How Long To Boil Corn On The Cob Without Overcooking It

Especially during the summer, nothing pairs more perfectly with cheeseburgers and slow cooker pulled pork sandwiches than sweet and buttery corn on the cob. If you rarely have the gusto to follow Bobby Flay's simple hacks for perfectly grilled corn on the cob, you're most likely preparing this warm weather staple with a pot of boiling water. Sure enough, boiling corn on the cob tends to be the most common mode of preparation. However, this simple method can easily produce overcooked kernels if not carefully monitored from start to finish.

Your best bet is to use the cold-start method, which involves placing shucked ears in a pot of cold water, heating the pot over your stove, and using a digital thermometer to remove your pot from heat once the water reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit. From here, allow your corn to rest undisturbed for approximately 10 minutes. The water's indirect heat allows the corn to maintain its crisp structure without damaging its internal cell structure.

This particular method tends to be more effective than others since the resulting texture and flavor of your corn is both tender and juicy. Surprisingly, you can keep your corn in the tepid water for up to 20 minutes without the kernels softening too much or beginning to wrinkle. While the cold-start method may give you the best results, there are other modes of preparation you can follow which call for shorter cook times. However, each method comes with its own set of precautions. 

If you don't have a digital thermometer, the most traditional method of cooking corn on the cob involves boiling a pot of water and adding the ears directly to the pot. After boiling for roughly three to four minutes, drain your corn, season, and enjoy. While this method may seem extremely convenient since you can heat the water at your stove's highest setting, corn kernels tend to show signs of mild degradation when cooked directly in boiling water.

Basically, the margin for error following this classic method is extremely limited. Boiling corn past the five-minute mark may leave kernels shriveled and soft. If you want to try another method that utilizes boiling water, add corn to boiling water and then remove your pot from the heat and leave it covered for approximately 10 to 30 minutes. While this method follows a more indirect approach, the temperature of your water may fluctuate based on the number of ears in the pot which may produce mixed results.

For a quicker technique you can trust, consider learning how to cook corn on the cob in the microwave. Keep the husks intact and simply microwave one ear of corn for up to four minutes. To cook multiple ears at once, increase the cooking time by a few extra minutes for each additional ear. The husks effectively trap steam and keep your corn plump and juicy for mealtime.