Enjoy one of the best treats of a summertime state fair: Corn On The Cob with Butter. It's so sweet, delicious, and easy to make at home.
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My favorite part of going to the fair is the ridiculously indulgent food. There are some years though when we just can't get to the fair: other plans or too little money, or forces beyond our control mean it's just not happening.
In these instances, it's a perfect time to make our own State Fair food at home.
Some of those favorites include sugary County Fair Fried Dough and savory grilled Sausage, Peppers, and Onions. And today? I am dreaming of Sweet Corn On The Cob with Butter!
What do you love about the fair?
The fair is so many things: classic rides, noisy games, grandstand entertainment. Our local fair is also at its heart an agricultural fair. There are happy, lazy cows in the barns, fancy breeds of chickens, 4-H kids helping everywhere, sheep shearing demonstrations, horse pulls, and prize-winning produce.
Having an ear of locally grown, buttered corn on the cob at the fair is therefore very fitting. The Rotary Club runs a corn on the cob booth there every year.
The first time my husband and I had this corn at the fair was on a cool, rainy evening way back when we were dating. The steamy, buttery ears of corn chased away the dampness and chill.
Why you'll love this recipe
Fresh, sweet corn on the cob is so satisfying, whether you have it at the fair or at home. In the style of our fair, these ears of corn are boiled in their husks. (There are notes below in case you have questions about what this looks like.)
The ears of hot, tender corn are then DRENCHED in butter. At the fair they dunk the ears, I mean submerge them, in melted butter. In this recipe, the butter is ladled over, an easier way of getting that butter on every single kernel!
How do the ears of corn taste? To describe it, I'd need to write out that noise that Homer Simpson makes when he dreams of delicious food. Something like, "AaggaGGhGhghGhGhghhhh."
You'll love how this tastes just like corn on the cob at the fair. My other fair food favorites include Fried Dough and Sausage, Peppers, & Onions!
🔪 How to make Corn On The Cob with Butter
Ingredients:
- Sweet Corn: Pick up whole ears of corn with the husks still on
- Butter: Use unsalted butter, since you'll add your own salt later
- Salt and Pepper: To season up the ears after cooking
Step 1: Prepare the corn
Pull the leaves down towards the bottom without removing them. Pull off the silk, then fold the leaves back up around the corn.
Step 2: Boil the corn
Place the ears into a very large stockpot of boiling water, and boil them for 20 minutes. Remove them with tongs and let the water drain away.
Step 3: Fold back the husks
Hold the cooked ears with an oven mitt or thick dishtowel to protect your hands. Fold the leaves down to create a handle to hold the corn.
Step 4: Drench the corn in butter
Hold the ear over a plate or bowl as you slather melted butter to coat every kernel. Let the excess drip away, sprinkle on some salt and pepper, and enjoy!
FAQs
Boil the corn on the cob for about 20 minutes. The ears of corn are done when the kernels are tender and easily pierced with a fork.
When the leftover ears of corn are cool, use a sharp knife to slice the kernels off the cob. You can reheat the kernels to eat as a side dish, or use them to make corn salsa.
Tips:
- To honor the method used at the fair, the recipe below calls for the ears of corn to be boiled in their husks (the silk is removed first.) The husks fold down to make a convenient handle afterward. With the husks still on, the corn takes up more room, requiring a very large stock pot—if you don't have a pot this large, shuck the corn and cook it in a smaller pot.
- At the fair, the corn is dunked into a vat of melted butter. This can be done at home if you have a tall, narrow, heatproof container (like a large mason jar.) Or, melt butter in a wide, shallow pot. Add in the cooked ears and roll them around in butter.
The recipe for this Corn on the Cob with Butter is below. And here are more sweet corn recipes for you:
💬 What do you think of this buttery corn? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Sweet Corn On The Cob With Butter
Equipment
- Very large stockpot to hold ears with husks still on. (See notes at bottom.)
Ingredients
- 4 ears fresh sweet corn in the husks (do not remove the leaves)
- ½ cup butter, melted (you will have extra)
- Salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Fill a large stockpot with enough water to cover the ears of corn, and place the pot on the stove with the heat set to high.
- On each ear of corn, carefully pull back the leaves as far as you can without ripping or removing them to expose the silk, Remove as much of the silk as you can, then fold the leaves back up around the corn. If you want you can remove one long, thin leaf and use it to tie up the corn at the top.
- When the water comes to a boil place the ears of corn in the water. Boil the corn for 20 minutes. Using tongs remove the corn from the water and place them in a colander to drain, angled so that the tops are pointing down to let the water run out. Allow the ears to cool for 10 minutes.
- Carefully hold the ear with a potholder or towel and peel back the leaves, folding them down at the bottom of the corn. You can tie the leaves with some kitchen string or wrap them in a cloth napkin or paper towel. Now you have a handle for your corn.
- Time for the butter. Hold the corn over a plate or bowl and ladle melted butter over the kernels, turning to coat the entire ear. Allow the excess butter to drip off and then place the corn on plates to serve.
- Sprinkle the corn with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy it while it's hot! Serves 4.
Notes
- To honor the method used at the fair, the recipe below calls for the ears of corn to be boiled in their husks (the silk is removed first.) With these husks still on, the corn takes up more room, requiring a very large stock pot—if you don't have a pot this large, shuck the corn and cook it in a smaller pot
- At the fair, the corn is dunked into a vat of melted butter. This can be done at home if you have a tall, narrow heatproof container (like a large mason jar.) Or, melt butter in a wide, shallow pot. Add in the cooked ears of corn and roll them around to coat them.
Doug
Wonderful but to add an additional layer of flavor sprinkle with chat spice and squeeze a lime over it. Served this way in Malaysia.
Nancy Mock
Hi Doug - great suggestion! I've never tried chaat on buttered corn, but it does sound delicious. I do like a squeeze of lime over ears of elote. And now I'm really craving some corn! Thank you for this idea. 🙂
Susie
How much is corn on cob at fair
Nancy Mock
That'll vary depending on where you live and the year! My recollection is that ears of buttered corn were between $4-$6 each.
Stephanie Faris
Sounds yummy. When you bite into it, does the butter go everywhere?
Nancy Mock
Oh absolutely, it's a hot mess. 🙂
Jo
I wrote about corn on my blog the other day. I microwave my corn in the husks and find it so much easier. I do NOT have butter on mine. Too many calories, but find the corn just as delicious without it.
Nancy Mock
Microwaving is a great idea, especially for days like we've had this week (really hot and humid.)
lorilmaclaughlin.com
I love corn on the cob!!!!!
Nancy Mock
Me too, have you had it at the fair?
lorilmaclaughlin.com
No, but looking at those photos, I'll have to try it next year!