The Trick Ina Garten Swears By To Cut Corn On The Cob Without A Mess

Chef, TV legend, and iconic culinary personality Ina Garten has been a beloved resource for generations of home cooks. On top of her flavorful, approachable recipes and her impressive dinner party tips, she warmly and happily shares the small tips and tricks that will make you a better cook, which she has learned from over 40 years of cooking. Garten spoke with Food & Wine to share not only her approach to food and how she connects with her audience, but she also threw in a few insightful tidbits her readers and viewers at home will immediately find helpful.

"When I'm doing something, I find myself thinking, 'Is this the best way to do it?'" Garten explains. She then takes what she's learned the hard way and offers it up to her fellow food enthusiasts so that they can cook with confidence. She uses cutting corn off the cob as a perfect example. Many of us have lost half of our kernels to the kitchen floor after cutting straight down on a cutting board. The Contessa found a better way. "If you put a kitchen towel up on the cutting board and cut it into the kitchen towel, it doesn't bounce all over the kitchen." A simple, effective solution with a commonly accessible tool. Why didn't we think of that?

As Garten explains, it's these a-ha moments that she loves to share most. "All those techniques that make you go, 'Oh that's how I can do it!' That's what I want people to know," she states.

Once you buy the best corn for your culinary needs, you have a few options to get your corn kernels off the cob. First, part of the problem lies in cutting long strips off the cob all at once. If you cut your corn cobs in half, you won't have to deal with gravity half as much, and you won't dirty any extra dishes. You can also try laying the corn down horizontally and cutting off slices of kernels straight down. The only downside is that you probably won't get as close to the cob (or as much kernel) as you would when cutting vertically.

There are a few methods that require using another implement. Similar to cutting on a cutting board with a dish towel, some chefs cut their corn standing up on a sheet pan. This effectively catches most of the kernels, but you do need to be careful not to slice your pan. Others swear by the bundt pan method where you stand your ear of corn up vertically in the central column. The bundt pan effectively catches the corn and your knife won't knock against the side. Still, you'll probably lose some kernels — and then you'll have a bundt pan to wash. Last but not least, there are purpose-built corn strippers that can cut off your corn kernels cleanly, though you will still need to contend with where your kernels land. Try a few methods for size and see if Garten's version is your best bet to avoid a mess.