The Unexpected Use For Corn Cobs You've Been Missing Out on

I'm one of the thriftiest people you'll ever meet. Okay, actually, I'm downright cheap. But in my defense, I've just never understood throwing out perfectly good ingredients. I aim to get the absolute MOST out of each ingredient before I do finally toss it. Vegetable, herb, and onion trimmings all go into a bag in the freezer for making homemade stock, as do meat and poultry bones and trimmings. Any leftover I can't find a use for goes directly into the compost pile to help nourish my garden. This habit of milking every ingredient to the max is what ultimately led me to cease throwing out my corn cobs.

One summer day, I had purchased some gorgeous, fresh corn on the cob. As usual, I was removing the husks and silk, and cutting the kernels off. I was just about to toss the denuded cobs into the compost when I noticed how "corny" they smelled. This got me thinking about whether there might be a way to extract and harness that fragrant corn essence. Part of the reason I wondered about this was because, often, dishes that I think should really taste of corn don't seem to. They have a vague corn flavor, when what I want is a strong, powerful corn presence.

How to Make Corn Stock

So, off I went to my cookbook library. I started with my oldest books, assuming the idea of using corn cobs would more likely be from an earlier time. And I was right! Within minutes, I found all sorts of references to corn cob stock, and all of the "recipes" were as simple as could be. They suggested breaking up the cobs, adding only enough water to cover, and simmering. That was it — no times, no seasonings, just water and cobs. Naturally, I had to try it.

After simmering for about 15 minutes, the stock had a definite corn flavor, but not quite enough for me; I put a lid on and let it go for a full half-hour. BINGO. This cloudy, corn-infused liquid had just the punch I was hoping for. Could you add salt and pepper and other flavorings? Sure. However, I would suggest that, because you'll be adding this stock to other dishes, you keep it simple.

How to Use Corn Stock

Speaking of the other dishes, you might be wondering exactly what you can do with a concentrated corn stock. Here are just a few things I've tried:

• Use it as some or all of the liquid in your favorite corn chowder recipe, or really any soup with a large corn component.
• Add a healthy splash to your next pan of succotash.
• Use it to moisten a corn and black bean filling for tacos, burritos, or enchiladas.
• Add some to deglaze the pan you used to saute or roast corn.
• Adding it to a vegetable-forward smoothie provides a surprising shot of sweetness.
• Replace a very small amount of the liquid called for in cornbread, corn cakes, corn fritters, or corn muffins.
• Mix a bit into softened butter with fresh herbs for a special spread to go with any of the above baked goods.
• Replace a bit of the liquid needed in your corn pudding.

Anyplace where a little liquid is needed, and a good corn flavor would be appreciated, try adding this stock. It really ups the corn taste and makes its presence known. And then you can compost the cobs.