Grilling Corn on the Cob

There is nothing like sweet grilled corn on the cob to go with your favorite BBQ dishes, so we decided to share some of our best tips on how to grill corn on the cob so it turns out perfect every time. The ingredients are simple. All you really need is butter and  salt to bring out the flavor.

Grilling corn on the cob seems very straight forward. Just place the corn on the grill and let it cook till it is done. However, there is some preparation and choices you can make to improve the texture and taste.

Select the freshest corn you can get. Cooking corn during the peak growing season will provide the freshest and most tasty end product. First smell the corn to make sure it has the aroma of fresh corn. If you cannot find that fresh corn smell, pick corn that looks fresh and is firm when pressed. The tassels should be clear and not black. Off season you may have little choice and may have to resort to frozen corn. The most ideal way to to corn on the cob is to cook the ears within 10 minutes of picking them, but that is not an option for most people.

Do not soak the corn in water to make it more plump and juicy. You may lose valuable flavor by doing so.

Corn on the cob may be cooked with or without the the husk.

To cook with the husk, trim the silk from the top of each ear and remove the stalk at the other end. This will prevent these two parts from burning. Using all the husk may make it difficult to cook evenly, so remove some of the out layers of husk. Place corn with the husk on the grill. Remove the corn before the kernels get soft or mushy. They should still be hard to preserve the best flavor.

Depending how close your corn is to the fire, corn with husks may take up to 15 minutes to cook. When the corn is ready to eat, remove the ears from the grill and let cool for few minutes. Remove the husks and add butter and salt to taste.

To cook the corn without the husk, you will first need to remove the husks, tassels and stalk. You may wish to rub them with a little oil, but this is optional. Lay the corn on the grill and cook until the kernels start to change. To preserve flavor, remove the corn while the kernels are cooked but still firm. This may a very short window of opportunity, but it will keep more flavor in the kernels and prevent the corn from becoming overcooked, mushy, or even dried out.