If fresh corn on the cob captures the flavor of summer, grilled corn makes that flavor explode in your mouth. Corn steams beautifully within its own husks and develops a taste and smell that can’t be matched by boiled or steamed ears. It also means you don’t need to heat a giant kettle of water on a hot summer evening and could even skip the kitchen altogether by grilling your entire meal.

I first started grilling corn when I was gifted Williams-Sonoma’s fabulous and comprehensive Complete Grilling Book, now out of print but still possible to track down. We used to just gobble up the grilled corn fresh, but then I realized it would freeze just as well and I could enjoy that grilled flavor all winter. As a bonus, the cobs can be frozen separately and turned into stock.

Tips & Tricks

• One fresh lime usually yields about 1 tablespoon of zest and 2 tablespoons of juice. The juice likely won’t emulsify completely into the butter; just pour any excess over the kernels before you fold up the husks.
• You can slather corn you plan to freeze with lime butter, but I prefer to leave it off so that the kernels are more versatile. Also skip the paprika if freezing; it tends to discolor the corn and give little flavor when defrosted.
• If you end up with husk-free corn, you can wrap it in foil instead, but this tends to leave a slight metallic taste and wastes foil.
• Be sure not to overcook the corn, particularly if you plan to freeze it. If the husks are charred black, it’s probably gone too long even for an immediate meal. Overcooked corn can be starchy and chewy when defrosted, especially when you defrost it in the pan or throw it into a cooked dish.
• If you’ll be making Corncob Stock straight away, you can “milk” the cobs: After you’ve transferred the kernels from the plate to the tray, set each cob back on the plate and repeat the stripping process, only with the backside of the knife. Add the resulting liquid to the stockpot.

Twice as Tasty

Stocks squeeze every bit of flavor out of food. They’re cheap, easy to make and store, low salt, and adaptable. I buy frozen, raw, shell-on shrimp and use the shells as a shrimp stock base. I also make and freeze veggie stock whenever I have piles of end trimmings and peelings from a meal. I then substitute stock for water when steaming rice, making a sauce, or starting a soup.

Stocks targeted to a specific vegetable present unique flavors. Mushroom stock is deep and earthy, ideal for vegetable stews or a heavier risotto. Corn stocks are lighter and better for a delicate risotto or brothy soup. My version is based on Deborah Madison’s quick corncob stock but tailored to our short, intense corn harvest that has us stuffing small bags of grilled corn kernels, giant bags of corncobs, and a first batch of corn stock into the freezer every August.

Tips & Tricks

• You can buy the vegetables you need for a stock, but it’s also the perfect place to use vegetables or trimmings from the previous day’s meal.
• The flavors and proportions can be varied depending on what you have at hand, I tend to avoid adding different vegetables to corn stock; tomatoes, mushrooms, and so on all add a heavier flavor and are best reserved for a vegetable or shrimp stock.
• When making a vegetable-based stock, Harold McGee recommends using 1 part vegetables to 1-1/2 or 2 parts water so that you don’t dilute the flavors. Because I often have piles of corncobs at one time, I typically double the batch, stuffing my stockpot with cobs and just ensuring the water is at least 2 inches from the rim so that it doesn’t boil over.
• If you have the freezer space, consider freezing the stock in different portion sizes. Quart containers or bags may be ideal for soups and risottos; bags may be your best option because they save space by freezing flat and can be defrosted in minutes under hot tap water. But single-cup portions can be handy when steaming rice, and 1-ounce cubes can be ideal for pan sauces.