How to Grill Corn in the Husk

Have you ever wanted to know how to grill corn in the husk? Succulent fresh summer corn is almost ready to be harvested in our garden, and we can hardly wait! While there are lots of easy, delicious ways to prepare corn, grilling corn in the husk is a simple way to impart lots of smoky flavor without drying out the kernels inside.

How to select the best tasting ears of summer corn at the market.

Picking the freshest ears of corn at a grocery store or farm stand is a lot easier than you'd think! Just please, whatever you do, don’t peel back the husk! This shortens the shelf life of the corn, causing it to dry out.

Instead, take a look at the outside of the corn, the husk. You want the corn husk to be bright green and wrapped tightly against the corn. Don't choose any husks that are starting to yellow or feel dry, which means they aren't the freshest ears. Also, be sure to check the husk for small brown holes; this can mean insects may have made their way into the ear of corn and should be avoided.

The silks should be light brown or gold-colored and have a slight stickiness to them. Take a quick sniff of the silks bursting from the end of the cob AKA the tassel —if it smells sweet, you are good to go. If the corn has a dry or black tassel or a tassel that feels mushy, the cob is old.

Lastly, take a peek at the bottom of the corn where the ear was broken off the stalk when it was harvested. If this area of the ear is brown, the corn is at least a couple of days old and not the freshest choice in the bin.

To shuck or not to shuck, that is the million dollar question!

Did you know that corn grows with its own moisture protection system? It's true!

The husk and silks that surround the entire ear of corn act like a barrier system that keeps moisture locked into kernels until you are ready to eat them. When you cook corn inside the husk it helps prevent the kernels from drying out before the corn is cooked. Pretty genius huh!

When learning how to grill corn in the husk, the corn prep is actually the most important step!

There are very few steps to preparing corn for the grill. The steps below will help ensure that moisture and flavor stay locked into each ear of corn as it cooks.

1. Carefully, peel back the husks of corn layer by layer about ¾ of the way down the ear of corn. Be careful not to detach them from the cob. They should start to look like a fluffy skirt around the base of the ear of corn. If some of the husks fall off or detach, that is ok. Just try to keep as many intact as possible.
2. Remove all of the silks by pulling on them gently. They should release themselves from the kernels pretty easily, but if some silks are being stubborn you can enlist the help of a clean kitcehn towel to help remove them. Simply brush the towel back and forth along the ear of corn with a bit of pressure. The friction from the towel should encourage the remaining silks to release.
3. Once the silks are removed, your corn cob should look like the one in the video above. Now, fold the husks back up into place to cover the corn cob. 

Brine those ears of corn like you would a turkey for Thanksgiving!

This step is essential in my opinion for cooking corn in the husk on the grill. Not only does the soak in water hydrate the husks and ensure they don't fizzle up as soon as they hit the grill. But, the salt in the equation actually adds to the flavor too.

1. Dissolve a ½ tablespoon of coarse salt in a sink, large bowl or stock pot filled with water then soak the corn for at least 15 minutes and up to 8 hours.

Let's fire up the grill and show you how to grill corn in the husk!

• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. 

• Remove the corn from the water and shake off excess water so that it's not dripping.  

• Place cobs on the grill and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally. 

• Once corn is cooked to your liking remove from the grill, peel off husks and serve with butter, salt & pepper. 

Watch me make corn in the husk 2 ways on Atlanta & Company!

Now that you know how to grill corn in the husk, let's talk about some other fresh corn recipes you should try!

If you’ve made this grilled corn in the husk recipe I would be so grateful if you would rate the recipe and let me know what you think in the comments below! 

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