Meghan was the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the first 10 years of her career as part of Alton Brown's culinary team. She co-hosts a weekly podcast about food and family called Didn't I Just Feed You.
updated Jun 22, 2021
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Cooking ears of fresh corn in a pot of boiling water seasoned with milk, butter, and salt infuses every single kernel with sweet, buttery flavor.
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There are plenty of ways to cook corn on the cob, but not a single one of them will linger in your subconscious the way butter bath corn does. If the name itself doesn’t convince you, the brilliant technique will: cooking ears of fresh corn in a pot of boiling water seasoned with milk, butter, and salt. This method infuses every kernel with sweet, buttery flavor, and gives the corn a luxe, tender texture. Butter bath corn takes less than 15 minutes to make, the ingredients are likely already in your kitchen, and each bite will excite you even more than the last.
A Bubbling Butter Bath IsLike a Spa for Your Corn
Popular in the Midwest (where it’s sometimes called milk boiled corn), butter bath corn is an easy yet ingenious upgrade to boiled corn. Like steaming or boiling, a butter bath makes for tender corn that has a pleasant pop — and, thanks to the milk and butter, it’s extra sweet and flavorful. The process is simple: Bring a pot of water to a boil, stir in the butter bath ingredients (milk, butter, and salt), then add the corn and boil until tender. We tend to keep whole milk on hand, but a lower-fat milk works, too. If you use salted butter instead of the unsalted butter called for, just skip the added salt.
Ready to experiment further? There are endless ways to upgrade this obsession-worthy cooking method. Toss in garlic and herbs, or a little bit of honey and red pepper flakes. And if you love this corn, try bathing all your favorite veggies in a butter bath! You really can’t go wrong.
More flavoring ideas we love: 5 Easy Recipes for Butter Bath Corn
Butter Bath Corn
Cooking ears of fresh corn in a pot of boiling water seasoned with milk, butter, and salt infuses every single kernel with sweet, buttery flavor.
Serves 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 4 cups
water
- 6 ears
corn, husked and halved
- 1 cup
milk
- 1 stick
unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon
kosher salt
Instructions
Fill a large pot with 4 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, husk and halve 6 ears corn.
Add 1 cup milk, 1 stick unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the pot. Carefully add the corn and reduce the heat to medium. Boil for 8 minutes.
Use tongs to remove the corn from the butter bath and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 4 days.
