What Are Corn cobs and How Can I Use Them?
Wondering what to do with corn cobs? This guide covers how to pick them, cook them, store them, and swap them — with 23 recipes to put them to work.
What are corn cobs?
Corn on the cob, as it is usually called in the United States.
It is also called maize, it is a major source of starch. Cornstarch (maize flour) is a major ingredient in home cooking and in many industrialized food products.
Maize is also a major source of cooking oil (corn oil) and of maize gluten. Maize starch can be hydrolyzed and enzymatically treated to produce syrups, particularly high fructose corn syrup, a sweetener; and also fermented and distilled to produce grain alcohol.
Grain alcohol from maize is traditionally the source of bourbon whiskey. Maize is sometimes used as the starch source for beer.
Where found
Corn cobs are usually found in the produce section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
| In Chinese: | 玉米棒子 | |
| British (UK) term: | ||
| en français: | épis de maïs | |
| en español: | mazorcas de maíz |
Recipes using corn cobs
There are 23 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Dilled Potato & Grilled Corn Salad
A no-mayo potato salad tossed with smoky grilled corn, fresh dill, and a grainy mustard vinegar dressing. Light, tangy, and vegan, the perfect cookout side that won't wilt in the summer heat.
Roasted Corn & Avocado Salsa
Pan-roasted sweet corn and avocado salsa. Works well with any type of seafood or on a fish taco.
Garlic-Lemon Corn Cob
Quick, easy and inexpensive, fresh and sweet seasonal corn, cooked with garlic and lemon juice, a scrumptious summer dish!
Summer Corn Chowder
This is one of those recipes that is more of a guideline—I really encourage you to adapt the amounts and ingredients to your tastes. If you like it chunky, don’t puree it. If you like a thinner soup, add more chicken broth. If you don’t like heat, omit the cayenne.
Reel Cuisine
Grilled lobster and shrimp skewers piled over a cool watermelon, cucumber, and jalapeño salsa, with charred bell peppers, asparagus, leeks, and sweet corn alongside. A bold summer surf-and-grill plate.
Corn with Barbecue Sauce
Corn on the cob drenched in a from-scratch British barbecue sauce with malt vinegar, Worcestershire, ginger, green chili, and a splash of dry sherry. Tangy, smoky, and utterly different.
Grilled Turkey spears with 3 Sauces
Grilled turkey spears thread cubed turkey breast, lime slices, pepperoni, and corn onto skewers, glazed with chili-lime oil and served with three dipping sauces: curry-banana, blue cheese-yogurt, and cranberry-horseradish.
Chicken Maque Choux
A Cajun classic with browned chicken simmered alongside fresh corn scraped from the cob, tomatoes, onion, and red bell pepper in a cast iron pot. Louisiana soul food at its best.
Roasted Corn Soup
Roasted corn soup with oven-roasted cobs, garlic, potato, red capsicum, and cream. Smoky, sweet, and velvety with whole kernels stirred through for texture.
Roasted Squab with Corn & Chili Sauce
Roasted squab with corn and chili sauce: juniper-scented birds roasted rare, served with a smoky bacon, chili, and corn-cob sauce sweetened with maple syrup.
Bbq Corn Cobs with Bacon & Garlic Butter
BBQ corn cobs wrapped in bacon, cooked inside their own husks, served with garlic-chive compound butter. A smoky, juicy summer cookout classic with built-in seasoning.
Hot Tamale Pie
Hot tamale pie with pinto beans, corn, and bell peppers in spiced tomato sauce topped with a cornmeal crust. A hearty vegetarian Southwestern casserole baked until golden.
Chili Taco Salad
Chili taco salad: spicy chicken chili with kidney beans and chickpeas piled on tortilla chips with lettuce, tomato, jack cheese, sour cream, olives, and jalapenos.
Garden Potato Salad
Roasted red potato salad with fresh corn, cucumber, tomato, and a cilantro vinaigrette. No mayo, just olive oil and vinegar for a light summer side.
Braised Chicken in a Sweet Corn & Polenta Broth
Chicken marinated in Australian native spices and olive oil, in a sweet corn and polenta broth.
Summer Corn, Bacon & Potato Chowder
Sweet summer corn can't be beat. Highlight it in this chowder along with buttery Yukon Gold potatoes and smoky Canadian bacon.
Three Cheese Corn Fritters with a Paperbark Smoked Beetroot Jam
Corn fritters made from cheese seasoned with Australian native herbs and spices, served with a paperbark smoked beetroot jam.
Awesome Southwest Corn Chowder
Southwest corn chowder blends fresh sweet corn with poblanos, serranos, and cream into a smooth base, then folds in crisp blanched potato, jicama, and bell peppers for texture.
Fresh Corn & Orzo
Chilled orzo pasta salad with fresh corn, smoked chicken, red pepper, and basil in a sweet-spicy rice vinegar and lime dressing. Topped with toasted pine nuts.
Vegetable, Ham, & Pasta Salad
A big hit, it is almost the most excelllecnt pasta salad I have ever eaten. I think I will make it more and more!
Sweet Corn Ravioli
Homemade ravioli made easy with wonton wrappers, stuffed with a creamy shrimp and fresh sweet corn filling. Poached in minutes, these little parcels burst with summery flavor.
Ajiaco Bogota
One of the most representative dishes of my city, Bogotá, and the many foreigners who visit us, want to return again soon to try this wonder of culinary, typical of my country. You can accompany a soup with rice and avocado and becomes a perfect recipe for a family lunch. The times of cooking that I show you in this recipe are in a pressure cooker. If you are using a traditional pot, increase in average 15 minutes.
Lobster Clambake
Lobster, clams, mussels, shrimp, corn, and potatoes steam together in white wine over onions and garlic for a one-pot New England clambake that brings the beach feast indoors in 30 minutes.
