Finally, A Way To Eat Corn Without Getting It Hopelessly Stuck In Your Teeth

While corn on the cob is a tasty and nutritious side dish, it's certainly challenging to eat. That's why the internet was downright captivated by one person's mess-less strategy for enjoying corn, per The Sun. The simple yet ingenious corn hack involves a single wooden skewer, which is typically used to keep food together when cooking it on the grill. In this instance, the wood stick is the perfect implement for skewering individual rows of corn kernels to ensure a tidy experience when eating. The technique has found favor on TikTok, where "skewer corn" has more than 450 million views.

To make use of this hack, take the skewer and position it at the top of the corn cob. Next, push the skewer through each kernel as far down into the row as it will go. Once you've pierced most or all the kernels in the row, gently lift the skewer to remove them. You should have a string of kernels on the skewer, which can be eaten easily without concerns about getting corn stuck in your teeth or smearing butter all over your face. Simply repeat the process around the perimeter of the cob to ensure you can fully enjoy every tasty kernel. And if you can't track down a wood skewer the next time you're eating corn, there's another method to try. 

Did you know it's possible to remove rows of corn kernels by hand without a ton of effort? According to a poster on Twitter, they picked up this unique way to eat corn in Hokkaido, Japan. To get started, remove a single row of kernels using your fingers. This part may be a little labor-intensive, but things will become much easier once the initial row is completely cleared.

Next, use your thumb to push the adjacent row of kernels towards the now empty space. The kernels should come off easily, and you can continue the same method all around the cob to remove all the kernels and deposit them into a bowl or onto a plate. While effective, there are a few caveats to keep in mind when utilizing this corn on the cob hack. First, it works best on plain, unadorned cobs, so wait to add butter and seasoning until after you remove all the kernels. Second, be sure to wash your hands prior to handling the corn to prevent cross contamination. 

When preparing dinner for others, you may find yourself dealing with several cobs of corn at once. In this case, you can eliminate the mess and inconvenience by cutting kernels off the cob and serving the corn in a bowl. For this hack, you'll need a sizable bowl, a sharp kitchen knife, and a smaller bowl to place inside the larger one. If you have a Bundt pan hanging around your kitchen, even better, as it offers the perfect configuration for safely and easily cutting kernels off the corn cob.

Turn over the small bowl and place it upside down inside the larger one. Now, take the cob and place one end against the top of the small bowl while gripping the other end (if you're using a Bundt pan, place one end of the cob in the raised center of the pan). Position the knife at the top of the cob and move it downward to cut off rows of kernels. When one side of the cob is clean, move to another and perform the same action. The kernels will fall conveniently into the bowl or pan, which you can then serve to your dinner guests. This method is also great if you want to add corn to other dishes and recipes.