Never Throw Out Leftover Corn On The Cob Again With These Reheating Tricks

If summer could have an official flavor, it would definitely be fresh corn on the cob. From May through September, corn is everywhere, from barbecues and cookouts to clambakes. This uniquely American veggie is more than just a side; it's a ritual. Corn lovers wait all winter and spring for the corn to come into season, scope out the best farm stands and markets for the sweetest kernels, then drag the haul home for shucking on the back porch.

So when corn season finally rolls around, it's easy to get carried away and buy too much. (And really, is there such a thing?) If you find yourself up to your ears in corn, don't toss it out after the party's over. Not only is it a bit of a crime to toss uneaten corn after waiting all year for it to grow, there's no reason to waste food because it's easy to reheat cooked corn, and it stays good for up to five days in the refrigerator. Whether you've grilled, boiled, steamed, or roasted your kernels, corn is resilient and stands up to a lot of heating and cooling. Plus, cooked corn freezes well, so you can go ahead and buy all the corn you want. Just follow a few easy guidelines and you can stretch the life of your fresh-picked cobs without sacrificing taste or texture.

The best way to reheat corn is to use the same method you used to cook it in the first place. So if you boiled your corn on the stove, go ahead and heat up another pot of water and pop the cobs back in to reheat. They won't need to boil as long as it took to initially cook them — just two or three minutes is enough to make sure the corn is heated through. You can also reheat boiled corn on the stovetop with a vegetable steamer.

If you grilled the corn, fire up the barby again and brush your cobs with a little butter or oil and some salt and heat them up over medium heat. Turn them every 30 seconds or so to evenly heat the cobs, and they should be ready in three to five minutes. If you don't want to go to the trouble of heating up the grill just for some corn, you can also heat it up in the oven. Place the cobs in an oven-safe baking dish with a few tablespoons of water and cover the dish with aluminum foil. Put the dish in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for four or five minutes; the water in the dish will steam-heat the cobs.

Corn is also great warmed up in the broiler. Prep it like you would for the grill with a little melted butter or oil and salt, then place it on a broiler-safe tray and slide it under the heat. Turn it about a quarter-turn every 30 seconds or so until you've rotated it at least twice.

If you want to use the microwave, put your cold corn in a microwave-safe bowl with a few tablespoons of water and cover it with a towel or paper towel so that it doesn't dry out. Now microwave the cobs on high for 30 seconds, then open up the oven, flip them over, and microwave for another 30 seconds. They should be hot and ready at this point, but you can add another 30 seconds or so if they need it.

If you're not going to use your corn in a few days, all is still not lost. Cut your corn off of the cob and spread it out on a baking sheet, then pop the sheet in the freezer to individually freeze the kernels. After about an hour in the freezer, take the pan out and scrape all the frozen corn into a freezer bag, remove as much air as you can, and write the date on it. Frozen corn will retain its taste and structure for up to a year, so you can get your fresh corn fix even in the dead of winter.