Ultimate Guide to Everything You Need to Know About NJ Corn

Summer here in New Jersey equates to fresh delicious Jersey corn, which is perfect right now.

Fresh Jersey corn is a staple for about every summer plate. To get the maximum enjoyment of your Jersey Fresh corn you should know how to pick it, store it, cook it and preserve it for future use in those not-so-fresh months.

Picking Jersey corn at the grocery store or if you’re lucky a roadside stand all comes down to color and touch.

Please DON’T PULL THE HUSK DOWN TO CHECK THE QUALITY OF THE CORN AT THE STORE!

That process dries out perfectly fine corn for everyone else.

If the color of the husk is maintaining a solid deep green color, if the husk is still tightly wrapped around the corn and the tassels are a sticky brown and yellow then the corn is fresh.

I like to gently feel the outer husk to check for gaps underneath the husk without damaging it. If the tassels are dry or black and the husks are loosely wrapped, then the corn is old and dry and you should stay away from it.

Once you have picked your corn the best thing you can do is eat it that day. Corn loses its sweetness after it is picked off the stalk. If you need to store it, do not husk the corn, you can put it in airtight storage bags into the fridge for a maximum of 2 days. Remember, each day that it is left in the fridge will dry it out and the level of sweetness starts to diminish.

If you have extra corn left over you can blanch the corn, cut the kernels off the cob then freeze the kernels in a freezer bag for up to 10 months. Use the bare cobs for a soup stock by boiling them with a little salt and storing the cooled-down liquid in the freezer. It makes for a fantastic addition to your winter soups and chowders.

For cooking corn, I like boiling the cobs with a little salt and very little sugar in the water, cook them just before serving and serve the cobs with melted butter.

I also like them grilled with mayonnaise spread over the cob, add salt, pepper, and a little cayenne pepper, once cooked on the grill, add fresh pecorino Romano cheese, and serve hot. It is very good.

Take advantage of Jersey Fresh corn. Cook it, save it and savor it!