For years, I've paid extra to buy corn-on-the-cob with the husk removed, or spent time shucking the corn and tossing the husks in the garbage can. And, despite best efforts, there is always that odd silk thread or two that remains behind pretending to be tooth floss!
No more! As the You Tube video shows (click image above to view), there is a much, much, MUCH easier way!
How did you get along for years without this knowledge? I have no idea.
I've loved corn-on-the-cob since I was a kid 70-odd years ago. Heck, when we had a young family of our own, and grew our own corn on a "gentleman's farm" in upstate New York, we'd get the water boiling before we picked the corn, and then shuck and toss the cobs in. Delicious!
With the advent of microwave ovens, I've wrapped the shucked corn in moist napkins, and then nuked it that way.
But, always, always, ALWAYS, it has taken considerable effort (or cost) to shuck it before cooking.
Well, thanks to Nancy, my water aerobics instructor, who put me on to this "NO SHUCKS" silk-free method last week, I will never shuck a raw ear of corn again.
Here is how to do it:
1) Take one or more the ears of corn, exactly as you purchased them in the super-market or picked them in the field, and place them in the microwave.
2) Set the timer for 3-4 minutes per ear, depending upon the size.
3) Holding a hot ear of corn with gloves or a dish towel, remove the lower part by cutting completely through the husk and cob. You will have to sacrifice about a quarter-inch of corn when you do this.
4) Grasp the ear from the tassel end, and shake it a few times, to loosen the husk.
5) The absolutely clean cob - totally silk-free - will emerge and drop right onto the plate (in some cases, you might have to grasp the cob and give it a little pull).
6) The only waste will be the part you cut off, plus the husk - with ALL the silk still inside - which will all be in one neat piece instead of an unruly mess of vegetation.
THAT IS IT! ENJOY!
Ira Glickstein
