Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <corn>
Title: Tips for Removing Silk from Corn?
Question: Does anyone have any tips for how to easily and quickly remove silk from ears of corn? I find that it takes a long time to pick it all out.

Answers:
sents: text: If you're cooking it on the cob, remove the silk after you've cooked it.
text: I typically microwave my corn in the inner husk, when you pull it out the silk just slides right off.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/60/hobodave
score: 10
sents: text: I use a soft brush (technically, it was sold as a mushroom brush).
text: Just brush along the length of the ear, towards the stem end, and it removes almost all of the silk.
text: (way more than I'd get done using any other method). update :
text: So I was husking corn with my step-father, and noticed that I have much less silk left on the corn I was working on that needed to be brushed off, so I think some of it is the initial husk-removal technique:
text: If you attempt to peel off each leaf of the husk, you'll end up with almost all of the silk still on the corn.
text: If you grab with both hands at the top of the ear, then pull in opposite directions to tear the husk, and pull down (I aim for taking off about 1/3 of the husk at a time), most of the silk will stick to the husk, leaving only a little bit of silk left that can be taken care of with a brush.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/67/Joe
score: 5
sents: text: :-)
text: Rachel Ray has a suggestion...
text: Use a rubber band to "thread" it off. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn19YBlw9bc
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/231/talon8
score: 3
sents: text: If after taking out of the microwave you cut off the stem end with a large knife, and include a little of the bottom row of corn, it all just slips off clean as a whistle.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/9824/jon mulder
score: 2
sents: text: Running it under cold water while rubbing it helps a lot.
text: For informal meals, I just use dental floss to pick it out of my teeth later.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1148/Chris Cudmore
score: 1
sents: text: I also refrigerate it for a bit before I clean the corn.
text: Sticky things get less sticky when they're cold.
text: If the corn's at room temp or higher, the silk is going to stick more.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/104/J Wynia
score: 1
sents: text: I find that running towel down the cob helps to pull all the silk away from the corn.
text: It would help to wet the corn first, but it's not necessary.
text: Basically, you're just trying to get a better grip on it.
text: I'm sure you've used towels before to help you open a jar or can
text: - it's the same idea here.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1832/Chad
score: 1
sents: text: Use a couple of wet paper towels under cold running water, and rub toward the stem end for a few seconds. Works like a charm.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/12828/Lynne F
score: 1
sents: text: Corn Silk Removal using "Norwex" Vegtable cleaning cloth (size of dish cloth).
text: Directions: After cob is husked, and easliy removed silk is pulled off, place cobs in tub of water.
text: Place the vegtable cleaning cloth product in one hand, cob in the other, keep submerged, rotate in spining motions, then linear movements (two cobs per minute).
text: Then it's done - 99% effective for silk removal.
text: Blows the doors off of brushes, burning over a gas flame and microwaving.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/37503/Willie Lodermeier
score: 1
sents: text: I know this is an old post
text: but I have found a wonderful corn brush just recently.
text: It works better than I hoped it would!
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/18717/user18717
score: 0
sents: text: Easy way to remove Silk from corn.
text: Use a cornsilker machine!!.
text: Can do 15 ears a minute, removes silk from husked corm and does not damage kernels.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/25705/user25705
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
A cornsilker machine is designed to do this, or you can easily remove the silk after cooking. When removing the husks, a lot of the silk should come off at the same time, leaving a little that can be removed with a soft brush. Other methods include running the ear under cold water while rubbing it, refrigerating the corn first or using a towel or wet paper towel.
If you remove the silk before cooking, then try brushing with a soft brush, rubbing it under running water or with a wet paper towel. After cooking, just slice off the stem and the husk should just slide right off.