The Genius Hack For Buttering A Bunch Of Corn In No Time At All

Corn on the cob is one of those seasonal foods often considered mandatory at summer barbecues and family cookouts. With fresh corn reaching its peak freshness between May and September, those tender sweet kernels are an ideal accompaniment to that perfect cheeseburger or grilled kabobs. Yet, if you're serving up a dinner for your friends and family, finding the easiest way to butter a load of cobs all at once isn't exactly the easiest task.

Buttering each individual ear of corn can be a messy ordeal. You tend to get butter everywhere, and for all your effort, your corn doesn't even turn out evenly coated. Luckily, there's an easy hack that allows you to butter your corn easily, mess-free, and in big batches.

Of all the various ways to cook ears of corn, boiling is one of the most common methods available. And if this is your chosen method of cooking, you're already one step closer to seamlessly buttered corn. Once you've boiled your corn, think twice before dumping out your corn's cooking water. Instead, add that butter directly into your leftover hot water and let those cold pats of butter melt. Yes, you can add butter directly to your cooking water to get perfectly buttered corn each and every time. Here's how to do it.

While most of us already know how to cook corn on the cob, adding butter directly to boiled water once your freshly cooked corn is removed might be the most effective technique for buttering that corn. Butter isn't water-soluble so after you add a decent amount to your leftover hot water, all you need to do is wait until those precious milk solids have floated to the water's surface and then you can start easily buttering your freshly cooked corn. 

Simply dip ears one by one directly onto the water's surface with a fork or tongs, rotating your cobs until they're all covered in melted butter. Alternatively, you can add pats of butter to the boiling water at the same time your corn is added for cooking. When the time comes to remove your cooked corn, use tongs and remove each ear through the buttery wall floating at the surface of your cooking pot. Since each ear has to pass directly through this buttery film, all of your corn will be successfully smothered in butter in just one simple move. If you're up for buttering corn in hot water, not only can you upgrade this clever method to incorporate more flavor, but it's just one of many effective ways to butter corn for a crowd.

If you've been convinced to give the boiled water method a try, there's actually a delicious way of upgrading this buttering method with just one cup of milk. By boiling your corn cobs in a mixture of water, milk, and a good helping of butter, you can add a complex element of creaminess to your corn. This technique also ensures you won't need to use any extra butter after removing your corn from this dairy-fueled spa treatment.

Alternatively, if you want to give your dinner guests the freedom to butter and season their own corn, simply fill a squeeze bottle with butter along with a small amount of your favorite oil such as olive or avocado, and pass it around the table for a more individualized mess-free option.

And while boiling corn is quite common, using your stove and stockpot is not the only way of cooking these in-season delights for a crowd. If you opt instead to make some grilled corn on the cob, you can simply melt butter into a large baking dish and give your grilled corn a little bath before serving. This method also works for baked corn. Whichever way you decide to enjoy corn on the cob during those vibrant summer months, if you do boil your corn, save yourself the mess and butter your freshly cooked corn directly in that leftover hot water for a faster, more streamlined approach.