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Where I live the stores put trash bins by the corn so you can just shuck it right there.
FWIW, I have never peeled my corn to peek at it when I buy it - and I have never had a bad one. The only "checking" I do at a grocery store is check the avocados, the berries, and the eggs..
Manners have nothing to do with checking your corn. OP where did you get the idea it was bad manners? Or do you just make these manners pronouncements all by yourself? It's funny I saw a women in the store look at me like I had antlers or something when I broke a bunch of bananas into two smaller bunches when I only needed 4. Apparently she thought that was somehow against the rules or something!
Most shoppers do this because, as a good shopper, you want to check that you're getting a fully mature ear and that the worms have not gotten at it. I've since learned a better method (to me) and it's to only buy ears that are heavy, and thick and blocky on the top end not pointy, and never buy corn where the husks are starting to dry out and curl up around the edges because it is not fresh. Buy only the ones with fresh green husks and the silk is not all dried up and crumbling. Always buy the freshest because it is so much sweeter. Even a day or two of lost freshness means that more of the sugar has converted to starch and the corn will not be as sweet and juicy.
Every time the supermarket is selling corn ears, I would find most of them on the surface have been peeled at the tips. It is so disgusting. I actually watched some people peeling the tips of just about every ear of corns and then leave empty-handed with apparent dissatisfaction. And they are even what is usually considered as the middle-class "ladies". To me it's very bad manner.
(P.S. does it only happen in the U.S.?)
It happens every where in the world that sells corn like this. It is perfectly normal and expected for someone to do this. Places selling corn that have known suspect corn will usually put a sign stating something like "peeled corn will be one dollar each", if the corn is five for two dollars or something, as a deterrent from people peeling, and finding their bad corn.
Corn quality has vastly improved over the years due to improved logistics, so the chances of finding poor corn is much lower than it use to be. But as usual, habits like this take a while to run its course. It use to be people would slice a watermelon to see if it was fine then purchase it. In many other countries, the same logistic problems the US once had still are in place, so these people and generations after are still use to checking things.
I have seen a few places, usually the farmer type markets, peel a few pieces and put on display to show some kind of proof that the batch of corn is good. Plus there are different corn types, area grown, etc, that all factor into the quality of corn and maintaining this quality from farm to consumer.
I always check my corn, and the grocery stores here all have trash bins so you can shuck it right there. It's so much easier that way, I always buy it the same day I'm going to cook it anyway, so it's fresh.
If you see corn that has been partially peeled and left behind, you probably wouldn't want them anyway. There's apparently something wrong with that ear, and someone else has gone through the trouble of finding that out for you. Skip it and find another.
I peel back the husks, and I don't stop at the tips. I want to see the whole ear. If there are any worms, I'm not buying it. Sorry that upsets you OP, but I'm not stopping.
I don't fully peel back the husk, but yes, I want to see what it looks like, and even what it smells like, so I will sniff it, if it smells like a freshly mown lawn, I don't buy it
I would love to hear back from the OP. How does this differ from feeling, smelling, shaking, poking other produce in that same area? Or checking the eggs in a carton?
ETA- it would be less likely to actually TOUCH the ear of corn than say an apple or avacado, etc that requires different check points for quality? Who wants to buy crap quality produce?
Every time the supermarket is selling corn ears, I would find most of them on the surface have been peeled at the tips. It is so disgusting. I actually watched some people peeling the tips of just about every ear of corns and then leave empty-handed with apparent dissatisfaction. And they are even what is usually considered as the middle-class "ladies". To me it's very bad manner.
(P.S. does it only happen in the U.S.?)
"I find it fascinating some of the things that annoy other people."
Where I live the stores put trash bins by the corn so you can just shuck it right there.
Same thing around here. It's the way to see if the corn is old, buggy, or has worms. Also, I prefer the white and yellow corn. We call it sugar and cream corn around here. It is sweeter than the plain yellow.
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Peeling Corn
