The Secret Ingredient for the Sweetest Boiled Corn

Corn is one of the easiest veggies to find year-round, but it's hard to beat fresh summer corn. It's sweet and juicy and is the perfect easy side dish for all of your summer cookouts. We love it dressed up elote-style or just eaten straight off the cob slathered in butter while we sit at a picnic table .

What Makes Fresh Corn on the Cob Taste so Sweet?

On its own, corn on the cob is chock-full of natural sugars. After harvest, these sugars begin to turn into starch. That means the fresher the corn the sweeter it will be.

There is, however, a common misconception that if the corn is sweet, it must have been picked by the right person at the right time. But as it turns out, there's one ingredient you can add to crank up the sweetness in your boiled corn: sugar.

Related: The One Thing Farmers' Market Vendors Are Begging Customers to Stop Doing When They're Shopping for Corn

How to Cook the Sweetest Boiled Corn

That's right, the very thing that turns into starch after harvest can be introduced right back into the mix during the cooking process. We discovered this creative corn cooking method via Hillary of Tello and Rose on Instagram. Hillary recently shared a video demonstrating how she likes to make corn. In the caption, she mentioned her family's misconception that she is an “expert corn picker.” Hillary goes on to admit she really just “mastered the art of timing and sugar water.”

To use Hillary's method, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue to boil. Don't add salt until the end just before serving because salt could make the kernels tough while cooking. Remove the husks and silk from the corn, then toss the corn into the boiling water, allowing the water to return to a boil before cooking for an additional 2 minutes.

When the kernels have turned bright yellow and tender, the corn is ready to come out of the pot. Serve with your favorite seasonings or maybe just some butter for pure summer bliss.

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