Can corn be cooked in 10 minutes?

Corn can generally be cooked in 10 minutes, depending on the variety, size, and cooking method of the corn.

Fresh sweet corn is usually cooked for 8-10 minutes after boiling water. This type of corn has high moisture content, relatively low starch content, thin skin, and can be gelatinized by heating in a short time. When boiling in a regular soup pot, the water should completely cover the corn and keep it boiling over high heat. If cooking with a pressure cooker, the time can be shortened to 5-7 minutes, and steam pressure can accelerate heat penetration. Keeping 2-3 layers of corn leaves before cooking can prevent nutrient loss, and using chopsticks to easily penetrate the corn kernels indicates maturity.

Old corn or glutinous corn needs to be extended to 15-20 minutes. These types of corn have high starch content and tight texture, and require longer time to fully gelatinize the starch. Cooking with a core will prolong the heating time, it is recommended to cut it in half to accelerate heat transfer. Frozen corn needs to be thawed before cooking, otherwise the outer layer is easily rotten and the inner layer is undercooked. Induction cookers have lower heating efficiency than gas stoves and may require an additional 2-3 minutes. When judging maturity, observe whether the corn kernels are full and swollen, and there will be a white hard core in the center of the raw corn kernels.

When cooking corn, it is recommended to pair it with a small amount of salt to enhance sweetness and retain more B vitamins. Choose fresh corn of the current season for better taste and avoid nutrient loss caused by prolonged soaking. The best flavor is to consume it immediately after cooking, and it should not be stored in refrigeration for more than 2 days. Steaming during reheating can better retain moisture than microwave heating. For those with weaker digestive function, the cooking time can be appropriately extended to soften the cellulose. It is advisable to control the single consumption amount to 1-2 roots, and consuming them with beans can improve protein absorption rate.