How to Bake Corn in the Microwave

Choose fresh corn with the skin on. Fresh corn kernels in the shell are usually sold in the market or supermarket during the summer. If you want, you can go to the corn garden to break the freshest corn or grow your own corn at home. No matter what source you get your corn from, you just need to make sure the corn is cooked and with the skin intact. Here’s how to check the doneness of the corn:

• Look for cobs that have brown, sticky clusters of flowers instead of dry, yellow ones. Brown and slightly sticky inflorescences mean the corn is ripe. ^[1]
• Gently twist the cob to feel the kernels inside the shell. Corn kernels should be firm, thick, but not too hard.
• Only buy corn in quantities that are enough to eat for a few days and store it in the refrigerator so that the sugar in the corn kernels does not turn into starch and overripe. ^[2] With the amount of corn that is too large and cannot be consumed all, you can freeze it.

Cut the stalks and tops of the corn (if necessary). Cut off both ends of the corn to make it easier to fit in the microwave. Peel off the corn silk and the outer withered skin. You can use a warm paper towel to wipe away any dirt remaining on the corn husks (although this will still be removed later).

Put the corn in the microwave. Most microwaves can fit 3 cobs of corn at a time. You can add more corn if the oven is larger. Each cob needs to be lined up near the center of the oven and not touching each other for even cooking.

• In order for all the cobs to be evenly heated, you should arrange them in a triangle (if baking 3 cobs at a time) or square (if baking 4 cobs at a time).
• Make sure the cobs do not touch each other. Do not stack corn on top of each other to avoid raw corn.

Roast corn. Bake the corn on the High setting for 3-5 minutes, depending on the amount of corn to be baked. Baking time is usually 1 minute for 1 cob to 5 minutes for 4 cobs.

• If you’re grilling a lot of cobs at once, you should stop the microwave oven 1/2 of the time set and flip the cobs to cook evenly.
• Depending on the size of the corn, you can adjust the baking time from 2-4 minutes for each cob.

Remove the corn from the microwave and let it cool. Let the corn cob cool for about 1 minute, or cool enough to touch, and allow the heat in the cob to release and the corn to cook again.

• The corn husks will contain some water so it won’t get too hot.
• However, the water in the corn will evaporate hot and can cause burns . Therefore, you should be careful and use kitchen gloves or tongs to handle the corn.
• Test the popcorn and the temperature of the cob by peeling it down and touching the kernel or by tasting it. Pull the cover back up and microwave again if necessary.
• If the corn is burnt or mushy, it means you’ve overcooked it. Learn from the experience next time.

Peel and beard the corn. The corn inside the shell and the water-filled stalk will be very hot after baking, so peel them carefully so you don’t get burned. The corn husks and whiskers will fall off easily.

Add seasoning to the corn. Toss corn in butter and sprinkle with pepper and salt (if desired). Let the corn cool and enjoy. If you want, you can also sprinkle some cheese or sour cream with red pepper powder over the corn.

• Microwaved corn is very fresh and you can eat it with your hands or use a special tool to make it easier to enjoy the corn.
• You can use corn kernels to use as a side dish or use to prepare other dishes. Stand the corn upright and use a knife to cut it from the top to remove the seeds.