There are countless ways to prepare corn on the cob: it can be boiled, grilled, oven-roasted,
or even thrown into the microwave. But sticking corn into a pot of hot water is a pretty standard
and stress-free way of doing things, right? Besides that, it also allows you to focus
less on the corn and more on how you might season and serve it. But there's a good reason
you'll want to keep your ears out of boiling water.
Corn contains folate, or folic acid — also known as vitamin B9. Folic acid allows the
body to healthily produce red and white blood cells, and it also helps with the conversion
of carbohydrates into energy. In other words, it promotes a healthy metabolism. A cup of
corn contains about 19 percent of the daily value you should consume of the vitamin. It's
particularly important in pregnancies, as it lowers the possibility of birth defects.
When corn is boiled, however, it loses some of its folic acid and other nutrients, which
seep out into the water. Essentially, you're making your corn less healthy by dropping
it into that pot. So what should you do? Should you even cook it at all?
"This corn is raw!"
"I know, isn't it wonderful? So crisp."
"Of course it's crisp, it's raw!"
Well, the good news is that you'd be better off steaming your corn: it takes even less
time than boiling, it keeps those nutrients locked into the ears, and if you're really
short on time, you can literally do it by popping the ears, husks still intact, into
the microwave. It's almost like making popcorn, except healthier.
Not only does steaming corn in the husk allow the nutrients to stay put, but the ease of
doing it also allows you to use corn on the cob to its full potential. Steaming a vegetable
isn't necessarily more complicated than boiling: All you need to do is fill a pot with water
and place a steamer basket above the water. Once the water is boiling, the steaming process
should take somewhere between four and six minutes, making it the quickest way to cook
corn on the cob. It's important to allow the corn to cool, but once you can safely touch
the husks, they should peel quickly and easily.
With such a short cooking time, steaming corn allows you more time to brainstorm ways to
make your corn on the cob delicious in a more creative manner. There's nothing wrong with
a barebones tray of corn on the cob with a little salt and butter, of course, but you
can always go that little bit further. For example, you could wrap it in prosciutto,
or sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. Or why not drizzle on some honey and butter, or a
little sriracha? Or garlic and parmesan, maybe? The only limit is your imagination.
Besides saving time and nutrients, steaming your corn can make it easier to cook several
foods at once: Sam Sifton, the founding editor of New York Times Cooking, throws corn into
a pot with bacon, clams, and white wine, producing a soupy, flavorful dish that, as long as the
water doesn't boil, shouldn't waste nutrients. And once you've entered the beautiful world
of steamed corn, you'll soon realize you've got even more options.
Meanwhile, grilling corn in its husk allows for a sweet, smoky, complex flavor. Placing
the ears directly on the grill will produce a lovely char and, in about 10 minutes, more
tender corn. You can also slather the ears with butter and oven-roast them in foil, though
this takes closer to 30 minutes. If you really want to push the boat out, you could steam
your corn in a crockpot or a rice cooker. The crockpot method will take you two to four
hours, but it takes minimal effort and the taste just might be worth the wait.
One last hot tip: Once you've steamed your corn — or grilled it, or roasted it — you
can actually continue enjoying all that sweetness even after the kernels are long gone. By saving
the corn cobs and boiling them with water, you can rustle up a corn stock to use in soups,
stews, and polentas. It's just another way that corn can do it all.
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