My Favorite Ways to Eat Sweet Corn
I’m Illinois raised - which naturally means that I crave sweet corn in the summer. As soon as the 4th of July comes and goes, I anxiously await the first batch of corn. I have very early memories of my mom calling our local farm in early August to ask about when they’ll be making their first picks. With my birthday being in August, too, it always feels like such a special, exciting moment when the corn arrives. Good times are near!
Long summer days in the backyard pool, the smell of fresh cut grass and the taste of a buttered, salted corn cob is a recipe for simple happiness. With access to many local farms in the Chicago suburb I was raised in, we always ate sweet corn the very day it was picked. Now, after living in many places since childhood, I have come to realize I was eating some of the world’s best, freshest calico sweet corn. It’s rare to find that good of corn elsewhere (I sure am biased!) but I thought I’d share my corn connoisseur tips and tricks during the timely summer months so you might get a taste of my favorite ways to eat it.
First things first. Here are some tips for buying sweet corn:
The BEST place to get it is at a local farm stand in an parking lot! In fact if they only take cash, that’s the corn you want. If there’s an honor system for leaving cash behind as you take what you need, you’re in for some good corn. It was most likely picked a lot sooner than your grocery store corn was.
Look at the side of the cobs. Small cobs are fine at the beginning of the season, but those large mid-season cobs are pure gold. They taste better, I swear!
Look for tri-colored amazingness. Sweet corn with varying shades of yellow is simply the best. It tastes SO much better than your standard, all-yellow corn.
Check it first! Most stands will have one cob with the husk pulled back so you can see what it looks like. If a husk isn’t peeled back, go for it (some stores do not want you doing this, though). You want to check that the kernels don’t look deflated or mushy, and you want to see that the top of the cob isn’t rotted or brown. You also want to make sure the husk doesn’t feel too dry or easy to crack - it should be a little moist or easy bent.
The best corn sort of pops off the cob when you eat it. This is hard to explain, but it’s a crisp pop verses a mushy pull from the cob. When you know, you know!
My Favorite Ways to Eat Sweet Corn
My absolute favorite is straight off the cob, or cut off the cob. First shuck the corn and remove the husk and the silks. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and put the entire cob in for 8-10 minutes. When it’s done, butter and salt, and enjoy!
Corn Salsa. This can be made to your liking, but I love mixing the corn with diced red onion, diced jalapeños and some fresh lime juice.
Roasted Street Corn. After many attempts to make street corn as good as our favorite local taco spot, we got it pretty close. With a bit of olive oil in a pan, roast the corn after cutting it off the cob until it is golden brown or nearly charred. Then, add mayonnaise and chopped cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste. SO simple and SO good!
Use it as a salad topper. One of my favorite ways to use sweet corn is to roast it and top my salads with it. Same as above, with a bit of olive oil in a pan, roast the corn after cutting it off the cob until it is golden brown or nearly charred. I personally love the it is a little charred! Then simply top your wedge or taco salad with it. Sometimes, I roast it along with onions and tinkerbell peppers as well. The crispy and warm corn on top of a salad really brings it to a whole new restaurant-level taste!
Vacuum pack it for Thanksgiving. You will NOT regret this! Saving the best, crispiest corn for your Thanksgiving corn casserole is so rewarding. The one I make is very similar to this recipe.
