Fresh corn
on the cob is one of those special summer treats that people look forward to each year. Knowing what to look for when you purchase fresh corn helps guarantee that just-picked taste. Here are some tips for you to use when you buy fresh corn on the cob, whether it's at the local farmers' market or in the grocery store.
Instructions
1. Look for ears that are full and solid. The bottom of the ear should be as green as the shucks. If it's not, the ear is not fresh.
2. Select ears with lots of fresh-looking silks sticking out of the husks. The freshest corn has the lightest colored silks.
3. Buy fresh corn that has not been exposed to direct sunlight after the farmer picked it. This is hard to do.
4. Ask to see the corn unhusked at a farmers' market, if it's not already on display. Partially pull back a husk, and look at the corn. The rows of corn should be evenly spaced. There should be no visible evidence of worms or other insects. If you do this yourself, rewrap the husk around the corn.
5. Pop a kernel of corn with your thumbnail. If the juice is milky, the corn is fresh.
6. Store uncooked corn in the refrigerator with the husk on for no more than a day or two. If storage is an issue, you can remove some of the husks and the stem.
Tags: fresh corn, farmers market