Choose ears with plump, milky kernels that run all the way to the tip in tightly packed rows. As soon as the ears are picked, the sugars start converting to starch, reducing the corn’s natural sweetness. To get the best flavor, cook or blanch and freeze corn the day it’s picked or refrigerate up to 1 day. Here are our easy steps to get corn off the cob and ready for eating.
Prep the Corn
Steady the ear of corn with one hand and face the stem away. Use a sturdy chef’s knife to cut off the stem. This gives you a safe base to keep it stable for cutting. Rinse the ear. Buy It: Zwilling Gourmet 8 in. Chef’s Knife, $60, Williams-Sonoma
Blanch the Corn
You can skip this step if you plan to cook and serve the corn right away. However, blanch the ears first if you want to freeze cut corn. Before cutting corn off the cob:
Bring a large pot of water to boiling. Have a large bowl of ice water ready.Place a few ears of corn at a time in the boiling water. Cook 4 minutes.Using tongs, remove the corn and immediately plunge it into the ice water until cool. Drain excess water from the ears over the bowl before removing corn from the cob.
How to Cut Corn Off the Cob
Test Kitchen Tip: When using fresh corn for recipes, one ear of corn equals approximately ½ cup corn cut off the cob.
How to Cut Corn on the Cob Using a Bundt Pan
Using your bundt pan (such as this Wilton Fluted Tube Pan for $12, Walmart) is a handy trick for how to remove corn from the cob without kernels flying. All you have to do is place the cob’s tip in the tube pan’s center hole. Once secured, cut down the sides of the corn with a sharp knife. The kernels will fall into the pan instead of all over your counter. If using a nonstick pan, be careful not to scratch the interior. But even if you do knick the pan, it shouldn’t be a big problem since baking cakes won’t touch this part of the pan.
To Freeze Cut Corn
Add blanched and cooled cut corn to freezer-safe bags or containers with a measuring cup. Squeeze the air from the bags and seal. Label each bag or container with contents, amount, and date. Freeze up to 8 to 10 months.
Cooking Fresh Cut Corn
To enjoy your fresh corn cut off the cob, bring a small amount of salted water to boiling in a small saucepan. Add 2 cups cut corn, cover, and cook for 4 minutes. Or, to microwave, place 2 cups cut corn in a casserole dish with 2 tablespoons water. Microwave, covered, at high power for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring once. Drain corn. Now that you’ve learned how to cut corn off the cob, try those fresh, sweet kernels in your favorite corn recipes. Stir them into a steaming pot of corn chowder, whip up some fresh corn cakes for an appetizer, or add them to fresh salsa for a quick snack.
