The Genius Trick To Make The Most Of Your Leftover Corn Cobs

Whether it's boiled, grilled, or steamed, sweet yellow corn kernels appear in so many of our favorite recipes, from traditional creamed corn to seasonal pastas, salads, and soups—but what about the leftover cobs? Save 'em to whip up a corn cob broth that can be used to boost flavor in soups, stews, sauces, and even Southern-style grits.

What Is Corn Cob Broth?

You might be familiar with corn milk, which is a staple of many Central and South American cuisines and also quite popular in tried and true creamed corn recipes. It's made from scraping or "milking" the starches of the corn cob, most often by using the back of a knife or a spoon. From there, it goes into a refreshing summer beverage or back into any number of savory dishes to form the base of sauces, stews, or even grains.

That's because corn cobs contain a great deal of starches and nutrients even after the kernels are removed. Simmering them in a modest mixture of salt, water, and any other veggies you might have on hand results in a flavorful broth that is sweet, robust, and can even be used to thicken up stews and sauces.

How Do You Make Corn Cob Broth?

Instead of immediately tossing or composting your corn cobs after cutting the kernels, place them in a large pot with water with a generous pinch or two of kosher salt, and bring it to a boil and then a simmer. Soon enough, you'll have a tasty, velvety-sweet broth.

Alternatively, break out the slow cooker, and let the cobs simmer in water with salt slowly and steadily all day long until the broth is opaque and rich in color.

Some recipes—like this one for Creamed Corn Grits—call for boiling cobs in milk, and the same principle applies: Heating leftover cobs up in any liquid extracts lots of starches and nutrients. The resulting stock is super flavorful and delightful to use in a wide range of popular recipes.

How To Use Leftover Corn Cob Broth

So you've made the corn cob broth. Now what? To put it simply, corn cob broth is just an extra-special type of vegetable broth and can be used one-for-one in recipes that call for either chicken broth or vegetable broth. (There's a reason why "corn" is a top ingredient in most vegetable stocks on the market!)

So when it comes to using corn cob broth in recipes, remember that it's particularly sweet and aromatic of—you guessed it—corn. This means it works well with recipes that already feature sweet summertime veggies, such as corn chowders, soups, or light pasta sauces.

In the wintertime, corn cob broth can be swapped in place of water for boiling pastas or grains like grits or quinoa for an extra creamy, flavorful result. Our Creamed Corn Pasta recipe is a great example of corn cob broth in action: It uses every part of the corn cob, from the kernels to the stripped cobs, which are used to enrich the flavor of the pasta water.

Tips For Making Leftover Corn Cob Broth

• This should probably go without saying, but it’s best to use corn cobs that you’ve cut the kernels off of, rather than cobs that have been gnawed on all summer's night long—probably best to compost those gnarled cobs that have passed through many hands (and teeth).
  
• If you're feeling bold and have oodles of leftover veggies to use up, add onions, peppers, carrots, celery, or any other vegetables that you might typically use for building a classic vegetable stock. Try adding spices like coriander or other sweetly aromatic veggies like fennel to build a simple stock with a uniquely mildly sweet yet peppery flavor profile. Just remember to strain out the solids before saving it for using later.
• By making your own corn cob broth, you can control the concentration of flavor and season it to your liking. The longer you simmer and the greater ratio of corn to water, the richer the starch and corn flavors will be.

Recipes To Try With Corn Cob Broth

When you've got corn cob broth in the freezer, consider making one of these recipes to use it:

• Shrimp Risotto
• Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder
• Crab and Corn Chowder
• Quick Shrimp and Corn Chowder
• Vegetable Soup with Cheesy Saltines