Few foods taste more like summer than fresh sweet corn.
Whether it’s served hot off the grill, quickly boiled and slathered with butter, sliced raw into a salad, or tucked into salsas, soups, fritters, and chowders, sweet corn is one of the season’s great pleasures. It belongs at backyard barbecues, beach cookouts, picnics, and easy weeknight dinners — the kind of simple food that needs very little fuss to be wonderful.
Locally grown California sweet corn has a relatively short season, which makes it all the more worth enjoying while it’s here. Stock up while the ears are fresh and sweet, and tuck a little away in the freezer for winter — you’ll be glad you did.
You’ll find fresh corn available at Pinnacle (Phil Foster Ranch) and Rodoni Farms at the farmers markets.
Fun Facts About Corn
- A typical ear of corn has about 800 kernels arranged in roughly 16 rows. Corn cobs almost always have an even number of rows, and each kernel is connected to its own strand of silk.
- A bushel of corn weighs 56 pounds. Bushels are a traditional unit of measurement for many agricultural crops, including corn.
- Corn is technically a domesticated grass, and its cultivation dates back thousands of years to ancient civilizations in the Americas.
- Corn is grown on every continent except Antarctica and remains one of the most important crops in the United States.
- Only a small percentage of the corn grown in the U.S. is sweet corn. Most corn is grown for animal feed, ethanol, processed food ingredients, seed, and other uses.
- There are several major types of corn, including sweet corn, popcorn, field corn, seed corn, and food-grade corn used in products such as cornmeal, masa, and corn flour.
- Like other plants, corn absorbs carbon dioxide as it grows through photosynthesis.
- Healthy corn plants can grow impressively tall — sometimes 10 to 12 feet or more, depending on the variety and growing conditions.
How to Choose Fresh Corn
For the best flavor, look for ears with bright green husks that feel slightly damp and fresh, not dry or papery. The silk at the top should be pale golden to light brown and slightly sticky. The ear itself should feel firm and full from tip to base.
There’s no need to peel back the husk at the market — doing so can dry out the kernels. A gentle squeeze will usually tell you what you need to know.
How to Store Corn
Corn is best eaten as soon as possible after harvest. Once picked, the natural sugars in the kernels begin converting to starch, which means the corn slowly loses sweetness over time.
For best flavor:
- Keep corn cold. Refrigerate it as soon as you get home from the market.
- Leave the husks on until you’re ready to cook. The husks help protect the kernels from drying out.
- Use within two to three days. Fresh corn is still good after that, but its sweetest flavor is closest to harvest.
Basic Cooking Guidelines for Corn
Fresh sweet corn doesn’t need much.
Remove the husks and silk, rinse the cobs, and steam or boil for 3 to 4 minutes — just long enough to heat the kernels through while keeping their bright, sweet flavor.
Corn can also be microwaved in its inner husk for about 2 minutes per ear, then carefully shucked after cooking.
For grilled corn, cook the ears in their husks over medium heat for about 25 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally. The husks help steam the corn while adding a lightly smoky flavor.
And don’t overlook raw corn. When it’s very fresh and tender, the kernels can be sliced right off the cob and added to salads, salsas, grain bowls, or slaws.
Winter Freezer Corn
Many people freeze corn on the cob, either in the husk or after blanching. Our favorite method takes a little more work now, but saves freezer space later — and the result is so much better than most store-bought frozen corn.
Plan on about 6 to 8 ears of corn per quart-size freezer bag, depending on the size of the ears.
To Freeze Corn with Light Brine
Shuck the corn and wash the ears with a vegetable brush to remove excess silk.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the ears of corn and blanch for 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove the corn from the boiling water and immediately transfer it to a bowl or tub of ice water to stop the cooking.
Once cool, cut the kernels from the cob with a sharp knife.
Scoop the kernels into quart-size freezer bags.
In a separate bowl or jar, make a light brine by combining 1 quart of water with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon sugar. Stir until dissolved.
Add 1 cup of brine to each freezer bag. Seal well, pressing out as much air as possible.
Lay the bags flat on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, remove the baking sheet and stack the bags to save space.
To serve, thaw a bag of corn and reheat it gently in a small saucepan or baking dish. The light brine adds just enough flavor and helps the corn taste fresh and sweet in the middle of winter.
Corn can also be cut from the cob and frozen dry, without brine, in freezer bags. This method works especially well for soups, chowders, casseroles, and other winter recipes.
In the Kitchen
Fresh corn pairs beautifully with tomatoes, basil, peppers, onions, summer squash, potatoes, beans, chiles, lime, butter, cream, and fresh herbs. Use it in salads, salsas, succotash, chowder, fritters, pasta, cornbread, or simply serve it warm with butter and sea salt.
RECIPES: Click here for corn recipes!
