Corn-not-on-the-cob

[Jenise]

Fact: I love corn on the cob, and I love butter on my corn.

Fact: Most people use too much butter which melts in those funny little corn dishes and gets left behind.

Fact: My husband has dental issues and can't eat corn from the cob.

So when we have corn on the cob, I cut his off and serve it in a bowl. And sometimes, like today, for both of us, I cut it ALL off the cob and cook it raw in a skillet with a few tablespoons of water and one tablespoon pat of butter. I saute it until the corn's cooked and the water's gone, and the butter and corn sugars start to gently toast some of the bottom layer--a magical flavor. At that point it comes off the fire, gets salt and pepper, and served in bowls.

A lot of ordinary people wouldn't even notice the difference between that and corn cooked ON the cob, cut off and seasoned. But you're not ordinary people. Try it this way, you'll love it.

[Robin Garr]

I am going to try that as soon as local corn is in. Yum!

This vaguely rings a bell. Have you recommended this before?

I may have to resort to this technique, as, since last summer's corn season, I've had 5 teeth pulled, including the top front four. I'm considering implants. That being said, I am picky regarding corn. I almost always buy local grown corn, with a preference for Silver Queen, which isn't available until August. I use my turkey fryer with the basket to steam the corn with the husks on. After cooking, the husks are pulled back and become a convenient handle for rolling the corn in a stick of butter. Late spring and early summer corn shipped in from the South never fails to disappoint.

[Jenise]

This vaguely rings a bell. Have you recommended this before?

Nope! Was just basking in the glow of a good lunch, and thought I'd share the technique. This is, for us, a main course item: lunch was bowls of corn with watermelon on the side. Perfect sunny day food.

[Jenise]

I may have to resort to this technique, as, since last summer's corn season, I've had 5 teeth pulled, including the top front four. I'm considering implants. That being said, I am picky regarding corn. I almost always buy local grown corn, with a preference for Silver Queen, which isn't available until August. I use my turkey fryer with the basket to steam the corn with the husks on. After cooking, the husks are pulled back and become a convenient handle for rolling the corn in a stick of butter. Late spring and early summer corn shipped in from the South never fails to disappoint.

Oh ick, so sorry to hear about your dental issues. Is the teeth loss a result of the chemo or radiation (or both) you went through recently?

Anyway, this technique will work well for you. Lots of flavor and you'll use less butter. Win/win!

Oh ick, so sorry to hear about your dental issues. Is the teeth loss a result of the chemo or radiation (or both) you went through recently?
Anyway, this technique will work well for you. Lots of flavor and you'll use less butter. Win/win!

I didn't have radiation, but i did do 6 months of chemo 2 years ago. I don't know if the chemo effected my teeth. I'm still dealing with the original "temporary" upper partials, which are clumsy and fit loosely, now that the gums have healed. I also have a few molars that were pulled, making it very difficult to chew anything tough or crunchy. In addition, I seem to have lost my appetite. I don't eat nearly as much as I did and have been losing weight. I also don't seem to have a desire to drink wine. It tastes fine and I can still appreciate the tasting qualities, but I don't seem to be able to have more than a few glasses a month.
The other remaining side effect of the chemo is neuropathy in my hands a feet, which has been made more difficult with the onset of arthritis in my hands.

[Jenise]

Oh ick, so sorry to hear about your dental issues. Is the teeth loss a result of the chemo or radiation (or both) you went through recently?
Anyway, this technique will work well for you. Lots of flavor and you'll use less butter. Win/win!

I didn't have radiation, but i did do 6 months of chemo 2 years ago. I don't know if the chemo effected my teeth. I'm still dealing with the original "temporary" upper partials, which are clumsy and fit loosely, now that the gums have healed. I also have a few molars that were pulled, making it very difficult to chew anything tough or crunchy. In addition, I seem to have lost my appetite. I don't eat nearly as much as I did and have been losing weight. I also don't seem to have a desire to drink wine. It tastes fine and I can still appreciate the tasting qualities, but I don't seem to be able to have more than a few glasses a month.
The other remaining side effect of the chemo is neuropathy in my hands a feet, which has been made more difficult with the onset of arthritis in my hands.

Oh, Howie, that's awful. I don't know if chemo can have that effect on teeth--radiation sure can, and as you're reporting there can be sad and lasting effects from 'just' chemo. I'm so sorry to hear that you're having all these issues. Appetite loss can also be an aging issue, of course, too--can be good and bad! Are you getting enough nutrition?

Like the idea and will try it.

Try and butter a cob and the pat always falls off and you inevitably leave a lot on the plate. I like the technique of having a pot of hot water as deep as the cob is long, tossing a big dollop of butter in to melt and when it does, plunge the cob in and pull it out all nicely covered with butter, but that is wasteful too.

Cutting the corn off with a sharp knife works OK, and there is a plethora of gadgets made for removing corn from cobs, but none appeal. I wonder if a spoke shave draw knife with a curved blade would work? This one looks interesting but then cob diameter varies, so......

[Jenise]

Bill, when cooking corn on the cob I usually break the cobs in two before cooking. Once they're cooked and drained, I return the halves to the pot and add some butter, S&P there, then put the lid on and shake them around. They all get uniformly coated with flavor and there's very little waste. It's handy when it's just the two of us (lot less splatter for Bob cutting the kernels off--he can do it on his plate, one at a time) and quite handy when we're having guests as they're more manageable portions. Some people will help themselves to one more half where they wouldn't take a whole one.

There's no good device for removing raw corn. I've got one that handles cooked corn well, but raw is just too tough. Just get a knife, a bowl and keep the broom handy.

I may be remembering this: http://forums.wineloverspage.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=41038

Anyway, a little toast on the kernels sounds good to me.

[Jenise]

Good find! But yes, that's about the corn stripper. (It did not work well on the corn I bought this weekend, tougher kernels, gave up and used a knife.) The cooking method described in this thread is something else.

Huh. The corn stripper thingy has always worked well for us.

The tossing-in-the-pan-with-butter sounds delish.

[Jenise]

Huh. The corn stripper thingy has always worked well for us.

The tossing-in-the-pan-with-butter sounds delish.

Does for me too on fresh local corn. This wasn't local or quite as fresh, just tougher kernels. Still good, though!

Sharp carbon steel knife made short work of taking the corn off a couple of cobs of sweet California corn and I used your method - probably with a bit more butter, and sauteed the corn until it started to show some colour and had a little caramelization starting to develop. Served with S&P and sage and pork locally made sausages. Excellent!

This is actually my standard way of preparing corn. I'm not too fussy, but corn on the cob is generally so messy and this prep is more flexible.

My standard way is also to start with butter and then add water once the cooking starts. Finished with lemon/lime/vinegar, maybe herbs, it's always delightful. (Plus, whatever I can't cut off the cob I can gnaw on raw while in the kitchen, chef's prerogative, love that clean milky raw corn taste right off the cob)

Today for lunch we had lightly sauteed corn with (fresh sweet) chioggia beets (obviously cooked a bit longer than the corn) and finished with lime and basil. Great tasting dose of the new season.

I didn't have radiation, but i did do 6 months of chemo 2 years ago. I don't know if the chemo effected my teeth. I'm still dealing with the original "temporary" upper partials, which are clumsy and fit loosely, now that the gums have healed. I also have a few molars that were pulled, making it very difficult to chew anything tough or crunchy. In addition, I seem to have lost my appetite. I don't eat nearly as much as I did and have been losing weight. I also don't seem to have a desire to drink wine. It tastes fine and I can still appreciate the tasting qualities, but I don't seem to be able to have more than a few glasses a month.
The other remaining side effect of the chemo is neuropathy in my hands a feet, which has been made more difficult with the onset of arthritis in my hands.

Wow, Howie, I had no idea. So sorry to hear about your health battles. Good luck with the teeth and all. Are you still brewing wines, at least?

Wow, Howie, I had no idea. So sorry to hear about your health battles. Good luck with the teeth and all. Are you still brewing wines, at least?

Yes, I am still making wines, but I have trouble getting motivated to finish them. I still have several 2015-6 wines that need to be bottled

[Jenise]

Sharp carbon steel knife made short work of taking the corn off a couple of cobs of sweet California corn and I used your method - probably with a bit more butter, and sauteed the corn until it started to show some colour and had a little caramelization starting to develop. Served with S&P and sage and pork locally made sausages. Excellent!

!!!!

Wow, Howie, I had no idea. So sorry to hear about your health battles. Good luck with the teeth and all. Are you still brewing wines, at least?

Yes, I am still making wines, but I have trouble getting motivated to finish them. I still have several 2015-6 wines that need to be bottled

Sorry I'm not closer. I'd be happy to provide the free bottling labor.

Made this last week with fresh corn from the neighborhood farm and Lill and I both loved it!
Made it a second time with some Fresno pepper diced up in it and it was also very yum.
Thanks, Jenise!

[Jenise]