Active Time
10 minutes
Total Time
15 minutes
Fresh corn, picked at the height of summer, is at its best when you don’t do too much to it. So when we want to remember how to boil corn on the cob to get the tenderest, sweetest results, we look to the advice food writer Marion Cunningham gave when she revised the classic Fannie Farmer Cookbook in 1996. Cunningham’s approach is simple: Make sure to salt your boiling water, and soften your butter before you slather it on.
If at all possible, buy corn with taut, intact husks and shuck the cobs yourself just before you drop them into the pot of water. When you’re ready to eat, use tongs to pluck the cobs out of the hot water and set them in a colander or on kitchen towels to drain before adding butter, mayo, or whatever spreads and seasonings sound good to you.
Fresh sweet corn is an ideal summer side dish for pretty much any protein, whether you're thinking classic bbq or baked salmon. Some families even cook corn on the cob and make it a meal all on its own (followed, perhaps, by a great summer dessert like strawberry shortcake). If you want to try this tradition for yourself, head to a farm stand or farmers market for the freshest, best corn—and double the number of ears called for below. After all, if you have any leftover corn, you can cut off the kernels and use them for other beloved corn recipes, like esquites, corn salad, or spoon bread.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Preparation
Just before cooking, husk the corn, pull off the silky threads, and cut out any blemishes with a pointed knife. Drop the corn into a large pot filled with boiling salted water. Cover the pot and let the water return to a boil again, then turn off the heat and keep the pot covered. After about 5 minutes, remove enough ears for a first serving. You can keep the remaining corn warm in the water for another 10 minutes without its becoming tough. Serve with lots of butter and salt.
Editor's note: This recipe originally appeared in the ‘Fannie Farmer Cookbook’ as “Basic Method for Cooking Corn on the Cob” and first appeared on Epicurious in August 2004.
Leave a Review
Reviews (118)
Back to TopFor years, we've simply steamed the shucked cobs. Put an inch or two of water in bottom of pot, bring to boil, throw in ears, and cover. After 5 min, use tongs to rotate ears, top to bottom. Steam another few minutes and remove.
Rand B
mid Maine
1/22/2023
If you have good fresh farm grown corn you only need to cook it for 2 minutes in boiling water. No need to put salt in water it will make kernels tough.
Anonymous
Southampton, ny
8/19/2022
Sounds good. We've always brought water to a boil, take it off the heat, add corn and cover, ready in 12 minutes. Butter, salt, and pepper (optional). Never fails. Just sharing.
Midwest Corn Farmer
Illinois
8/6/2022
Adding salt or sugar to the cooking water generally makes the kernel skins tougher. Learned long ago, ran trials, found it to be true. But you do you and enjoy your corn.
SeaWitch
Huron County, Michigan
7/29/2022
I think if your looking for instructions on how to cook corn, you might wanna stay out of the kitchen! GMO's have to go! Demand demand organic, and stop ingesting pesticides! One love people,! God bless Ukraine!! Off Putin!
Papa Pun
Akron Ohio
4/13/2022
i dont really like this im just trying to get the stars to 3
MYDINGDONGHURDS
bankstown
11/14/2021
Perfect every time. This is my go-to recipe for the sweet corn I grow in my garden and also corn from the farmers market.
Iloveadobo
Wisconsin
2/5/2021
Nobody Talks About The Cooler Method , For A Crowd !!! Place Corn In The Bottom Of Cooler , Shucked , De-silked , Cleaned Or Not , Add Boiling Water Just To Cover , Close Lid , Wait 10 To 15 Mins. Your Ready To Eat !!! If Not Cleaned , Use Cob End As A Handle And Cut Thru The First Row Of Corn , Then Grab The Other End , The Silk End And Squeeze Like A Blackhead And Pop , Out Comes The Clean Corn , Just Like A Big Ol' Pimple !!!
lillythedog
Kansas City , Home Of The Chiefs !!!
7/25/2020
@BACHMANDENI - I CONCUR with EVERYTHING you have said and guess what, I'm from IOWA, too! The absolute EASIEST way if you want to shuck and boil: remove the husks, place room temp whole ears in a pot of water on stove. Set a timer for 15-20 minutes on MedHigh (oven variation) and let them get to a boil, spinning them a few times so cooking is even. That's it! NEVER FAIL and EVERYONE can enjoy without worrying about teeth OR being soft. They can also season how they like it. I use this method for every type of corn for regular meals any time and the response I get from EVERYONE is "Good corn!" I, too, LOVE corn on the grill, in the husk, roasted, etc. But I have an affinity for reductive "recipes" even MORE, ones that are so basic and easy, they are NO FAIL and CONSISTENT. I put leftover ears in fridge and they can be reheated easily. K.I.S.S. Method from IA
Westcoasteast
IA
6/26/2020
Straight from the garden, husked and I followed the epicurious recipe to the letter since it was my first time growing and cooking them. I used pure butter but not too lavishly. when they had their five minutes I took them out and after buttering them I sprinkled lightly with salt and pepper. What a delightful breakfast! I would definitely make these again.
Sybylla
Melbourne, Australia
1/18/2020
I am 82 (years) I don’t say old, and I refuse to go cutesy and say young. Just 82. I grew up in between Granby (PO address) and Grand Lake. My father taught me to cook corn. He put them, husk and all in a container and covered them with well water (artesian-like, pure and unadulterated) and there they sat either until dinner, that day or the next. Then he threw them (as is) in the oven. We did not grill, anything. It was a fire danger, and it just ‘wasn’t done’. I’m not sure whether they even had grills then. When the Corn was ready, you had to husk it yourself, and the inside threads (I don’t think I even know what they are called) came off with the husk, very few if any had to be cleaned off before eating. I still cook my corn as my father did. All of the husking and looking for bad Kernels and knifing them out is so much bunk. I still don’t have a grill, but I do have darn good corn.
Margaret Johnson
Golden Co
9/1/2019
None of these reviews were helpful. A review of a recipe is supposed to say "I made this and it needed/didn't need [x]". Thanks for nothing, people.
IsaBbott
Vt
8/1/2019
FFS. It is corn. Boil some water. Throw the corn in. Cover. Turn off the heat. Salt and sugar do not matter.
rfarrell73643
Dallas
7/9/2019
I'm sticking to what my Kentucky grandmother taught me 60 years ago: shuck the corn, boil 8-10 minutes in salted water. The corn is either sweet or not--save your sugar for something useful.
digital_liz9673
5/27/2019
I have read time and again to never, under any circumstance, add salt to the water as this toughens the corn. Sugar, sure...but never, ever salt...
DJRMewzique
Montreal, QC
8/25/2018
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