Cook Corn Without Shucking
Too many pieces of husked corn to shuck and not enough time? Here’s a way to get around spending endless time shucking corn. All you will need is a microwave, oven mitts, cutting board and a sharp knife to get around this arduous task.
Contents
Steps
- Place “clothed” (or corn still in its husk) corn in the microwave. It's best to wash the corn first to remove any dirt.
- Microwave the corn on high for five minutes. While microwave temps may vary, five or six minutes will cook the corn well for most microwaves.
- Check the corn after five minutes for tenderness. The skin should be relatively moist and tender––ripe for falling from the cob.
- Remove the corn using oven mitts and place on a cutting board.
- Cut the bottom off the corn husk. Make a cut approximately one inch (2.5cm) away from the bottom to expose the actual corn on the cob.
- Pull the remaining strings or pieces away to give a clean bottom. If there are remaining corn husk pieces even after you’ve removed the corn’s clothing, grab these pieces now.
- Slide the corn on the cob out of its husk. Cutting the bottom of the corn cob lets the corn pop out of the husk. Since the corn is still warm and soft from being microwaved, it should gently slide out of the cob.
- Grasp the top of the corn with your oven mitts and hold the corn over a plate or bowl.
- Squeeze the husk gently to dislodge the corn from the husk. Move your hand downward so that it follows the corn as it leaves the husk.
- Serve the corn. It goes well with butter, salt and pepper or even just as it is.
Tips
- When microwaving the cob (in the husk), never cover with plastic or a paper towel. The corn will steam on its own inside the husk.
- If you don’t have access to a microwave, consider boiling husked corn in a pot of salted water or you could even try this on the grill.
- Clean the remaining corn cob once it emerges from the husk. In most cases the corn cob should slide out perfectly clean. However, if it doesn’t, run the cob under warm water to remove any remaining husk or strings.
Warnings
- Be careful while gasping the hot corn.
Things You'll Need
- Microwave
- Knife and cutting board
- Oven mitts
- Plate
