I love corn on the cob. Fresh corn really caps off the feeling of summer. Years ago, I only ever prepared corn on the cob in one way: husked and boiled on the stove for 3-5 minutes. But I have since learned that there are numerous ways to cook corn, all resulting in delicious corn-iness. Here are three ways to cook corn on the cob that take roughly three minutes (or maybe 3-5 minutes).
Shuck, Boil and Eat
This is the way I used to prepare corn all the time. Simply shuck the corn (i.e. take the husk off), heat a pot of water on the stove to boiling, and drop the cobs in for a short swim. After you drop the corn in the water, wait until it gets back to boiling, then start your timer. After 3-5 minutes, the corn will have darkened in color and will be deliciously ready to eat. Note: I have friends who boil their corn for up to 15 minutes, and it is still delicious, though slightly more inclined to wrinkly as it cools off.
Microwave Magic
Ah, the joys of the microwave. It is amazing what you can do with this simple appliance; cooking corn on the cob falls into that category. Throw the corn into the microwave (with its husk still on), and cook on high for 3-5 minutes. The corn is ready when the husk is hot and the corn kernels have deepened in color. Let the corn cool slightly, shuck it, and eat.
Grill It Up
There are many ways to grill corn, but one of the easiest ways is to grill it up, husk and all. First, soak the corn (in husks) in a large pot of water for at least 5 minutes, or up to 20. This will prevent the husks from catching fire while the corn is cooking (always important!). When the corn is done soaking, throw it on a medium-high grill for 3-5 minutes, turning occasionally. You’ll start to see some nice grill marks developing on the outside of the husks. Remove the husks from the grill, let cool slightly, shuck and eat.
Side Note: Like corn on the cob but don’t like getting the kernels stuck in your teeth? A corn stripper tool is a single-use kitchen implement that is worth purchasing if you cook corn often. Simple, but effective, it lets you strip the kernels off your corn in one smooth motion rather than sawing with a knife, which I usually to do. This will make your corn eating experience much more relaxing and just as delicious. I like this Kuhn Rikon corn zipper, but there are others out there that may work better for you. Happy eating!
I get so confused by 3 to 5 minute corn. At 66 I have boiled corn for hours to get the butter and salt to soak in and make corn soft. The best ever was a slow boil in covered pot on grill burner out side with just salt and cubes of butter in water. Cooked for 4 hours and company devoured the entire pot.
I have never gotten corn to cook 3 to 5 minutes except in microwave. Then on grill to get grill marks.