My Dad’s a Corn Farmer—Here’s His Secret to the Best Corn You’ve Ever Tasted

Summer fruits and vegetables are my seasonal obsession. As soon as the weather warms up, I start pulling out recipes for fresh zucchini, tomatoes, strawberries, and cucumbers. But despite my love for grandma’s zucchini pie or a classic BLT, I’ll always pick corn on the cob over any other summer produce.

This is probably because my dad grew up on a farm, growing corn, potatoes, and other fresh vegetables, so our summers are never complete without corn on the cob. For the Fink family, no gathering is truly festive without sweet, buttery corn, and we take our corn-cooking methods very seriously.

The Only Way My Corn Farmer Dad Cooks Corn on the Cob

According to my dad, there’s only one way to cook corn: boil it. While grilling is also a favorite of mine, boiling is the classic method. But it’s not just about the boiling itself—what you boil the corn in is what makes all the difference.

To make the most delicious corn you’ve ever tasted, boil your corn on the cob in a mix of water, milk, and salted butter.

Much like those who add sugar to their water for sweeter corn, the addition of milk and butter enhances the flavor even more. As the corn cooks in this rich mixture, the savory, salty butter infuses the sweet kernels while the milk tenderizes them for a juicy bite. This method delivers the ultimate corn experience; you'll definitely want some corn tools to fully enjoy it.

How to Make My Dad’s Corn on the Cob

Like many of my family’s recipes, there’s no exact formula for making my dad’s corn on the cob.

When we made the corn recently, we didn’t use measuring cups, but here’s the general process: Fill a stockpot halfway with water, then add enough milk to make the water cloudy—about half a cup should do—and toss in a generous pat of butter. For eight ears, we used about 1/4 cup of butter.

It’s not an exact science, but once you experiment with it, you’ll find your perfect ratio.

When my dad was a kid, his family would cook corn on the cob in a copper kettle over an open flame. While we don’t do that anymore, we have our own secret method. Instead of bringing the butter-milk-water mixture to a boil first, and then adding the corn, we start by placing everything in the pot together. Once it reaches a rolling boil, we cook the corn for about 20 minutes until the kernels are tender.

Does cooking the corn, milk, butter, and water all at once really make a difference, aside from skipping the step of adding the corn later? I’m not entirely sure, but my dad is convinced it’s the key.

Once you try this two-ingredient upgrade, you won’t be able to go back—and you’ll find yourself eagerly awaiting corn season every year.