The 2 Ingredients You Should Be Adding To Corn On The Cob

Although we're big fans of air fryer corn on the cob, sometimes we love boiling as a way to infuse big flavor into our favorite summertime veggie as it cooks. One of our favorite hacks is boiling corn in butter for creamy deliciousness. But there's another way, and it doesn't require using milk or butter that you might have earmarked for other purposes. All you need is granulated sugar and fresh lemon juice for the most delicately sweet corn of your life. Just 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of white sugar per six ears of corn will do.

Get a big pot out, and add enough water to cover the ears, add lemon juice and sugar, stir to dissolve, and gently boil your corn in the infused water. No worries; your corn won't actually taste like lemon or sugar. The two ingredients, however, will naturally boost the corn's innate sweetness, bringing it to the forefront. 

There's some argument about the "right" way to boil corn, as some folks like to boil the water then turn off the heat and let the corn cook as the water cools, while others swear by bringing the water to a boil with the ears already in the pot. No matter what your personal boiling secret is, however, your lemony sugar water will produce succulently sweet corn that sings at your next cookout. Finish with a thick coat of butter... we like Stanley Tucci's unique method for buttering corn, ourselves!

Boiling corn in lemon and sugar water will help your ears achieve peak tastiness, but if you know how to look for the sweetest specimens at the store, you will go far in your quest to attain the juiciest, most delightful cobs around! Your eyes will tell you everything you need to know. First of all, the husks, or outer wrappings of the corn, should be bright green, and tight around the ears. Husks that are dried out, yellowed, or loose can point to the corn being old, and older corn loses sweetness as it ages. Next, examine the silk sticking out of the husk. You want brown silk that looks plump and brown, not withered. Peel back the husk a little bit — the inner silk should be pale and also look full, while the kernels should be thick, close together, and visually juicy.

Corn season is at its peak between May and September, which means that you stand your best chance of getting the freshest, juiciest, sweetest corn during this time. During the colder months, your best bet is farm-fresh corn that has been frozen or canned. This corn is almost always taken off the cob, so keep in mind that the summer months are ideal for sinking your teeth into perfect corn on the cob.