Everything You Need to Know About Corn

Inspired by conversations on the Food52 Hotline, we're sharing tips and tricks that make navigating all of our kitchens easier and more fun.

Today: How to make the most of a short-lived summer staple: corn. 

Corn is quintessential summer. It's easy to measure the passing of the short-but-sweet season during long drives down roads flanked by cornfields: The taller the stalks get, the fewer lazy days we have left. 

Here's the thing: When your seasonality window is small and time is running out, a sharpened toolkit of knowledge is essential. If you're not careful, corn will slip through your fingers -- and not just because it's covered in butter. Consider these tips and recipes your arsenal. 

• First, choose your ears carefully. We all know the peek-and-see trick, but these tips will help you decide whether an ear is worthy of your kitchen, just by looking at it.
• Get those husks off. Hint: The microwave is your secret weapon. 

• Struggling with leftover silks? Slip them off easily with these suggestions.
• At last, the time to cook your corn has come. Save yourself the agony of setting the timer, and use our favorite technique instead.  

• Want to experiment with techniques other than boiling? You can always try stewing, charring, baking, or pudding-ing. There's also pasta. Or these savory masa cakes. (Try to stop us. You can't.) 

• Corn is summer gold: Don't waste it. Here are some inventive uses for every part of the cob (yes, even that pesky silk). 

What do you like to do with your summer corn? Tell us in the comments!