Like broccoli, carrots, green beans and zucchini, fresh corn—eaten on the cob or sliced off it—is delicious. When we get home from the farmers market with our fresh-picked corn, we husk and enjoy an ear on the spot.

No butter or salt is needed—in fact, the unadorned sweetness of the fresh corn is a-maizing. As a side for dinner, toss the raw kernels with bit of fine olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. It needs no further garnishing, but you can add some grated Parmesan or cracked pepper.

There are other ways to enjoy the raw, tender kernels in a recipe:

Take a bite: There’s no need to cook! Photo by Zeeshan Qureshi | SXC.

Each ear of corn (10 to 14 oz.) will yield about 1 cup of corn kernels.

Here’s a video showing an easy way to remove the kernels from the cob.

HOW TO BE SURE YOUR CORN IS FRESH

To eat raw corn from the cob, it needs to be fresh and sweet. The moment it’s picked, the sugars in corn begin to convert to starch. Two days later, the corn can taste starchy rather than sweet.

It’s easy to tell if the corn is fresh by looking at the silk tassel. It should be a light, whitish color. As the corn ages, the silk turns brown. The corn can still be good as long as the tassel is not dried out.

If the tassel has been removed, don’t buy the corn. It means the silk dried out and the corn is too old.

If your mother taught you to peel back the husk before buying the corn, forget it! All it does is dry out the corn. If the tassel and husk look fresh, there’s nothing to see. If a few kernels are missing from the top of the cob, it means nothing. Don’t husk corn until you’re ready to use it.

Eat corn the day you buy it. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat raw or cook.
 
  

It’s easy to remove corn kernels from the cob with a sharp chef’s knife.

But if you use a tube pan or bundt pan to anchor the ear, it’s even easier.

You’ll find the technique in the video below so useful, we bet you’ll be making corn salad or fresh corn salsa through the end of corn season. Start with this delicious recipe…and one more tip: To remove the silk from the corn, just use a wet paper towel.

CORN SALSA RECIPE

Make lots—you’ll love it! Beyond a chip dip, this salsa is delicious with grilled fish and poultry. It also couldn’t be easier: Just dice and mix. That’s it. This recipe makes about 3 cups; 4 cups if beans are added.

Ingredients

We adapted this recipe from Mozzarella Company, one of the greatest American cheese makers and a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week. They use their delectable mozzarella. But feta or fresh goat cheese are equally delicious—even more so to those who like tangy cheese.

Enjoy it as a light luncheon salad or as a first course at dinner.
 
 
WATERMELON & YELLOW TOMATO SALAD WITH FETA, GOAT CHEESE OR MOZZARELLA

Ingredients

1. Toss the watermelon, tomatoes, mozzarella, salt, pepper, olive oil and half of each of the mint and basil leaves together.

2. Top with the remaining mint and basil leaves.

3. Makes 4 servings. Consider making a double batch—you’ll be wanting more!
 
 
VARIATIONS

You can add layers of sophistication to this already-yummy salad by adding any of the following ingredients:

 
>The history of watermelon plus more watermelon recipes.