Your Microwave Makes Husking Fresh Corn Cobs A Breeze

There are so many different methods for cooking corn on the cob: you can grill it, you can boil it — some people even bake or slow cook their corn. But microwaving it? This is no joke — the microwave is by far one of the easiest methods, as it makes remarkably quick work of removing the husk and silks. You can cook the corn all the way in the microwave, or you can microwave your ears for a little bit less time so that they're super easy to shuck and finish cooking them in some other way (like on the grill).

To fully cook corn in the microwave, the process couldn't be any simpler: First, you'll trim the silks just about down to the husks, then rinse the entire cob — husk and all — until it's soaked through. Wrap a damp paper towel around the cob and place it directly on the microwave's inner rotating plate.

You're going to microwave the corn for about three to five minutes per ear, on high. While it's in the microwave, the heat is effectively steaming the corn in its husk, keeping the kernels nice and juicy. The steam also separates the kernels from the silk, which is why it's so easy to shuck the corn after it's been microwaved.

After they're done, carefully remove the ears — they're going to be pretty hot — give them a minute or two to cool down and then get to shucking. You'll be amazed at how easily everything comes off the cob.

Microwaving corn on the cob doesn't just make shucking ears a snap, although that is a great benefit. It's also a huge time saver, especially compared to the boiling method. Who has time to spend standing around a huge stock pot waiting for water to boil?

Using a microwave also keeps your entire kitchen from heating up, the way baking corn on the cob does (which nobody, in the dog days of summer, wants). It doesn't even dirty a single dish — no pots, pans, or trays to clean up after you're done, because the ears go right on the microwave plate. And if you just want to cook one ear — say, to give your cat a corn cob to gnaw on — it's by far the method with the least muss and fuss, as it requires very little prep.

Then there's the way the corn tastes coming out of the microwave. This appliance often gets a bad rap, but it does an amazing job of steaming the corn kernels through the husks so that they're cooked evenly. If you love corn the way that TikTok viral kid loves corn, you need to try this method.

As mentioned, microwaving your ears of corn effectively steams the kernels, pushing away the silks from the cob and making it a breeze to shuck. However, you still have to decide on what method to use to get the husks and silk off. For your consideration: the hold and shake method.

For the hold and shake method, you'll start your ears off by trimming a couple of inches off the top and then microwaving them (you don't need to cook the corn; just microwave them for long enough to loosen the husks). Once they're done, take an ear and hold it by the stem end (the hard end where the corn was picked from the stalk). If the ear is too hot from the microwave, you can use a pot holder or wrap a dish towel around the end. Then you just shake the ear until the cob falls out — it's pretty magical how it just slides out with very few silks still attached. This method is quick and easy if you need uncooked corn for a salad or want to put the cobs directly on the grates when grilling so the kernels get charred.