How to Cook Corn So It’s Soft and Juicy

How to Cook Corn So It’s Soft and Juicy

The queen not only of fields, but also of gastronomy – gourmet corn dishes are served in the best restaurants in the world. Your favorite treat is easy to make at home.

Corn is good both on its own and as part of unusual recipes.

The content of the article

Useful properties of corn

Eating this vegetable provides the body with vitamins C, E, D, K and PP, potassium, magnesium, iodine and phosphorus. A huge advantage of corn over other forage crops is that it does not absorb fertilizers and other chemicals and is therefore safe. Corn is suitable even for the nutrition of diabetics, but people suffering from gastrointestinal diseases should not include it in their diet.

How to choose corn for cooking

Knowing how to cook corn well is not enough, you have to choose the right cobs. Several criteria are used to assess the quality of maize:

  • bright green leaves – they speak of the freshness of the plant. If you have a choice, it is always better to choose unpeeled cobs, as the leaves protect the corn from drying out and are also used during cooking to make the vegetable juicier. Yellowed, wilted leaves result in overripe or stale corn;

  • whitish or light yellow grains. Yes, yes, it is this type of corn that is best suited for cooking, and not bright yellow cobs. A light tint means the plant is young, but the richer the color, the older the corn and may become tough after cooking.

ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUED BELOW

  • white juice obtained by pressing on the grain. This corn is also called milk corn, and it tastes the best.

  • the same regular size and shape of the grains – good corn is distinguished by the regular shape of the grains and their close proximity to each other. If the grains look wrinkled, you should not buy such corn;

  • average ear size – we have included this criterion for convenience only. Medium cobs fit more easily into the whole pan and do not need to be opened before cooking.

How to Cook Corn on the Cob in a Pan

You will need:

  • 6-8 ears of corn;
  • 4 liters of water;
  • large, heavy-bottomed saucepan.

Recipe:

  1. First of all, you need to remove the leaves from the corn and clean the ears from the hairy stigmas.
  2. Rinse the leaves under running water and line the bottom of the pot with them.
  3. Place the cobs on top of the leaves.
  4. Cover with another layer of leaves.
  5. Make as many layers, alternating between leaves and cobs, as the pot will fit.
  6. Pour cold water into the pan until it covers the corn by about an inch.
  7. Do not add salt during cooking – it will make the corn softer, sweeter and juicier.
  8. Cover the pan with a lid and place it on the stove.

Now we find out how to cook corn correctly and in what quantity. The answer to this question depends on the variety of the plant and its maturity.

  • Young cobs are brought to a boil and boiled for about 15 minutes in boiling water. After that, the fire can be extinguished and the product left in the same water for another half hour.

  • If you have hard corn, it will take longer to cook. The degree of maturity can be determined by the color of the kernels: the darker they are, the older the corn. The cooking time for such a vegetable reaches from 40 minutes to two hours.

  • Bonduelle sweet corn is the fastest to cook, boiling in boiling water for just ten minutes. To check if the cob is ready, separate a few kernels and try.

How to cook corn with salt at home

In the previous recipe, we advised not to add salt to the water while cooking the corn. However, some housewives claim that it is still possible to do this, but a few minutes before preparation.

Here is a classic recipe for how to cook corn on the cob with salt.

  1. Before cooking, separate the wilted leaves and rinse the corn thoroughly under running water.
  2. You can soak the ears in cold water for an hour before cooking to soften them. If the corn is overripe, it is soaked in a 1:1 mixture of water and milk for at least four hours.
  3. After preparing the corn for cooking, take a large pot in which the cobs are placed whole. If the ears are too large, cut them into equal pieces so that the product cooks evenly.
  4. Place the corn in a saucepan and cover with water to completely cover the contents.
  5. Put the pan on the stove, turn on the highest heat and bring the water to a boil.
  6. As soon as the water boils, reduce the heat to medium and cook the corn for 15-10 minutes if it is young, and from 40 minutes if it is ripe.
  7. About 5 minutes before the end of cooking, salt the water at the rate of one teaspoon of salt per liter of water.
  8. Separate a few kernels from the cob and try. If the corn is already soft, turn off the heat and leave it in the water in which it boiled. Thus, the product will remain juicy.
  9. Before serving, the vegetable can be additionally sprinkled with salt or grated cheese, spread with butter or vegetable oil.

You can store boiled corn in the same pot of water in the fridge for up to three days.

If you want to prepare corn for future use, separate the kernels from the cob, put them in bags and freeze them. Later it will be useful for salads, vegetable side dishes and soups.

How to cook corn in the microwave

Many housewives want to know how to properly cook corn so that it is soft in the microwave. If you bought baby cobs fresh, they are easy to microwave in just 10 minutes, keeping the product moist. To do this, take:

  • 2 medium corn
  • 2 teaspoons of butter
  • salt to taste

Recipe:

  1. Rinse the cobs in cold water.
  2. Cut off some of the sweetness from the bottom of the cob, exposing the kernels. This will make it easier to clean the corn after cooking.
  3. Put on a plate and put in the microwave. With a power of 750 W, cook for 10 minutes.
  4. Let the vegetable cool – and you can start tasting! Grab the tip of the leafy part and pull to clean the cob.

How to Cook Corn Kernels in a Pan

If you want to cook corn on the cob, follow these steps:

  1. Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil.
  2. Salt, add the grains and cook for two to three minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Take out some beans to taste. When ready, drain the water through a colander and let the corn cool.

Delicious recipes with corn

On the usual cooking of corn, you can not stop and cook interesting dishes with this delicious vegetable.

Corn salad with red onions and basil

Ingredients:

  • 5 ears of corn
  • 0.5 cup diced red onion
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 0.5 cup basil leaves

Cooking process:

  1. Boil corn in boiling water for three minutes.
  2. Then drain the hot water and move the cobs to cold water.
  3. When the corn has cooled, cut the kernels.
  4. Take a deep bowl and mix in the corn kernels and red onion.
  5. For the sauce, combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.
  6. Pour dressing over salad and sprinkle with chopped basil.

Pepper Corn Casserole

Ingredients:

  • 8 ears of corn
  • 2 bell peppers
  • 1 jalapeno pepper
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • salt to taste
  • 100g butter

Cooking process:

  1. Set the oven to preheat to 180 degrees.
  2. At this point, cut the bell pepper and jalapeno into small cubes.
  3. Remove the leaves from the corn cobs.
  4. Cut the kernels off the cob and scrape off the whitish juice that comes out. Do this throughout the bowl.
  5. Pour the chopped peppers over the corn, add the cream and butter, salt.
  6. Pour the mixture into a baking dish.
  7. Bake for 30-45 minutes.

Corn, rice and chicken soup

Ingredients:

  • 500g chicken fillet
  • 500g potatoes
  • 200g corn
  • 150g rice
  • 150g onion
  • 150g carrots
  • vegetable oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Cooking process:

  1. Finely chop the onion and grate the carrots.
  2. Fry the vegetables in a frying pan in vegetable oil, first adding the onions and then the carrots.
  3. Transfer to a bowl and add the chicken pieces.
  4. Pour the mixture with water, salt and pepper.
  5. Bring the contents of the saucepan to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
  6. Wash and peel the potatoes, cut them into cubes.
  7. Add the rice and potatoes to the soup and simmer for 15 minutes.
  8. Separate the grains from the corn and put the broth, cook for another 5 minutes.

Source: The Voice Mag

You may also like