How to Shuck Corn Better: Use This Brilliant (& Easy) Kitchen Tip
Looking for an easy way to shuck corn on the cob? Here’s a simple and clean technique to remove stubborn silk and pesky husks with this simple nuke-and-shake method. Shucking and preparing corn won’t ever be a chore again.
ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America’s Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.
Each week, the cast of America’s Test Kitchen brings the recipes, testings, and tastings from Cook’s Illustrated magazine to life on our public television series. With more than 2 million viewers per episode, we are the most-watched cooking show on public television.
More than 1.3 million home cooks rely on Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines to provide trusted recipes that work, honest ratings of equipment and supermarket ingredients, and kitchen tips.
If you like us, follow us:
I have wrapped mine in a damp paper towel, placed into a large zip top bag and sealed except the last inch or two. Microwave on high for 2 minutes.. You can do more than one in the same bag, add one and a half minutes for the second and another 1 minute for a third. Let stand for 2 minutes after removing from the microwave and remove from the zip top bag. Then shuck as normal and everything comes out fresh, clean and tasty
Genius
This absolutely does not work as described. Zero stars.
Didn’t work great for me — still left a LOT of silks to remove.
Ha!!! That is like magic or something! I have always hated shucking corn 🌽 because the silks are too tedious and frustrate me because I usually do a bunch. This will help me to not dread the shucking. Thank You!
L technique, 3/10. not enough lube
This isn’t realistic if you need to shuck and silk a large quantity of corn for freezing
Great idea I'll try it
Worked every time!
Anyone else catch themselves with their mouth open at the end of this?
This technique has been around for many years.
so stupid
joke video
Saw this in the spring.Did all my corn this corn season using this technique. Worked every time
You should always cook and grill your corn in the husks if you want to enjoy the flavor. For those who don't know, soak your corn still husked in cool water for at least 20 minutes before placing it on a hot grill for 20 minutes for best results. Steaming the corn in its own husks brings out more of the sugar and other flavors that most people end up throwing away.
How could this moron not mention how to cook the world's best corn but just act like a way to de-husk? Is de-husking corn really that hard?
Thank you for the tip and video.
That's a WOW!
Absolute genius!!!
Thank you, America's Test Kitchen!!!
or shuck them at the store . and in one minute you have at least 4 ears done..no microwave needed…not that difficult unless you have arthritis
Awesome! Thank you, Bryan!
To clarify, does that also fully cook it?
America's Test Kitchen: Thank you for sharing this tip.
after shucking..wrap ear of corn in paper towel, run under water till all wet and microwave 3 mins… best corn ever…I will remove the husk by hand cause don't like the taste with husk on while microwaving
I found it left a odd/bad taste on the corn
The silk is arttahed to each kernel. That's how they get fertilizers.
That is right up there with sliced bread! 😃
I just nuke my corn in the husk the way it is then cut the bottom off and slide the corn out. Easy peasy and way quicker to cook. In fact, had he went just a couple mins longer the corn would have been done lol
DOPE!!! I never in my 57 years ever used that word.
This only works if you have a few ears.
Obviously not from Iowa. Corn that long in the microwave is almost overcooked. I can shuck fresh corn in seconds, and boil/steam it in seconds, and even then it's overcooked, according to my Iowan dad. 😉
Take a look holts motorized corn creamer
If that is one inch to you, then we've got no problems buddy….
Worked great!
This is how I cook my corn too… comes out great.
OMG! This has changed my life! You are my hero!
I just tried this and it worked great! I did 2 ears for 3 minutes in our 1250 watt microwave. As I shook it, it was slow to come out so I grabbed the corn from the bottom and it came right out with no silk. And there's no pot full of water to deal with. I will use this method from now on. Thanks!
Would this effect blanching time if you’re freezing?
I tried this method but burnt the crap out of my hands before I realized maybe it should cool a bit. Duh…
You make it looks easy but I tried 2 large knives and they couldn't cut through…ha
But doesn't that over cook the corn? Over cooked corn is mushy and tough and gross… Pre-husked corn should be dropped into a rolling boil for no more than 2 minutes… That way all the little corn kernels are tight, crispy and bursting with sweetness…. No thank you for this micro-method… This will ruin your corn… Unless you don't know what I'm talking about… and you think corn is supposed to be all mushy and nasty…. And btw… Grilled corn at a fair IS mushy and nasty…
In the words of the immortal Gomer Pyle: “Shazam!”
After seeing this guy 5 years ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzYtMeIFH8o it's the only way I cook and eat corn on the cobb
Worked like a charm & i only used 1 hand. your a genius & life is worth living once again. thanks 🙂
It works. Dont burn yourself.
Wow! Clean & sweet, really nice.
This is a bad method. You can cook the corn without shucking it with any method, and you'll notice that all the silk slides out in one piece. So there's no point to shucking corn any more. If you cook the corn half-way and use the knife to make a slit down one side of the husk, you can also remove the husk in one piece. Which is nice when grilling, since you want the kernels to char a bit.
I like to cook individual corn cobs in the microwave. I just stopped shucking them altogether. The corn gets perfectly steamed, and if you grab the silk and tug gently, it all slides out in one clump. You can then serve the corn in the husk without any silk, and it makes for a beautiful and mess-free presentation.
I've also then peeled back the husk and charred the steamed corn on a grill. Since the corn is already hot and cooked, it goes very quickly!
I use a pack of frozen corn kernels.
My local Kroger store has a trash barrel right by the corn and you can remove the husk there. It takes me a whole 4 seconds to de-husk an ear of corn. If there are one or two strands of silk still on the cob, they just get washed off in the sink when a rinse the corn before I cook it.