
To preserve an abundance of summer corn, pickle it. Cook your corn, then add it to a salty brine along with spicy chilies and garlic. Four days later, you’ll be able to snack on the ultimate summer treat.
8. Slow cooker corn
Don’t want to heat up the house with a vat of boiling water? Cook your corn in the slow cooker instead.
9. Pressure cooker corn
Cook your corn in a few short minutes using a pressure cooker. Place shucked corn, narrow tips up, at an angle to fit. Cover with a cup of water, a pinch of salt and some butter (optional). Cook on high pressure for two to three minutes. And that’s the magic of pressure cooking.
10. Wrap it up
To get super-flavorful corn, season it before you cook. Add butter, herbs, spices and other flavoring to your corn, then wrap it in parchment paper. Add to a slow cooker, and cook on high for two hours, or to a pressure cooker for a couple minutes.
11. Freeze it
Freeze fresh summer corn, and enjoy it all year. Cut corn from the cob, then cook it in a pot of water with butter, sugar and salt for just five minutes. Cool it, then freeze it in bags to enjoy all year long.
More: 16 amazing grilled corn recipes that will make you plan a barbecue ASAP
P.S. We do not recommend eating corn with a drill.
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