Preparing Fresh Sweetcorn

Appears in

The Cook's Companion: A step-by-step guide to cooking skills including original recipes

Published 1991

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For the freshest flavour, sweetness and juiciness, sweetcorn should be bought with the husks still intact, as the kernels become stale quickly when exposed to air. To capture the fresh flavour, eat sweetcorn on the day of purchase. Best of all is if you can pick your own and then go straight home to cook it. Kernels also taste wonderful eaten raw as long as the corn is absolutely fresh.

To prepare corn on the cob, hold the cob firmly in one hand, and pull off the green leafy husks. Trim the stalk, then peel away the silky brown threads. There is no need to wash before cooking.
To remove the kernels, hold the prepared cob upright, stalk end down on a board. Using a sharp cook’s knife, cut straight down. The kernels may scatter a bit, so allow plenty of space.