Why You Can (And Should) Eat Raw Corn

Freshly picked ears of corn are filled with ripe yellow kernels bursting with sweet flavor. It shines whether it's grilled, boiled, roasted, or microwaved, but you don't actually need to cook it at all. Not only is corn absolutely safe to eat raw, but it also has more nutrients since they haven't degraded at all during cooking. Corn's beneficial nutrients include vitamins A, B, and C, protein, potassium, and magnesium, and it's high in fiber. Add in zero cooking time and unadulterated sweet corn taste, and it's clear that raw corn is worth adding to all sorts of meals.

When you bite into raw corn, it's crisp, sweet, and filled with juicy corn milk. When fresh-picked, sweet corn has a lot more sugar than starch. That starts to change as it sits, and corn becomes less sweet as time passes. That's why you want to buy it as fresh as possible and eat it promptly. Whether you're able to get it at a farmers market or the grocery store, pick out the best corn with the silk test. The variety that's typically available is sweet corn, which tastes sweeter than field corn. Field (also known as dent) corn is used in livestock feed and in processed foods, and the texture and taste make it unsuitable for raw consumption. 

After bringing home the freshest corn you can find, shuck the ears and remove the corn silk fibers. Clean the shucked corn well, which is especially important when you're having it raw. You can eat the corn right off the cob just as you would if it was cooked. Since the point of eating it raw is appreciating the natural corn flavor, you can just drizzle on some olive oil or melted butter and sprinkle with salt. If you're removing the kernels from the cob, make sure to scrape down the cobs with a knife over a bowl and include the collected corn milk in whatever you're making.

A popular way to use raw corn kernels is in salsas and salads. Try making a Southwestern-style fresh corn salad with ingredients like black beans, jalapeños, tomatoes, and avocado. Lean into the sweetness by combining the kernels with fruits like mangoes, blueberries, or peaches, as well as some salty feta cheese, toasted sunflower seeds, and bright basil. Fresh corn can also be incorporated into salad dressings, smoothies, or soups. Blend it into chowder, gazpacho, or no-cook sweet corn soup. Raw corn can even be used in desserts like ice cream. The kernels and cobs are steeped in hot cream, milk, and sugar before being combined with other ingredients and transformed in an ice cream maker into sweet corn ice cream.