It is that time in the summer when ears of corn are plentiful whether at the grocery store or the Farmer’s Market. This abundance is what makes us love cooking and eating all variety of fresh food. In reality, however, not all fresh foods taste a like. This is particularly true of corn. It all depends on the type of corn grown as well as the type of weather it grew in. It is hard to tell by just looking at the corn whether it will be sweet or starchy, succulent or chewy. The secret to cooking corn to guarantee fabulous flavor may be a surprise to you.
Of course, you want to pick corn where the kernels are supple, not shriveled. You want a nice tassel at the top. And you want to avoid corn with worms. That is why you always want to peel back a section of the husk of the corn to check out the kernels and look for worms. This still doesn’t ensure good tasting corn; it just sets you up better for the possibility.
The secret is not how to pick the best ear of corn but how you cook it. There is a longstanding southern tradition of cooking for sweet tasting corn that has been passed down in my family for generations. It works every time. Did I also mention it is also extremely simple to do? Here is the secret to cooking corn to guarantee fabulous flavor: add a cup or more of milk in a pot of boiling water. It doesn’t matter what type of milk you use, I generally use nonfat because that is what we have at home. It does matter that you add enough milk to make the water look “milky”.
Secret Recipe for Sweet Tasting Corn:
Ingredients
4-6 ears of shucked corn
1-2 cups milk
Boiling water in a pot
Directions
1. Bring a pot of water, filled just enough to fit all ears of corn submerged, to a boil.
2. Add milk to the boiling water. Bring mixture back to a boil.
3. Add corn to boiling mixture and cook 8-10 minutes until tender. Remove from pot immediately and serve.
Serves: 4-6. Serving: 1 ear of corn.
Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!
