Few flavors capture summer as well as fresh corn. Whether your cobs are grilled, steamed, boiled, or fried, their naturally sweet flavor is yummy.

    When you are buying corn, you should look for bright green husks, plump kernels that fill the entire ear, and silk that is still moist. White kernels are considered sweeter and have a thinner skin.  You’ll find many a varieties, but look for the favorite Silver Queen.

    During the height of the season, corn is very sweet but the sweetness starts fading as soon as it is picked.  The corn is best eaten as soon as possible after it is cut from the stalk.  Keep the husks on and refrigerate the cobs in a paper bag to keep the sweetness as long as you can.

    To shuck the corn, remove the husks, snap off the stalk where the husks were attached, and use a damp paper towel to wipe off any remaining silk.

    If you decide to grill your corn, you can remove all but the inner husks, soak in water for 30 minutes or more, then cook on the grill.  If you are a careful griller, you can remove all husks and grill directly on the grate over medium heat until desired doneness.  Another favorite way to grill corn is to smear the completely shucked cobs with butter and wrap in foil.

    To boil corn, add the cobs to boiling water and cook for about 7 minutes. You can add sugar, salt, or milk to the water to add a little flavor when it cooks. 

    Of course a little butter on corn is heavenly, and buttering takes on many techniques. You can roll the hot corn against a stick of butter to coat, or place a pat of butter in a “corn holder” and roll to coat.  Or if you are feeding a crowd and need to butter a lot of corn place a stick of butter in a casserole dish that is wider than the length of the corn.  Pour hot water in the dish (about 2 cups) so the butter will melt and float on the surface.  Roll the ears of corn against the pool of melted butter, and it will coat the kernels.

    Save any leftover corn on the cob – especially grilled -- for a wonderful addition to a salad or any other dish that can benefit from its natural sweetness.