National Corn On The Cob Day: Ways To Cook This Summertime Treat

National Corn on the Cob Day is marked annually on June 11 in the United States to celebrate and appreciate the delightful summertime treat.

This cereal crop, now found widely across the world, was first domesticated in the Americas around 10,000 years ago. The Native Americans taught the European settlers the ingenious methods of growing corn. These methods were later introduced to different parts of Europe by travelers and corn became a popular crop all over the globe.

The crop is known by various names in different regions across the nation. Popular names include pole corn, cornstick, sweet pole, butter-pop, sweet corn, or long maize. It is used as livestock feed, human food, biofuel and raw material for many industries.

Corn can be used in recipes to make puddings, mashes, polentas and griddle cakes. National Corn on the Cob Day provides people with an opportunity to try different methods of cooking, seasoning and styling corn.

Here are some ways to cook corn on this National Corn on the Cob Day:

1. Boil: To a large pot of boiling water, add corn and reduce it to medium heat. The kernels get tender in six to eight minutes. You can bring in more flavor by boiling the corn in milk and butter instead of water.

2. Microwave: Place the unshucked corn in a microwave-safe dish. Cook it for 4 minutes and check the tenderness of the kernel. Add more time if needed. Cool the cooked corn for 5 minutes before removing the husk.

3. Grill: Shuck the corn and cook it covered in a preheated grill over high heat (400 to 450ºF / 204 to 232ºC). The corn gets cooked in 8 to 12 minutes. You can flip the corn every 2 to 3 minutes to char each side.

4. Oven roasting: Preheat your oven to 375ºF (191ºC). Shuck the corn and place each ear of corn on a piece of aluminum foil. Add a piece of butter to the center, and sprinkle the corn with salt and pepper. Roast the corn directly on the oven rack with butter side up after tightly wrapping them. Cook for about 30 minutes until kernels are tender. Allow corn to cool for at least 5 minutes before opening.