Last year when I posted about how much I like roasting corn, I had several people tell me that the most delicious way to cook corn is to boil it with a cup of milk and a stick butter. I finally got around to trying it and I agree – this is the most delicious way to cook corn.
If you haven’t tried cooking corn this way, you must.
The corn cooks up so flavorful, fresh tasting and rich. You’ll be so obsessed with it you won’t even care what else is being served.
No need to slather butter all over the corn. This corn already has a buttery taste.
Just a little salt and pepper and this corn on the cob is ready to go.
And actually, if you use a stick of salted butter, you might find you don’t even need to add any salt.
Some people add sugar too, but I find the corn available around here during the summer is already sweet enough.
If you suspect your corn is a little lacking in flavor, you might want to add some sugar to perk it up.
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Best Way to Cook Corn on the Cob
Ingredients
- 6-8 ears of corn, husks and silks removed and cut in half (if desired)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 stick Challenge butter
Instructions
- Fill a large pot about halfway with water.
- Bring water to a boil.
- Add milk and butter. Add corn and reduce heat.
- Simmer corn for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Remove corn from cooking liquid and its ready to serve.
Nutrition
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So much yum about this! It got on my blog’s Weekly Meal Plan and I hope a lot of my readers come check it out 🙂
Thanks so much Vanessa!
OMG! This is truly the BEST tasting corn ever made. I bought six ears of fresh local corn. Cleaned it and made it exactly according to the recipe. It was to die for! Soooo good. Thank you for a great recipe!
I just made corn on the cob foe dinner. I asked my sister if I could use milk, but she said she was worried about the calories. But I have to be honest, I tried boiling it for 7 minutes, and it was raw, absolutely inedible, it took a total of 19 minutes before we could eat it, of course, if I hadn’t kept taking it it oit every 4 minutes after the first 7, it might have been edible at 16. I don’t know what I did wrong.
Try a rolling boil for 6 -8 min, for fresh corn, after you put the butter and milk in & bringing to a boil again.
You bought old corn.
When you cook corn, you are basically just heating it up. You must have had some bad corn.
I have used this recipe ever since finding it on Facebook. It is the best corn I have ever eaten. Good to know about using the milk/ butter for other dishes.
Just a general question re: obtaining the best sweet corn. For me, that means getting it from east of the Mississippi, if not north of the Ohio, though there are many in CA who argue their Coachella Valley (Palm Springs-Indio) variety is good. What say you to a native Hoosier who was spoiled at any early age by the real thing, but has been unable to find it in SoCal stores, the Golden State’s vaunted foodism notwithstanding ?
Lol, I couldn’t even figure out what you were saying. But will watch for replies to your comment
A good place to go get your corn is from Fresno State College they have a little spot right there where the students grow corn and sell it it’s the best ever you just have to get there very very early in the morning because there’s a massive line but definitely worth it
I am So excited to try this method of cooking corn. After I read every comment I thought what a Great way to make corn on the cob and then have a base for a soup, casserole,or more corn… Thanks Christin
Can’t wait to try this way of cooking corn! Was wondering if you remember where you got the blue plates?? Looking for something similar.
I can’t remember Sandy. I think it may have been TJ Maxx or a similar store.
Thanks! P.S. Tried the corn this way~~~only way to do it now!!
How much is a stick of butter in weight measurements please?
4 ounces.
1/2 cup
I happen to have a large batch of raw UNsalted butter that I got from my co-op (I meant to get the salted kind, but got the unsalted by mistake). If I use this unsalted butter to cook the corn in, I feel like I should go ahead and add salt to the butter/milk/water mixture before boiling. The question is… how much salt do I add? A teaspoon? or more?
I read that you’re never supposed to add salt to the wTer you boil corn in because it toughens the corn. It said to admit after you take it out of the water.
The big thing to avoid is soaking corn in salt water before cooking. Osmosis will draw the natural water out of the corn kernals leaving the corn tough.
Unsalted butter is the butter of choice for any serious cook/chef because not all foods need salt.
Having said that, it is also true that adding salt to boiling water for corn is just a waste of salt.
While there are lots of people who will tell their opinions on the subject, I am telling the scientific result of experiments conducted by America’s Test Kitchen (Cooks Illustrated). Salt in the water will not penetrate into the corn kernels unless you leave them in the water for ~ 5 hours.
So do NOT add salt to the water; let your guests add as much salt as they like.
some fiddle-FUD there…
Brining does not work with corn; you are talking about diffusion / osmosis; which is true due to corns fairly impenetrable pericarp. That said its a bit misleading in this context which is describing cooking.
Cooking corn with salt makes huge difference in flavor; especially in a recipe with milk and butter added; to not add any salt is absurd. No “serious” chef is going to cook a meal without salt. The idea of these recipes is the liquid that gets trapped in between the kernels, pith and silk adds flavor.
You aren’t ABSORBING the salt INTO the corn anyway, so why even bother to quote “The American Test Kitchens” in the first place? I’ve never seen ANYONE sprinkle a little salt on their corn, then sit back and wait for five hours to eat it because it has to ABSORB into the corn to flavor it. So no! It’s not a waste to sprinkle a little salt on your corn, or in the liquid used to boil it. As for tough corn…I haven’t broken a tooth yet that has been cooked in salted water. We’re not talking leather here people.
Rude.
If it’s fresh off the stalk corn.. like I have in my yard.. U use a little salt in the water to.. As u say toughen up the kernels a tad to hold in the juice.. we only use salted water for the first third of cooking then take it out and put it in another boiling pot with the H20 milk and unsalted butter!
The salt the kernels! That’s how you taste it. Anyone claiming you shouldn’t salt or butter your corn just hasn’t tried it or are one of the food nazi’s!!
Do you mind me asking what plugin you use to post recipes?
Could you throw it on the grill for a couple minutes afterwards to give it that grilled flavor?
I think that might work. Let us know if you try it!
I grill my unhusked corn directly over the hot coals for 10–15 minutes each side , turning once , after soaking it in water for 30 minutes. Then I remove the husk and throw a couple chunks of my favorite smoking wood right on the hot coals, Pecan works really well. A couple minutes of serious smoke (Or more), delicious!!
I soak the corn in the milk/butter/sugar water for a couple hours, remove to boil water, then toss corn back in to cook, YUMMO!
What do you think. Could this be made in a crock pot for a cookout?
I haven’t tried it but I think it could.
I love my corn roasted but this is my all time favorite!! Only difference is besides adding the sugar, my Grannie always added 1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream when she added the milk. I guess for those worried about the extra calories you could use half & half but if I were going to do that I’d definitely use at least 1/2 cup. I’ve tried it without the cream but…”it ain’t like Granninie’s” lol. Since becoming a Nana myself, my grandchildren have reminded me of something I’ve known all along and that’s “Grandma” (no matter what you call her) is ALWAYS the best cook…lol. Thanks for the great recipes!!
I must be daft at making corn. Do you seriously only cook it for 6-8 minutes? I boiled mine for like an hour to get it done to the point it does not taste like starch. I didn’t see any benefit flavor wise cooking it with butter and milk. The only thing I did different was I may have used too much water and my corn cobs were full size. : /
7 minutes is perfect. You are killing your corn on the cob.
I too thought it needed to cook longer.
You can even eat corn raw!
Delicious!! Sweet!!
It does NOT need to be cooked that long at all!!!!
I agree, you’re OVERKILLING it cooking it that long!!!!
Just try it cooked less. You’ll LOVE it!! ?❤️?
Cooking too long breaks the natural sugar down into starch. That is why it tastes like starch. If the corn is fresh and tastes sweet raw cook only long enough to make it tender.
I have always cooked my corn at least 20 min…..I know recipes say 8 min. or so but I won’t eat it if it’s not tender……Been cooking it for years & will always touch the kernels to see if they’re getting soft…..I also don’t like corn that is fully ripe with big hard kernels…If I’m tasting the starch, I won’t eat it.
holey Moley…then you are eating field corn ! 3-5 minutes top…or find another seller !!!!
Agree! 3-5 minutes is plenty of time and its crisp and delishious!!
My mother taught me – you are only cooking the kernels NOT the cob. She was born in 1922 – on a farm.
If your corn is starchy, it was starchy to begin with! Corn starts to turn to starch as soon as it is picked, the best corn is picked and eaten in the same day. 🙂 I know this thread is a year old, but just had to add! Cheers!
I agree. I’ve also heard if you refrigerate it, it will turn to starch.
We’ve always said if you trip on the way in from the garden the corn’s too old. We pick and husk the corn in the garden. Best if you pick when the kernels are not too big because that means the corn is old and it will be starchy. The water is on the boil when we bring the corn in from the garden. Drop the corn into the pot and when the water comes back to a boil keep cooking for 5 to 8 minutes. If you have planted a good variety it can be relied on to be sweet without any help or additions beyond table butter and salt. When purchasing corn, find a grower who picks and sells fresh every day and purchase as early in the day as possible. Look for ears with smaller kernels and fresh and green husks. Good eating!
Could the corn be cooked like this then be frozen on or off the cob??
I use a little salt pork in my water. It makes a big difference.
That sounds fabulous Kent!
It sure does, Kent! Good call on using that multipurpose pork here!
Will using unsweetened vanilla flavored almond milk ruin the taste of this recipe? It’s the only kind of milk I buy. Or, should I just use water and still add a stick of butter?
Hi Lori, I’m not really sure but I don’t think it would have an adverse effect on the taste.
I tries this last season with Vanilla Soy Milk. People raved about the corn. The vanilla does not impact the awesome flavor of this corn.
Corn is actually more tender without salt in the water. Give it a try.
I’m tempted to add 2 cups (or more ) of milk instead of 1 has anyone tried that? I mean, why not? Going to make a cream soup with the stock anyway 😉
I tried it w/ frozen corn on the cob, it was fine. However, i hate wasting that milk / butter mixture…anyone have any ideas on how it can be reused?
Someone had commented that they freeze it and use it to add to soups. I would think that it could be added to any type of creamy soup. 🙂
Use the leftover milk / butter for mashed potatoes or freeze and use in many different options – soup, casseroles, pot pies, etc…
Never thought of using it for mashed potatoes 🙂
I’d use the butter/milk mixture to make creamed corn with the leftover corn (my husband doesn’t like corn on the cob but loves creamed corn.
I’d buy extra corn and boil it in the liquid so I’d have extra for creamed corn or chowder.
I also think the liquid would be a great base for corn chowder as well. Use it to cook the potatoes then add the corn. Celery, onion, and carrots and maybe some red bell peppers would be a great base (I’d brown the vegetables in another pan and add them with the potatoes so they’ll better flavor the potatoes. If you want to get more fancy and serve this chowder for a special dinner or company, add some lump crab meat at the end ( if cooked too much, the crab will just get tough! Shrimp would also be really tasty.) I’d use an Emulsion stick blender to blend up the potatoes. Doing that will make the soup creamy with less cream. –Evaporated milk would also make both the corn and chowder more creamy. ( Try it in coffee and espresso, too!)
Love the efficiency and creativity of using the corn stock as a base for soups, etc.! My only change would be to cook the corn first, as the potatoes might add too much starch to it and overwhelm the corn taste. Also, you might throw the cobs back into the brew for a bit, in order to add some more corn flavor; grilling them a bit before doing so might also enhance this.
My go-to addition is pickle juice, which I save for long periods of time, since it last for months in the reefer. It’s a great addition to the water used for cooking pasta salads, and then to sprinkle over the cooked pasta before it cools and the other ingredients are added. I bet a few tablespoon of it would work well here to give the corn a bit of a zip.
I was of thinking of cooking my salt potatoes in it. Then it’s not wasted of just the corn.
Salt potatoes!! Are you from Rochester ny? ?My husband’s family makes them.
I’m from Elmira and I LOVE salt potatoes! !
What are salt potatoes? I bet they are WONDERFUL!