Fully ripe sweet corn has bright green, moist husks. The silk should be stiff, dark and moist. You should be able to feel individual kernels by pressing gently against the husk. Fresh corn, if possible, should be cooked and served the day it is picked or purchased.
As soon as corn is picked, its sugar begins is gradual conversion to starch, which reduces the corn's natural sweetness. Corn will lose 25% or more of its sugar within 25 hours afte harvesting it. If for some reason corn is not being used immediately or has been purchased from the supermarket, add sugar to replace that which has been lost. Add one teaspoon sugar for each quart of water.
Between purchasing and cooking, keep the corn moist and cool. Pack in a cooler for the trip home from farm or market and refrigerate corn immediately after taking it home. By refrigerating the corn it helps the corn stay sweet by not letting the sugars turn to starch. Use within two or three days.
Choose a pot large enough to hold the amount of corn you want to cook, with room for water to cover the corn. Cover pot and bring water to a boil on high heat. Add husked corn ears and continue to cook on high heat (covered or not) three to four minutes or until kernels are very hot.
If you're having a party, borrow this trick from markets in Mexico. Vendors selling ears of corn for snacks keep them ready and waiting for several hours in tubs of lukewarm wtaer. Instead of butter, ears are rubbed with lime wedges and sprinkled with salt. This nonfat alternative is very good.
Corn cooked this way is steamed and does not taste very different from boiled corn. It is handy to serve in the husk because you can season or butter the corn before it is cooked.
To prepare, pull husk back from each ear of corn, but leave attached at base of cob. Pull off and discard silk; trim off any insect damage, and rinse ears. If you want to butter them pat ears dry and rub with soft butter. Pull husks back up around corn.
If you want the husk to stay snugly against the ear, pull off one or two of the outer husk layers, tear lengthwide into thin strips, and tie them around ear in several places. Just before cooking, immerse the ears in cool water (this keeps husks from burning).
Husk corn and discard silk; wrap each ear loosely with aluminum foil. Over gas or hot coals, place corn onto a hot grill over medium heat. Cover barbecue with lid, open any vents, and cook fifteen to 20 twenty minutes; turn occasionally.
Preheat oven to 375° F. Prepare corn as directed for grilling, but put ears in a single layer, separating them slightly, directly onto the oven rack or onto a baking pan. Bake twenty to twenty-five minutes or until corn is tender when pierced and very hot.
Perfect for cooking just one ear of corn. Husk corn and discard silk. Rinse and wrap each ear loosely in a paper towl. Cook on full power one to two minutes or until ears are very hot to touch.
In a shallow bowl, hold ears of corn upright and, with a sharp knife, cut
kernels from the cobs. Then with blunt edge of the knife, scrape juice from
cobs.