Remove Corn Silk Hassle-Free With This Shucking Hack

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Aw shucks. Separating the white silky fibers from a fresh ear of corn doesn't have to be time-consuming. Thanks to a quick and easy hack, you can spend more time enjoying summer's bounty instead of shucking it. First, grab a tool designed to clear off corn silk, like the Domuen Corn Silk Remover Brush. A produce brush or even a clean toothbrush would make great substitutes in a pinch. 

Start by gently removing the green husk from the corn with your hands. Then, pull away the silk "hairs" from the top of the corn cob with your fingers. You should be able strip away the majority of the white tresses from the crunchy golden corn kernels. When you only have a few stray silks remaining, take a produce brush and carefully wipe it down the length of the cob in short, even strokes, turning it until you've brushed the entire surface. Repeat once more if needed. The brush will catch any leftover corn silk so you won't get it stuck in your teeth while enjoying your corn on the cob.

There's more than one way to get rid of corn silk. For example, you can try using some heat. Wrap an ear of corn (in its husk) in a wet paper towel and throw your corn in the microwave for three to five minutes on high. This will allow moisture to build up, which dampens the corn silk. Use caution when removing the corn from the microwave, and let it cool down for a couple of minutes. Then, shuck the corn as usual and watch the corn silk fall off. You could even boil corn (in its husk) on the stove for five to eight minutes before shucking to achieve the same results. Other home cooks swear that a shelf liner removes corn silk thanks to the liner's tacky surface. Place an ear of corn with silky stragglers in a piece of shelf liner, twist the liner around the ear, and watch the corn silk stick to the shelf liner. 

Don't forget to repurpose your corn husks, corn silk, and corn cobs, instead of throwing them out. You can use corn cobs to make a vegetable broth for soups and stews, and corn silk can be steeped for a calming tea or fried for a salad garnish. Of course, the corn husks are the perfect size for storing and cooking homemade tamales.