In the summertime there are two things that make it feel officially like summer: cold watermelon on a hot day and hot, buttery corn on the cob. Over Memorial Day weekend we had a perfectly sweet, juicy watermelon and I couldn’t have been more excited to kick off the summer in the best way. Now it’s time for some corn on the cob.


I have found the best recipe for sweet, buttery corn on the cob. This recipe is from Natasha’s Kitchen and it is for the Instant Pot. It cooks in a base of heavy cream and butter right in the pot. The cream really brings out the sweetness and makes it even more juicy and for some reason cooking the corn on the cob in the pressured pot really makes the BEST corn on the cob. You’ll really taste the difference in how much the kernels really burst with so much flavor in every bite.

Before we get to that recipe, I wanted to share some tips on how to pick the very best ears of corn on the cob when you are in the grocery store. I remember when we lived in Iowa, when I’d go to the grocery store and look at the corn section, the husks would all be peeled back a little bit. Those Iowans knew exactly how to find the best corn. Of course this isn’t the best idea right now since it is not very sanitary and stores don’t actually like you to do that anyway, here are some tips to pick the best corn in the grocery store without actually taking a peek and peeling back the husk:

• Feel the corn through the husk. The kernels should feel evenly firm and plump without gaps or holes.
• The “tassels” or silk threads at the top should be brown and sticky to the touch. If tassels are black or dry, the corn is old.
• The husk or leaves should be tightly wrapped around the corn and bright green in color. Dry, brown, or loose husk indicates old cobs. Avoid cobs with brown holes, especially towards the top which can indicate worms.

Now, back to that recipe--since I told you you are actually using cream and butter in the base of the pot for the recipe, you don’t want all those delicious creamy corn “stock” to go to waste. Use it as a base for a chowder like corn chowder. Corn chowder has pretty much been at the top of my soup/stew pedestal the last couple years. It would take a pretty impressive soup to become the champion over my favorite corn chowder.

If you have any leftover ears of corn (which you likely won’t!), cut the corn off the cob and use for recipes like a delicious summery salmon cobb salad; make a fresh corn salsa to top fish tacos; add it in a chowder; or make fresh creamed corn as a side to a nice Sunday roast beef dinner.

Do you have any corn on the cob tips to share with our other Cook’n friends? Please share them in the comments below. I hope you and your family have a wonderful summer, despite these hard times and are able to create lots of special memories. 

Recipe notes: 

*If using 1 cup half and half, use 3 ½ cups water. The recipe should have 4 ½ cups total liquid.

**Note that most of the liquid, cream, butter and sugar stay in the pot and there is not a simple way to reflect that in the nutritional label.



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