By Simon Rimmer
Make the most of fresh sweetcorn when it’s in season by eating it simply with lots of melted butter. The rest of the year, a can or bag of frozen sweetcorn kernels makes great soup, salads, fritters and salsas.
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By late summer young, tender sweetcorn starts to appear in the shops and markets. At their best, the husks should be green and fresh and the tassel at the end should be fine and silky, not dry and browned. Peel back the top of the husk and push your thumbnail into a kernel. If it spits juice in your eye, it is a good cob.
For the best flavour, sweetcorn should be eaten as soon as it's picked, a bit of a tall order unless you grow it yourself or go to a pick-your-own farm. Eaten when really fresh, you will enjoy the sweetness of the kernels which should be plump and juicy and full of flavour. Frozen sweetcorn kernels are a good substitute when fresh sweetcorn is out of season. Frozen cobs are less good.
Sweetcorn should be cooked in boiling water with a little sugar but not salt, which can can make the kernels tough. After cooking, season the cobs with salt and freshly ground black pepper pepper and serve with lots of melted butter. Alternatively, cut the kernels straight off the cob and use in a recipe.
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