The arrival of fresh summer corn at grocery stores and farmers markets across the country is reviving a long-running debate: Should shoppers shuck corn before buying it?Shucking corn involves peeling off the outer green husks and removing the corn silk to get to the edible kernels underneath.Some shoppers shuck ears of corn before they buy it to inspect the kernels for quality and check for insects."Some stores encourage customers to shuck corn in the store by providing trash bins beside the corn display," Florida-based etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore told Fox News Digital.
"Here's the caveat: If you shuck it, buy it.If the ear of corn is bad, let a manager know or discard it in the trash bin provided."BABY BOOMERS HATE 10 THINGS ABOUT TODAY'S GROCERY STORESPartially shucking corn at the market and putting it back can also make it unappealing to the next shopper and increase the chance of food waste."If no bin is provided, don't shuck the corn," Whitmore said.
"It can be messy and wasteful.Plus, no one wants to buy corn that has already been shucked."An etiquette expert says it's OK to shuck corn at a grocery store, provided there's a trash bin.
But if you shuck it, buy it, she adds.(iStock)Beyond etiquette concerns about the mess shucking corn can create, sanitation is also a factor.
Husks act as a barrier to protect the corn from dirt, bacteria and moisture loss. By partially shucking corn before buying it, shoppers may expose the kernels to bacteria from hands, shopping carts and store conveyor belts.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZExperts advise waiting until just before preparing and eating corn to shuck it, because the husk also preserves the kernels' freshness.Shucking too early exposes the kernels to oxygen, leading to moisture loss.
Sugars will also turn into starch more quickly, which will reduce the corn's sweetness.Shucking corn and discarding the debris is also wasteful, Ohio-based farmer Lee Jones of The Chef's Garden farm told D...