The Easiest-Ever Way to Shuck Corn [VIDEO]

Get rid of stubborn silk and pesky husks with this simple nuke-and-shake method.

By Bryan Roof | June 29, 2012

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About the Author: Bryan Roof

Bryan is a senior editor for Cook's Country Magazine. When he's not working, he can be found rock climbing, scuba diving, or practicing mixed martial arts, often all in the same day. His favorite foods include grilled octopus and American cheese. Follow him @BryanRoof.

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8 Comments

Vivren
June 29, 2012 at 7:36 pm
Would the cut and shake method still work if the corn was grilled in the husk?
Hannah
July 5, 2012 at 11:51 pm
Oh, Please. If you’re going to post this method, don’t claim that the Test Kitchen came up with it. I signed into this website, because I really thought what you researched and discovered was original. Take a gander: http://youtu.be/YnBF6bv4Oe4.

Very disappointed. Signing off.
chb417
July 6, 2012 at 11:36 am
Hannah, ATK didn’t claim to invent this way to clean corn from the husk, they just showed us that it works.

I do the same but cut off the other end of the corn and peel the husks off. I get the same result every time. The corn comes out pretty and clean with no silks!
grammatat
July 10, 2012 at 11:50 am
I think it’s great that you post these things – even if they are old information. Over the years (and between corn seasons – maybe) we can forget the tried and true methods! Thanks for reminding us!
greatbrit
July 14, 2012 at 5:51 pm
chb417, in defense of Hannah, in the video Bryan says “so here in the test kitchen we came up with this method”
Steve
July 19, 2012 at 10:56 am
Great idea (and yes, Hannah, I’d seen that video with Ken before as well, so I also immediately spotted this a seemingly “stolen” concept)…. the only think I don’t really like about it is that it involves microwaving the corn. Part of the joy of corn on the cob is roasting it cleanly on a grill, and microwaving in any way does indeed detract from corn’s quality. Furthermore, with the size of most microwaves and how many would fit in at one time, it’s still faster to just cut off the bottom and the top tips, and then just roll the corn a little before letting the husks fall off. The hairs can then just be wiped off with a small nylon brush.
Jenny
July 20, 2012 at 2:31 pm
I’m not sure why some folks are so opposed to ingesting a few corn silk threads (unless they have diverticulitis or something, I guess). OK, it’s not a great sensation to have one in your mouth, but it won’t kill you. I do like the idea of the shaking method, hadn’t thought of that. I’ve been using the microwave (and until I learned how bad it is for you, plastic wrap) to steam the silks off for a long time.

Keep the helpful suggestions coming! I LOVE ATK!
lizfkay
July 24, 2012 at 8:15 pm
Didn’t work for me, and it was a pain in the neck to cut through the end of the cob … maybe I should try microwaving it longer.