Put Down The Knife. There's A Better Way To Butter Your Corn

When I was young, if sweet corn was served as a side dish, you knew it was a good day. It wasn't just the corn itself — it was the butter. Not just any butter, though. It had to be the salted variety. If we didn't have that, I'd salt my corn and throw on some unsalted butter on top, creating what I considered a delicious vegetable smothered in butter (but was really just corn used as a vessel so I could consume lots of butter). The only problem? My hands were a buttery mess. And as a child, this wasn't just frustrating to me, but my mom too. It would end up on my hands, face, and occasionally even my hair (it truly was a mess). Now, in my 20s, I've discovered a hack that would have spared both my clothing and my hands from all that oily trouble.

Have you ever considered using bread to butter your corn? Yes, bread. Take a slice, smother it with your desired amount of butter, and twist your corn on the cob on top. The result? Perfectly buttered corn, no extra utensils to clean, and fewer napkins needed. Plus, the bonus is the piece of buttered toast that comes with it, subtly flavored with a hint of sweetness from the corn. 

Even Stanley Tucci, the beloved American actor and New York Times bestselling author, wrote about this hack in his memoir, "Taste: My Life Through Food." He seemed to see it as a win-win, "...thus, in true Italian fashion, creating two dishes out of one, the ear of corn being the first dish and the homemade bread (now saturated with the melted butter, salt, and sweetness from the buttered kernels) being the second." Not only do you have two delicious additions to your meal, but you can even elevate the dish by using homemade bread, like sourdough or plain white bread.

While there are plenty of ways to cook corn — from microwaving it to even using a slow cooker — most buttering methods end with sticky fingers and a pile of napkins. And while Stanley Tucci is certainly an expert in the kitchen — I mean have you tried his negroni recipe — this bread wasn't his creation. In fact, it appeared in the 1983 film "War Games," featuring Matthew Broderick. Though the dad in the film got a surprise in the scene as his corn was raw, at least he had that piece of buttered bread to fall back on.

If bread isn't your thing — maybe you're gluten-free or cutting back on carbs — there are other ways to butter your corn. One option is to use a fresh stick of butter as the "designated buttering stick". Let it sit at room temperature to make it easier to melt onto the cob, then pass it around so everyone can slather their piece as they like. Of course there's nothing wrong with sticking with tradition and using a butter knife to spread butter on your piece of corn while sprinkling a bit of flaky salt. 

If you're still facing that buttery mess, try using corn skewers like "The Cob Holders BBQ Fork Skewers for Home Cooking Parties Camping," which let you hold the corn up without touching it after it's buttered. Either way, whether you choose the bread hack or a more traditional method, you'll not only avoid a greasy mess but also enjoy a delightful accompaniment of toast with a mouthwatering salty bite and subtle sweetness that everyone knows pairs deliciously with corn on the cob.