How to Cook Corn on the Cob

Cooking Corn on the Cob

The corn on the Jersey shore is the best I’ve ever had—sweet and tender and bursting with flavor.  I thought it would be nice to give you a few ideas of ways to serve corn that might be a little bit out of the box.  Before we go adding all sorts of ingredients though, I should add that when your corn is wholesome and fresh, sometimes less is more.

In that spirit, here are a couple of ways to enjoy your sweet corn the way it comes off of the stalks—on the cob.

Steamed Corn on the Cob

4 ears of corn, shucked and cleaned of silk
Water
Fresh herbs (optional)
Salt
Pepper
Butter

Fill a large pot with about 1” of water.  If you would like, add some fresh herbs to the water for additional flavor.  Bring the water to a boil.

Place ears of corn in a steamer insert or metal colander and carefully place in the large pot.  Cover and let the corn steam for 5-10 minutes, depending on how soft you like the kernels.  If your corn is very fresh and sweet, you really only need to steam it long enough to heat it.

Serve with softened butter and salt and pepper, to taste.  You could also use herbed butter or garlic butter—any kind of compound butter would do.

Grilled Corn on the Cob
4 ears of corn, husks still on
Water
Fresh herbs (optional)
Salt
Pepper
Butter

(Optional first step) Bring fresh herbs to simmer in enough water to cover the ears of corn.  Cool and proceed.

Soak the corn in salted water for about 30 minutes before grilling.  You will probably have to weigh the corn down with a plate or some cans to keep them submerged.

Set your gas grill to medium-high, or use one layer of charcoal in a charcoal grill.

Place the ears of corn on your grilling grate and cover.

Let grill for 5-10 minutes, and then turn the ears.  Keep grilling and turning the ears.  The husks will get crisp and browned and might even flare up occasionally.  That’s okay—you won’t end up with burnt corn.

Once the ears are browned on all sides, about 30 minutes or so, carefully take them off the grill.  Wearing oven mitts, pull the husks and silk away from the corn.  Serve with softened butter or compound butter and salt and pepper, to taste.

Related Topics

Creamy Corn Soup Recipe

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Jersey Sweet Corn

Sweet Corn Soup

Creamy Corn Soup

With all the wonderful local Jersey sweet corn available, I had to come up with some new ideas to use it whether it is fresh or as leftover corn on the cob. I have seen a lot of recipes for soups that contain corn, but this soup is like eating the smooth, pureed essence of corn.  It is lovely as a side dish, but you could also add diced chicken and vegetables to make a hearty main course.

Make sure you use the sweetest corn available, because the better the corn, the better the soup.

Basic Corn Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 cups fresh corn kernels
• Kosher salt and white pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme
• 4 cups corn stock (recipe follows) (you can also use canned low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock, if you’d rather)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup crème fraiche or sour cream
• Hot sauce, to taste

Heat a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat.  Add butter and oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.

Add the corn kernels along with the salt, white pepper and thyme.  Cook corn kernels for about ten minutes, stirring frequently, until the kernels just begin to color.  Watch your heat and don’t let them burn.

Stir in the corn stock, heavy cream and crème fraiche.   Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes.  If using sour cream, add it now—you don’t want sour cream to boil, or it will curdle. Taste and adjust seasonings.  Add a few drops of hot sauce, if you’d like.

Remove from the heat and carefully blend in batches until smooth.  When pureeing hot foods in a blender, be sure to only fill the blender jar halfway and to remove the center feed tube to let heat escape.  Start the blender on low speed first, then increase to high.

You can also blend this right in the pan with an immersion blender.  Check the consistency.  If you’d like it a little thicker, continue to simmer until it has reached your desired consistency.  If you think it is too thick, thin it out with a little broth, water or even some more cream.

Strain soup through a fine strainer and serve hot, garnished with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche and some freshly minced herbs.

To make a lower-fat version, stir in 3 tablespoons of corn starch or flour along with another tablespoon of oil after you’ve cooked the corn for about eight minutes.  Stir well and continue to cook for another minute or two before adding the corn stock or vegetable stock.

Use 2 cups whole milk in place of the heavy cream and crème fraiche.

How to Make Corn Stock

• cobs from which you cut the corn kernels, cut in half
• 1 large onion, scrubbed but unpeeled, cut into four pieces
• 1 shallot, scrubbed and unpeeled, cut in half
• 6 white peppercorns
• A few thyme stems
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups cold water, or enough to just cover the cobs and vegetables

Put all the ingredients in a stock pot.  Add the water.

Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for three to four hours.  Spoon off any scum that rises to the surface.

Strain through a fine strainer.  If necessary, reduce over medium-high heat until you have four cups.

Related Topics

The Reluctant Gourmet Soup Recipes

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Jersey Sweet Corn

How to Build a Wine Cellar in Your Home

Build Your Own Wine Cellar

If you’re a connoisseur of fine wines, chances are that you keep a few bottles in your home. If you are looking to expand your collection or if you would like to keep wines for more than about six months, however, you’ll need a wine cellar in your home to properly store the vintages.

The most important thing to remember is that not all wines improve with age. While most red wines improve with age and careful storage, white wines are often at their peak over a more short-term time frame. By knowing how to store wines properly, you can plan the best wine cellar for your home, and build it to suit your needs as well as for the protection of your growing collection.

Considerations for Wine Cellar Environments

In order to store wine properly, you need to control humidity, temperature, light, and vibration. You can build your wine cellar in a basement or even in a closet so long as you can properly regulate the conditions and protect the wine. As long as you are able to keep the storage areas within specific parameters, it will be a good place to keep your wines for long-term storage.

What’s more important regarding the location is how you intend to use the cellar. If you will be visiting it daily and have the space, a large closet may be your best choice. If you will visit it less frequently, a basement room will allow more storage, as well as be easier to keep cool.

• The humidity of your wine cellar should be at approximately 70 percent. This helps to keep the corks moist. A dry cork shrinks, allowing air to enter the bottle and liquid to escape. It’s the same reason wines are stored on their sides, keeping the inner half of the cork wet. At the same time, you should monitor the humidity of the cellar and not allow it to get too much higher than 70 percent.Higher levels of humidity can cause the glue on the labels to weaken, and may even allow the corks to mold. It’s important to install monitors in your wine cellar that regulate humidity levels, as well as humidifiers triggered by the monitor to add moisture as it is needed yet turn off when the appropriate level of humidity is reached.
• Temperature is another important factor. Wines need to be kept between 50 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit in order to store well. While a refrigerator can be calibrated to maintain this temperature, it is also an appliance that receives constant use. The light turning off and on, the temperature changes when the door is open, and the vibration of the appliance itself all make this an undesirable choice for long term storage.For your wine cellar, you’ll need a thermostat as well as a cooling system in place in order to maintain a proper temperature. If you worry that your cellar may become too cold, you’ll need a warming system, as well. Be aware that any temperature modifications you make need to be gentle, as regularly shifting the temperature of the wine will cause it to age more quickly.
• It is important to keep the cellar dark, and to make sure that the bottles are protected from the light you use when you visit the cellar. While most bottles now have UV protection within the glass, not all do. Even bottles with this protection can become “light struck” over time, which means that the light the wine was exposed to has changed the flavor of the wine to something resembling wet cardboard.While white wines and champagnes are the most likely to change, light isn’t good for long-term storage for reds, either. Make sure that the light in the cellar isn’t shining directly on the bottles. You can always pull a bottle out to check the label, but its place in the rack should still be shadowed even when the light is on.
• Vibrations are the final consideration for a quality wine cellar. While the effects of vibration are debated, it’s believed that they cause the wine to age more quickly. They may impede the natural evolution of the wine, leaving you with vintages that never reach their peak.Vibrations come from many sources, so be sure that any machinery that you have in or near your wine cellar don’t cause the wine to vibrate. Also, be sure to purchase racks that are well constructed and stable. Solidly built racks will absorb smaller vibrations and will help to protect your collection.

With all of these concerns to consider, building a wine cellar may seem very complicated. While proper storage does require careful planning, once it is built and the temperature and humidity are calibrated, all you have to do is keep it running. Be sure to check your systems regularly to ensure that the cellar is stable, and keep adding more wines as you collect them. You can be confident that your new wine cellar will keep them protected and in prime condition for decades to come.