A Tough Lesson

Have you ever tried to boil corn on the cob only to wind up with hardened kernels, no matter how long it's been on the stove? It may be that you're adding salt, which toughens kernels, to the cooking water. Instead, fill a large pot or straight-sided skillet with cold, unsalted water ¾ of the way up and bring to a rolling boil. Then, carefully drop in several shucked cobs of corn, making sure they're all immersed in the water. Return to a boil. Cover and turn off the heat, allowing corn to remain in the pot 4-6 minutes for perfect, crisp-tender corn every time.