The sooner you cook fresh sweet corn the better: The minute corn is picked, the sweet sugars begin their conversion to bland starch. No need to worry. Today’s super-sweet corn hybrids mean the conversion from sugar to starch occurs slowly, giving the cook a bit of breathing room. But don’t wait too long to enjoy summer’s golden gift.
In-season sweet corn, purchased from local farmers markets and roadside stands, is likely fresher than supermarket offerings. Wherever you buy corn, always purchase corn in the husk. Shucked corn, wrapped in plastic, is not as fresh and will always be blander and drier than corn stored in its protective husk.
