Why Husking Corn On The Cob In The Grocery Store Is A Major No-No

Every summer, grocery stores across the country offer massive bins of fresh corn on the cob, usually at a great price that's hard to resist. While there is something fun and rustic about picking up these whole cobs — with their rough husks and strands of silk — preparing them for cooking can definitely get messy. Many grocery stores try to make this easier by providing a garbage bin nearby so you can husk the corn in-store and toss the unwanted parts. For the sake of your corn, though, it's a better idea to wait until you get home to husk it. Otherwise, you risk the corn drying out.

Corn in the husk can last for up to a week. Corn that has been shucked should be used within a day. Even if you take your fresh corn home and cook it right away, the travel time from the store to your house will make a difference. Imagine buying a fresh sirloin steak, opening the package, and carrying it home unwrapped. That's kind of what you're doing with your corn. Will it still be edible? Of course. It will probably still taste great. But it could be even better, so why not enjoy it at its best?

Corn grows with a husk to protect it from the elements. It's like the peel on a banana. It preserves the part you want to eat, and no one peels their bananas in the store. If you've ever had leftover corn sitting in the fridge for a day or two, you know the kernels will start to wrinkle, dry out, and toughen up. Shucking your corn early kickstarts that process.

In addition to the issue of freshness, you're also just wasting a lot of time at the store doing something you can do at home. Some people prefer husking in the store to avoid the mess at home, but that just shifts the mess onto everyone else. If you've ever searched through a corn bin filled with husks and silk left by others, you know how frustrating that can be. It's more considerate just to do it at home. There are tips to make shucking corn easier at home, too, like microwaving it.

Keeping the husks on also means you can grill your corn. You can also use the leftover husk for wrapping tamales, and the corn silk can serve as a garnish on soups and salads. You can use your old corn husks and silk as mulch in your garden, too. In short, there are more reasons to keep that husk in place than there are to remove it at the store.