Corn on the Cob

I learned a tough lesson this weekend. "Tough" being the operative word.

Last week, when I went to the produce stand, I picked up four ears of "Peaches and Cream" variety fresh corn on the cob with intentions of grilling and eating it over the weekend. Mistake #1: Never buy fresh corn on the cob if you don't plan on eating it within 24 hours.

When I got the corn home, I cleaned it up a bit and set it out on the counter. Mistake #2: if you can't eat it within 24 hours, do not remove the outer husks and immediately put it into the refrigerator.

After a couple of days, I saw that the kernels were shriveling a bit. I thought to myself, "Oh, they'll just rehydrate when I soak them in preparation for grilling." Mistake #3: Corn is a grain, but it ain't rice. It does not rehydrate.

So guess what I didn't have for dinner last night? You got it--delicious, sweet corn on the cob. Y'see, as soon as corn is picked, the sugar starts converting into starch. Every tick of the clock results in corn that is less sweet and less juicy.

What I'd intended to do was soak my corn for a few hours, stick it in the oven for about 15 minutes and then throw it on the grill to get a couple of charred spots (and some smoky flavor). It's worked before (but I'd always cooked it the day I bought it). It simply didn't occur to me that it couldn't wait until the weekend. If you plan to cook corn on the cob yourself, I suggest reading this guide to buying and cooking corn on the cob, which should be particularly helpful if you have to purchase your corn at the grocery store instead of a farmer's market or country produce stand.