Come late summer, fresh corn is hard to resist. When you find ears with tight, bright green husks and moist, golden silks, you should grab up as much as you can. After eating your fill of delicious corn dishes — creamed corn, grilled corn on the cob, salads and chowders and pastas and risottos — there’s still more to enjoy.
Spent corn cobs, those stripped of their kernels, still have plenty to give, offering their sweet, grain-rich goodness in unique ways. To reduce food waste and eke the most out of corn, put these cobs to use in one of these easy ways. And if you don’t have the time or energy to do so right away, simply freeze your spent cobs in a zip-top freezer bag until you do.
Milk the cobs
After you cut the kernels off an ear of corn, the cob still holds onto lots of milk and pulp that you can extract by milking it. Simply hold the cob vertically on a work surface, and scrape down the length of the cob with a spoon or the dull side of a chef’s knife to release the milk and pulp. This sweet, starchy goodness helps to thicken and flavor creamed corn and chowders, infuses polenta or pasta with additional grain goodness, and elevates a summery lasagna.
Make corn stock
Even if you’ve milked your cobs (and certainly if you haven’t), you can make a delicious golden corn stock. Use it in chowders or other summery soups, in place of chicken stock in a corn risotto, or in this take on creamed corn. It’s easy to make following this simple recipe:
Place 6 to 8 spent corn cobs and 1 halved sweet onion (sear the cut sides to deepen the color of the stock) in a Dutch oven and cover with 2 quarts water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until the stock has a subtle corn flavor and golden color, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (For more intense corn flavor, make it in a pressure cooker, cooking on high pressure for 25 minutes and then allowing the pressure to release naturally.) Strain the stock and use it right away, or cool to room temperature and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
Infuse custards
Break those spent cobs in half and toss them into the custard base for ice cream or panna cotta. Allow the corn to infuse into the liquid overnight or for up to a day or two. You’ll get a dessert treat with added richness and a subtle wink of corn flavor. Fun fact: I did this very thing for a friend’s going-away dinner, infusing the base of a summery panna cotta. Guests gushed over the dessert, and although they couldn’t quite name the extra flavor they detected, they said the custard tasted richer and more intriguing than any other panna cotta they’d ever had.
Smoke meat
No wood chips or chunks? No problem. You can use your spent corn cobs instead; they’ll create a sweet smoke that will enhance chickenpork, or beef with subtle flavor. You’ll need to use fresh or frozen cobs that have not had a chance to dry out. If they are dry, soak them in water for a couple of hours so they don’t immediately incinerate. Use them as you would wood chips, tossing them directly onto hot coals and allowing them to produce smoke.
Make jelly
Do a Google search for “corn cob jelly” and you’ll find folks who swear by the deliciousness of this old-fashioned recipe. Redditors report that it tastes like honey and point out that it’s a great vegan alternative to the bee-derived syrup. You make it by boiling spent corn cobs in water and adding sugar and pectin.
But don’t give those cobs to pets
Although you’ll find lots of folks who say their dogs and cats love to chew on spent corn cobs, experts advise against giving them to your pets. The cobs are indigestible and, if eaten in even small pieces, could cause harm (such as an intestinal blockage) for both dogs and cats.
