Big Joe’s tutorial on Jersey corn: Here is what you need to know

Jersey corn is a staple and a necessity at your summer barbecue. Corn is also great in salads, soups, and other meals that will accent the dish that you are creating.

Jersey corn is fine by itself. Cooked well and served warm with butter, and you will slowly slip into a corn coma.

🌽 There is always room for a second ear of Jersey corn

Back in the day, I would only have one ear of corn; now, when Jersey corn is in the pot, I must make sure that there are more ears because people are going to have two, sometimes three with their hamburger or hot dog.

With that said, here is my tutorial on how to prepare and cook Jersey corn

🌽 Picking Jersey corn

Whether you are in a store or at a farmers market, the proper way to choose your ears of corn is by gently squeezing the ear to see if there are any soft spots. Soft spots are a sign of bruised or bad corn. Check the top of the corn with the tassel and look for any serious bruising. Do not peel off the husk to check the corn. Pulling down the husk dries out the corn and virtually makes it useless to sell. Learn how to check the corn properly.

🌽 Preparing the corn

Once you get the corn home, do not shuck the corn until you are ready to cook it. Shucking will dry it out.

After shucking, do not let the corn sit in water for a lengthy period. That will change the sugar composition, and the corn will lose its flavor and texture. When shucking, grab the tassel and pull down. You will get a lot of skin and most of the silk.

It is important to remove all the silk and you will need to chop off the end of the stalk and possibly the top of the ear down to the good portion of the ear if there is some discoloration.

🌽 Cooking the corn

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Make sure that the pot is big enough to adequately space out the cobs. Season the water generously with salt. I also like to add a little sugar, which makes the corn a little sweeter. Once the water is at a full boil, stir the pot, then add the ears of corn. Cook the corn for about 5 minutes. Then remove immediately and get ready to serve.

🌽 Serving the corn

In a saucepan, melt about two to three sticks of butter, then add salt and pepper. Pour butter on the hot corn on the cob and serve immediately.

🌽 Storing cooked corn

The best way to store cooked corn on the cob is by slicing off the kernels of the cob and placing them in a freezer bag with a little of the melted butter. You can then store the corn in the freezer. Do not freeze the corn on the cob. It is particularly important that you make sure the freezer bag is tightly closed and that no air can get in.

Jersey corn is in season, cook it often, and enjoy!