An ear of corn yields about half its weight in corn kernels. Two medium ears of corn yield about 1/2 pound corn kernels.
Bring a large saucepan of unsalted water to the boil.
Remove the husks from the corn and neatly break off, or trim, each end. If necessary break the cobs in half to fit into the pot. Drop the corn into the boiling water and return to the boil.
Turn off the heat immediately and let the corn stand in the water exactly 5 minutes.
Drain and serve with plenty of salted butter and lots of napkins.
Craig Claiborne, The New York Times Cook Book, 1961 (modified)
http://macheads2.net/recipes/CornOnTheCob.html