Freshly harvested corn tastes sweet and delicate when cooked and eaten right off the cob. You can freeze whole ears to extend the sensation of biting into rows of kernels, but they take up lots of freezer space and I’m always disappointed by the softened texture. So for freezing, I prepare Husk-Grilled Corn without its smoky lime butter, slice the kernels from the cob and bag them.
This leaves me with a mound of corncobs that still have their signature flavor. I use the kernel-stripped cobs to make stock, a delicious secondary creation. This stock is less robust than homemade vegetable stock, so I cut back the other ingredients and I leave out strongly flavored ones like mushrooms and lemons to emphasize the corny taste. As a bonus, cooking the cobs into a light stock softens and helps them break down in my compost.
To shave corn kernels off of cobs, let the ears cool to room temperature. Snap off the cob’s stem end so that it’s relatively flat. Stand each ear upright on a large rimmed cutting board or plate, and then run a sharp knife down the ear, rotating the cob to strip the kernels from all sides.
I’ve scaled this recipe for as few as six corncobs for when you’re only removing kernels for a couple of fresh meals. You can add a few more cobs if you’re scraping a large harvest to freeze the kernels. Just check that the water still covers the cobs when it starts bubbling.
Like other homemade stocks, corncob stock freezes well in containers or cubes. If you shaved a whole box of corn to freeze the kernels and have enough freezer room, snap the extra cobs in halves or thirds, pack them in zip-close freezer bags and freeze these too. Add them straight from the freezer to the stockpot for your next stock. Use it in Sunshine Risotto, Corn and Potato Chowder and other soups and rice dishes.
Corncob Stock
Makes about 7 cups
6 shaved corncobs, broken in half
2 carrots, quartered
1 onion, quartered
1 celery rib, quartered
1 medium potato, quartered
5 garlic cloves, smashed
8 parsley branches and stems
2 thyme sprigs or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon peppercorns
3 quarts cold water
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, place the corncobs, carrots, onion, celery and potato. Add the garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, salt and peppercorns, and then cover with the cold water. Bring the mixture to just below a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 25 to 35 minutes.
Let the stock sit until cool enough to handle, and then use a spider or large slotted spoon to pull out the vegetables. Strain the liquid through a colander lined with cheesecloth to remove the remaining solids.
Use the stock immediately or let it cool completely. Refrigerate it for up to four days or freeze it in containers or a cube tray.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger at TwiceAsTasty.com.