I learned this from a shopper in Stockbridge, Massachusetts when I was young. I have used this for 40 years and it has never failed to produce the most wonderful corn on the cob.
Haven't tried steeping for 25 minutes but I make "cooler corn" when feeding a crowd. Place corn (have used as many as 2 dozen) into clean cooler. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar over; pour boiling water over (you don't need to cover corn, just a gallon or so); close lid and let set until rest of meal is finished (at least an hour). The cooler keeps corn hot and perfectly cooked. Never fail and frees up stove top and grill for the rest of your feast!
Read MoreThis was too overdone for me. There is a similar recipe on here that only cooks for 10 mins that turned out more to our liking.
Read MoreHaven't tried steeping for 25 minutes but I make "cooler corn" when feeding a crowd. Place corn (have used as many as 2 dozen) into clean cooler. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar over; pour boiling water over (you don't need to cover corn, just a gallon or so); close lid and let set until rest of meal is finished (at least an hour). The cooler keeps corn hot and perfectly cooked. Never fail and frees up stove top and grill for the rest of your feast!
I thought this was going to be way overcooked by leaving it in the water for that long. It was PERFECT! I really liked this, and it was good without any salt or pepper on it----just some butter. Yum! Yum! Thank you, caquilter!
I don't add sugar (if the corn is fresh, it's really not needed). I usually bring water to boil, add the corn, return to just boiling and then turn off the heat and put a lid on the pot. Let steep 10 minutes, and you have fresh, delicious corn that taste as if it just came out of the field. You can use this method on frozen corn on the cob as well. I learned this recipe over 60 years ago from my Mom, a Farmer's Wife.
I have been using this method for years and always produces fresh tasting corn. Something about the sugar brings out the natural sweetness. Thanks, caquiter, for letting others aware of this simple, but tasty method.
I have done corn this way for years. It is simply wonderful. This works far better than my quick method (below)if the corn is even a little bit old. If you want to prepare more than a few ears the above method is much quicker too. For really fresh corn, this method takes a very short time and is great: Cut the silk end off where the cob ends, force a little water from the tap under the husks, then microwave two ears of corn at "high" for perhaps 5 to 7 minutes, allow to rest a few minutes. Then the silks come off really easy, and the corn is excellent. Butter, salt, and pepper to taste and chow down.
I always put my corn in cold water, add about 2 TBSP sugar, bring to a boil, turn heat off and cover, it can sit up to 2 hrs, always comes out so sweet and still crisp...Tried this and was just as good
This was too overdone for me. There is a similar recipe on here that only cooks for 10 mins that turned out more to our liking.
It's awesome....just the way it is. I do have a trick from my mom though. Instead of using sugar, add 1/3 cup whole milk to the water, bring to a boil, shut off and let sit for 20-25 minutes. Sweet as sweet can be
Best way to cook your corn!!! Especially love the ease of it while getting the rest of dinner prepared.
Best way to cook your corn!!! Especially love the ease of it while getting the rest of dinner prepared.
Thank you caquilter for such a tasty, great, easy way to fix a summer staple. Followed recipe exactly. DH loved it - he ate 3 ears!! It will be hitting our table as often as corn is on sale this summer.
So simple, but the results are incredible! And 25 minutes in the pot is perfect! It cooks the corn just enough to keep it tender-crisp. Any less and it would taste underdone. Thanks for a great, simple, delicious way to make corn on the cob!
I always have used this method to cook corn on cob. have converted several people . LOl this method never fails.
I had to change this just slightly. I didnt measure the sugar and probably did 1/2 tsp. I probably cooked the corn 5~7 minutes longer and it was just done. Its also best after it cools about 10 minutes or so. I also turned my stove to 3 instead of off. I must admit this corn was quite sweet. Dont know if it was the added sugar or corn itself. I will measure the sugar out next time. Served with salt and a tsp or so of unsalted butter per cob. My husband loved it.
Started using this recipe for my corn and it is delicious! Simple and quick enough to do other tasks as well. I didn't use any sugar but it was still delish. :)
The corn was an easy recipe to follow. I was curious about steeping the corn for the 25 minutes. However, the corn turned out well. My family loves corn on the cob, so this method earned five stars.
I love this recipe because it is so unforgiving. I boil the water, drop in the corn (I do bring it back to a roaring boil first.) Then, I turn off the heat and cover them up. Make the rest of dinner and when we're ready to eat -- "bam" the corn is nice and done. It makes a difference if you don't put in the dab of sugar -- I was surprised. I'm not sure why this combo of chemicals works so well, but it does. Yum!
Very quick and simple method that I've been using forever. I definitely want to try the milk trick I keep seeing in the reviews next time.
Simple and delicious. I like the way you can dump it and forget it, and the sugar brought out the natural sweetness of the corn. Served with butter and salt, and it was fab!
This is a good fix for "old" corn, but there is no need to add sugar to the water when cooking fresh corn. Simply bring water to a boil, add shucked and clean ears, boil for no more than 4 minutes. All you really need to do is heat the corn. Overcooking is what removes the natural sugar.
I have used this recipe for years, with and without sugar. The corn comes out perfect every time. The bonus is that you can leave it in the water for a long time without overcooking it. It will stay warm if the water is warm, but stop cooking after about 25 minutes. It's nice to not have to pay much attention to one of the ingredients in a meal.
Super simple and delicious way to prepare corn. I used this method to cook our first corn of the 2015 season. I will be using it again.
This recipe was so quick and easy. It was delicious. This will be a go to recipe for me
I have been cooking corn this way for over 30 years. I also add a little bit of milk. Corn always delicious.
This was very good. My husband did not realize I was following a recipe and added season all but it was super!
What I love about this is how LONG it takes -- seriously. You can plop in the corn cobs then serve an appetizer or soup, and the corn will be ready (without any monitoring) right when you're ready to move to the main course. Perfect for when you are the cook and host with guests.
I too have used this method for years. A dear friend with 5 children taught me. It is an excellent way to have perfect corn on the cob. It will hold for at least 25 minutes, can also hold for 45 minutes. It is important to use sugar, Never salt.
There's nothing wrong with this recipe except that if the corn is fresh, you don't need to add sugar to the pot, and if you boil the ears for FIVE (5) minutes, they're ready to serve.
Steeping the corn seemed to work great, however, 25 minutes seemed too long. We steeped it (after it came to a boil again after adding the corn to the water) for 12 minutes. We only had 2 ears of corn so that might have accounted for some of it. I will definitely use this recipe, as amended, again and again. It was sweet and delicious!
My mother loves corn on the cob! Made this and we will probably not cook corn any other way in the future. Very very good! Easy peasy! I had more than 4 ears of corn and added a bit more sugar.
I made it exactly as the recipe is written and it is perfect every time! So easy!
It’s so simple, and truly made the best corn on the cob we’ve ever eaten! This is the only way I’ll cook it from now on!
My family absolutely loved this recipe. I made 14 cobs of corn, and only three were left over. With only four people eating corn, that's pretty impressive. I added some milk to the water, and boiled the corn for about ten minutes, then steeped it. I also used fresh picked corn from a local farm. Best corn I've ever tasted.
It was good we add milk butter and the sugar it was awesome I would make this over and over again if I could
My dad taught me this years ago and has never failed me once! You can even use a lil sugar with canned corn too!
The suggestion to use a cooler was brilliant. I used small cooler for eight cobs of supermarket corn It was perfectly cooked.
My choice has always been to use Equal or artificial sweetener or Agave instead of sugar. Just a little bit. I use it to sweeten fried onions and peppers for sausage or steak subs as well! Yum.
It was good, but I'd have liked it to be more cooked. I think next time I'll boil it a few minutes before turning off, it was crisp and I like softer corn.
I have tried this recipe twice, and both times, the corn was undercooked.
The best corn on the cob I have ever made! I will be making it this way for good from now on. It had the perfect amount of sweet taste and was super delicious. Perfectly cooked.
This is a delicious recipe. I do make a few additions. I add to boiling water sugar, milk, butter, salt, and pepper. This a huge hit at family gatherings. Great recipe Great memories.
Delicious. It’s a very simple easy to do recipe for your most novice skilled cooks.
This was awesome! The corn I got is in season right now where I live, and cooking it this way was fantastic, it was not tough or waterlogged at all. I'm doing it this way from now on...
What I missed about this recipe is that it doesn't specify fresh or frozen corn. I followed the recipe but because I used THAWED corn (which I had frozen over the summer) I only steeped for 10 minutes. It turned out good and crispy.
