How to Make “Cooler Corn on the Cob” for your next family picnic or outdoor event when you need a lot of cooked corn on the cob.
Learn how to keep corn on the cob warm and fresh and even hot for hours by using some tin foil to wrap the corn, and a warm cooler to store the buttered corn.
How to Cook Corn on the Cob for a Crowd or Picnic
Have you ever invited a large crowd for a summer picnic and tried to figure out how to make corn on the cob that would stay fresh and hot for hours?
There would be no way to have 20-30 ears of corn ready and waiting for your picnic guests without using some sort of method to keep the corn fresh, hot and fly-free.
Hot and ready cooler corn is our favorite method of providing hot buttred corn on the cob to our picnic guests.
Buy fresh corn on the cob – Always buy corn the morning of your picnic if possible. Your best bet to getting the freshest corn is to visit your local farmers market.
This method to prepare corn will keep your corn nicely warmed for hours. Your guests will love it!
What you Need to Prepare Cooler Corn for a Crowd:
- 25-30 ears of corn – remove all of the husks from the corn and any silky residue.
- large pot to cook corn
- at least 2 pairs of tongs
- 2 glass casserole dishes
- aluminum foil
- sticks of real butter
- salt
- 1 medium-sized cooler
- boiling water
- (A nice Aunt or Cousin that comes to help out.)
What Easy Steps to Take to Prepare Cooler Corn for a Crowd:
Preparing and warming the Cooler
STEP 1. Clean the cooler you will be using to hold the corn.
STEP 2. Fill the cooler half-way with water or you can guess how much water you will need.
STEP 3. Pour that water into a large pot and boil.
STEP 4. When the water comes to a rolling boil, pour the water back into the cooler and close the lid.
STEP 5. This water will be dumped out when the corn has been cooked and wrapped and will leave the cooler warm for hours.
How to Cook Corn on the Cob and Set up Your Corn Prepping Stations:
STEP 1. Start a large pot of water to boil (no salt) to cook the corn. Do not OVERFILL the pot with water because you need to add the corn to cook.
STEP 2. Set up your 3 prepping stations. Station 1. is a glass dish to hold the cooked corn directly from the boiling water. This will help to dry the corn before buttering. Station 2 is melted butter in a glass dish to roll the corn around in. Station 3 is the foil wrap station. Cut off enough foil to wrap corn and have it ready after the corn has been well buttered. The 3rd station is also the salt station. Salt the corn and then wrap.
STEP 3. When the water comes to a rolling boil, add as much corn as will fit into the pot.
STEP 4. When the water starts to boil again, set your timer for 10 minutes.
STEP 5. After 10 minutes of cooking, using your tongs, carefully remove each ear of corn from the boiling water to the first station glass dish to dry.
STEP 6. Quickly take each ear of corn from that dish and roll it in the butter dish.
STEP 7. Gently lay the buttered corn on the foil and lightly salt.
STEP 8. Wrap the corn in the foil and crimp ends tightly.
STEP 9. When the first batch of corn is buttered and wrapped, dump the hot water from the cooler and quickly add the wrapped corn.
HOT CORN TIP – Make sure to work quickly and keep the cooler lid closed. This will ensure the corn stays warm for hours.
Have the foil sheets laid out and ready to go.
Corn is being buttered at the butter station. Use a large casserole dish for the melted butter.
Cooler Corn on the Cob is Ready to travel! You can also prepare cooler corn at home and then easily transport to your picnic.
Corn on the cob is buttered, warm and ready for hours in the cooler. Get this chore out of the way early in the morning and you will have plenty of time to spend on other things! This method of hot corn leaves you plenty of time to get the rest of your picnic foods ready and then have fun for the rest of the day.
So, if you are looking for a sure-fire way how to keep corn on the corn warm all day, this is the trick! Let us know how it goes!
Why We Love Cooler Corn for our Family Picnics
We have been using this method to keep our fresh corn on the cob hot for hours for many years and it works! You go to all of the trouble to buy that fresh farm corn, remove all the husks and then cook the corn for your picnic but it could end up getting cold if not served immediately. No one wants to eat cold corn on the cob, so we have been using this method of keeping the corn hot using a cooler for all of our picnics and we love it!
Cooking for a Picinic Crow? Also try our delicious easy Swedish meatballs for a crowd, you will LOVE them!
Top Photo Credit: baysmom3 via DesignHunt / CC BY-NC
