Knee high by the 4th of July is a saying in the Midwest that years ago meant it’s going to be a good crop that year. It doesn’t mean that anymore but people still say it. I remember when we moved here that first August, I didn’t really pay too much attention to a lot of what was going on here agriculturally. We were living in a new place with no family, building a house, attending a new school, making new friends and corn was the last thing on my mind. Those first few summers after we moved here we spent back in NY so by the time we came home, if there was corn growing anywhere, we didn’t see it!
Then one summer both my boys went to sleep-away camp and my husband and I had to drive east for their visiting day. I hate to sound like a country bumpkin but there were corn fields for as far as your eyes could see – it was amazing! Growing up in Florida I could say the same thing about palm trees, but there was never a big coconut market I was aware of, oranges and grapefruits sure, coconuts not so much.
Ohio has close to 4 million acres of corn planted each year and we rank 6th in the United States in corn production. That’s a lot of corn! There are local farmers that will set up a little cart off the side of the road and sell corn 10 for a dollar – 10 ears of corn for a 1 dollar, that’s crazy! We also have farmer’s markets all around the city and it’s not unusual to see trucks filled close to overflowing with corn. It’s no surprise corn is the star of many dishes I cook during the summer.
Sometimes I steam it, but whenever I can, it’s straight to the grill baby! There is nothing more delicious than a fresh ear of corn straight from a farm that’s grilled. It gets caramelized and sweeter with a hint of a smokey flavor. Let’s start with how to grill corn right on the cob…
There are a 3 ways to grill corn on a barbeque. One way is in the husk, another in aluminum foil and third, straight on the grill. I’m not a fan of the 3rd as it ends up tasting burnt to me so I will share the other two ways that I like it best.
In the husk:
Heat your grill between low and medium heat. Pull the outer husks down gently to the base and clean away any silks from each ear of corn. Then fold them back and place the corn in a large bowl of water for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove the corn from the water and shake any excess water off. Place the corn on the grill, cover and grill for about 20 minutes turning every 5 so it cooks evenly. You can pull the husks back a little to see if it’s done. If you can’t tell, you can pierce it with the tip of a sharp knife.
Remove the husks and eat the corn right off the cob. At this point you can brush it with butter if you choose. We like it just the way it comes off the grill.
In aluminum foil:
Heat your grill between low and medium heat. Pull the husks off the cob and clean silks from each ear of corn. Wrap each ear individually in aluminum foil.
Place the corn on the grill, cover and grill for about 20 minutes turning every 5 so it cooks evenly. You can pull the foil off a little to check it and when you see it browning in spots and caramelized, it’s done. If it’s not browning but you think it’s done, you can pierce it with the tip of a sharp knife.
We did a little taste test last week to see if they tasted any different. We found that in the husk, the corn stayed juicier with fewer caramelized areas. In the foil, the corn developed a much more smokey flavor. In the first photo of this post, the 2 in the forefront were cooked in the husk, and the 2 in the back in foil. You can see the slight differences. Both were equally delicious and you can try a taste test for yourself to see which way you like the best. In any case, grill and Enjoy!