During the summer months in the Midwest, you can find sweet corn at your local grocery stores, farmers markets, and roadside stands. If you drive through Illinois, most of the state is farmland and cornfields. But most of the corn you see is not sweet corn, it’s field corn.
Sweet corn is a variety of maize with a naturally high sugar content. Unlike field corn, which is harvested when dry and mature (and used for animal feed, cornmeal, or ethanol), sweet corn is picked while still immature, when the kernels are tender. Because it’s harvested at the “milk stage” sweet corn kernels burst with sugary liquid when bitten into. The sugars start converting into starch soon after harvesting, which is why fresh sweet corn tastes best when cooked and eaten soon after it's picked.
There are three main types of sweet corn, each variety has a different level of sweetness:
- Yellow - Super sweet and mild flavor
- White - Sweet and rich flavor
- Bicolor - Best of both flavors
Sweet corn is so versatile, and in my opinion, can go with just about anything. There are so many ways to prepare sweet corn. The method you choose depends on the texture and flavor you are after. Boiling, grilling, roasting, sauteing, stir-frying, or simply microwaving.
Selecting and Storing Sweet Corn
Look for bright green husks that are tightly wrapped around the cob, and brown slightly sticky silk. Peel back a bit of the husk to check the kernels. For the best flavor, cook and eat corn within 1-2 days after buying it. Keep husked corn in a plastic bag in the fridge until using it.
I find the simplest things to usually be the best things. My absolute favorite way to eat corn is to grill it, butter it, salt it, and eat it right off the cob. It might seem silly to give you directions on how to grill corn, but this is the best way to keep your corn from drying out, or getting too charred (unless that’s how you like it) There is no judgement here!
Grilled Corn
1. Start by removing a couple of the outer layers of the husk.
2. Cut about an inch off both ends.
3. Soak the cobs in water for about 1 hour. (Leaving the husk on and soaking in water allows the corn to steam inside without the husk starting on fire) if you don’t want to do this step, just wrap the corn in foil and place on the grill.
4. Place on grill, close the lid and rotate the corn every 5 minutes.
5. Once the husk is charred and starts to peel off, the corn is done, about 15-20 minutes.
6. Remove the husk, roll in butter and sprinkle with salt and enjoy.
This fun little tool is called a corn zipper! It perfectly takes all of the kernels off the cob. If you don’t have one of these you can always use a knife to cut the kernels off.
I used this Cha Cha Chipotle Lime Seasoning in this corn salsa. It balances smoky heat from chipotle with bright tangy lime and savory notes. Think Tajin but even better!
I have also used this raspberry chipotle seasoning in this recipe and it’s crazy good. It’s a perfect balance of sweet, smoky, and spicy.
Corn Salsa
Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
2 ears of corn (remove the kernels off the cob)
A handful of cherry tomatoes
1 pepper of your choice (I used serrano, to make it spicy)
1/4 cup Queso Fresco - crumbled
1 teaspoon chili powder (or seasoning of choice)
1/2 of an avocado, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cilantro - roughly chopped
Freshly squeezed lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1. In a small sauté pan, add butter. Once the butter has melted, sauté the corn until it starts to turn golden brown.
2. Add tomatoes, pepper of your choice, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and place in a serving bowl. Toss with lime juice to taste, queso fresco, and cilantro. If adding avocado, allow the mixture to cool.
4. Serve with tortilla chips, or eat as is.
Corn Ribs
Yield: 6-8 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
3 ears of corn
2-3 tablespoons of high smoke point oil (I used avocado oil)
Salt
For the garlic butter:
1/2 stick butter
4 cloves garlic - minced
1 tablespoon parsley, roughly chopped
Garlic scapes, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper
Any seasoning blend/Herbs of your choice
Safety First
When cutting the cobs of corn, you will need a very sharp heavy duty knife and a cutting board with rubber feet or a wet towel/paper towel or mat placed underneath your cutting board to keep it from slipping.
1. Shuck the corn and cut off each end to make it flat and stable. Stand the corn upright, and very carefully cut the cob in half. Then cut in half again to make 4 pieces. (you want the each quarter to still be attached to the cob so the kernels don’t fall off) making them “ribs.”
2. Place in a large bowl and toss with avocado oil and salt.
3. Place on the grill kernel side down. Grill until the corn starts to char (about 10 minutes).
4. Remove from the grill and place back into the large bowl.
5. To make the garlic butter, melt butter in a small pan. Add garlic, herbs, or any seasoning you'd like. Cook for 30-45 seconds until the garlic is aromatic.
6. Pour over the corn ribs and toss together so all the corn is coated.
7. Squeeze lemon over the top and season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.
If you are unsure about your knife skills, please do not attempt to cut corn this way. You can follow all the same steps, keeping the corn whole and eating it right off the cob.
Our most popular class at The Chopping Block, Knife Skills, will teach you knife safety, how to properly slice and dice, knife care and sharpening. It’s the first and most important thing to know to set you up for success in the kitchen.
There are so many ways to prepare and enjoy sweet corn, and it’s only around for such a short season. I hope this inspires you to go get some corn and have fun making something new!
Summertime is patio season at The Chopping Block! Come join us for a grilling class using seasonal ingredients and learn everything you want to know about cooking on charcoal and gas grills.
Stop into The Chopping Blocks retail store and find all of these tools and spices I used. From knives, cutting boards, corn zippers, to spices, we have everything you need to set you up for success in the kitchen!
