It is so corn season around here. Corn is one of my absolute favorite vegetables to buy at the farmers’ market. Why? First, freshly picked corn is worlds better than grocery store corn. The sweetness and crunch of local corn-on-the-cob picked the same day, or at most a day before, is incomparable. I am a corn snob, plain and simple, and I won’t even touch the grocery store kind — which likely was picked days, even weeks, ago and shipped from Florida.
The second reason I love farmers’ market corn is that it is cheap. Cheap! $5 for a dozen. A dozen ears is a lot for four people, and I make the most of each one. The day I buy the corn we eat it as corn-on-the-cob. Sometimes boiled, sometimes grilled. Slathered with butter and sprinkled with salt. Summertime bliss.
With the remaining ears, I cut the kernels off the cob and refrigerate or freeze them. Corn kernels are a welcome addition to salads, salsas, relishes, or soups. I might make my award-winning Cheddar Jalapeno Corn Pudding with Blistered Tomatoes. Maybe I will whip up some zucchini and corn fritters. The point is, having extra corn around is never a bad thing, especially when corn plays so well with other in-season summer vegetables like zucchini and tomatoes.
But the recipe I want to share with you today is some next-level, kitchen ninja stuff. With the cobs from all that delicious summer corn you have eaten — the same cobs that you were just planning to throw away — you can make a flavorful corn broth. I just love making something out of nothing and that is exactly what this corn broth does.
If you don’t have time to make corn broth the same day that you actually eat the corn, do not fret. Simply freeze the corn cobs in a plastic bag until you have a spare hour or two. You can even save the cobs until the fall or winter and make corn broth then, just when you feel like enjoying a hot bowl of soup.
Just imagine making corn chowder or sweet corn risotto with corn broth. That’s how you double-down on corn flavor. Ready for some kitchen magic? Read on.
Ingredients
- 12 corn cobs
- 4 quarts water
- 1 yellow or white onion, quartered
- Handful of parsley
- 2 dried chiles or pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in a large, 8-qt stockpot and bring to a boil, covered.
- Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, one hour.
- Skim off any brownish or greenish foam that accumulates.
- Strain out solids and discard.
- Allow broth to cool slightly.
- Pour liquid into glass quart jars or plastic containers.
- Refrigerate or freeze until needed.
- Makes two quarts.
