The first time I made cream-style corn (why are there so many names for this dish? Creamed corn, creamed-style corn, etc. Let’s all pick one and stick with it. Let’s pick the one I like.) I really thought I had listened to my mother’s instructions. However, for some reason, this is one dish I had never made at her side, so there I was, in my early 20s and trying to impress my then-husband with a home-cooked meal. (You see right away where this is going, don’t you?)
I cut the corn off the cob into the saucepan, added the milk and butter and started it up. And cooked. And cooked. After a while the milk was gone but it hadn’t magically turned into cream-style corn. Hmm, I thought. I must not have added enough milk. I added more. And waited.
Finally I called my mother. "What’s wrong with my corn??"
Of course, if I’d had a clue….I would have paid attention, say, the first 18 years of my life, I would have known the secret to cream-style corn: You cut the kernels off the cob, then you turn your knife blade over to the back side, and you scrape the cob, rendering the liquid and pulp into the saucepan along with the kernels. Since that first failed effort, my corn has turned out much better.
Cream-Style Corn
6 ears corn
Milk
1/2 stick butter
Salt
Pepper
Cut the kernels into a 4-qt. saucepan 1/2 way down the length of the kernel, leaving the other part of the kernel on the cob to scrape. When you have cut each cob, turn the knife over and scrape each cob clean into the saucepan with the back side of the knife. You’ll definitely want to do this with the saucepan in the sink — corn juice will go everywhere.
Add milk to the saucepan to just the top of the kernels. Add butter. Warm over medium heat until it bubbles, then lower heat. Stir frequently while this cooks; it can stick easily though lowering the heat helps. Cook slowly for best flavor. If necessary add more milk. Season with salt and pepper.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I did the exact same thing the first time I tried to make cream-style corn. Neither one of us must have listened to our mother very well at all. Thank goodness she’s just a phone call away.
you’re forgetting a very important ingredient!
sugar!
you must add about 1/4 cup of sugar to get the perfect taste…without it that is going to be just blah. no salt and pepper…not sure what that makes but leave that out. no no.
I loves me some creamed corn. Thanks for the recipe!
Now see, I am actually an anti-sugar-in-the-corn person. I also am anti-sugar-in-the-cornbread. I won’t argue with you that many upstanding Southerners prefer sugar. I just am not one of them. I am sure that it is because I was also raised to prefer field corn to sweet corn. Field corn (less sweet, more corn-y,for you Yankees and city folk) is hard to find these days because our agri-business-military-industrial complex is so vast, you can get sweet corn practically year-round. Back in West Tennessee when I was growing up, there was a field corn season (late summer), and a sweet corn season (earlier). I guess now the field corn all goes to make corn syrup. Or ethanol. Or something. But sometimes you can find it at a farmers’ market. I guess I’ll go look for it this month.
no sugar in my cornbread. chemically bad for the cornbready process.
actually, i never put milk in my creamed corn…
The field corn in which you talked of, is I have found the best for making the cream corn. It has a great deal more starch to it than does the other varieties. I also never put sugar in mine, nor milk. I just put water, butter, salt and I like a good bit of pepper. We too have trouble in finding the field corn anymore, most of the farmers use to grow it mainly for their livestock to eat. It dries out much quicker than the sweet corn, so it is important to get it as fresh as possible. If anyone knows where to locate it in northwest Georgia please let me know, I use to buy it 10 dozen at a time and freeze it. It is great one cold winter days, with crowder peas, fried okra, slice of onion and cornbread.