Raw corn has a pale, almost shy yellow—like it’s hiding from the sun. Cooked corn turns day-glow, aggressive yellow. Imagine a highlighter that ate a bunch of vitamins and got a tan. That’s your target. If it looks like it could be a traffic light in a sunny cartoon, you’re on track.
But be warned: if the kernels turn dull or start looking like old teeth, you’ve gone too far. Nobody wants corn that’s entered its retirement phase.
