1. Prepare Corn and “Corn Milk”:

• Shuck the 10 ears of fresh corn and remove all silks.
• Working over a large bowl to catch the kernels, carefully stand one ear of corn on its end and use a sharp knife to cut downwards, removing the kernels from the cob. Repeat with all ears. You should have about 5-1/2 cups of kernels.
• Take each stripped cob and, using the back (dull) edge of your knife, scrape down the length of the cob into the bowl to release its sweet, starchy “milk” and any remaining pulp.
• Add enough fresh water to this collected “corn milk” and pulp to equal 2 cups total liquid. Add the corn kernels and this 2 cups of liquid to your 5-quart slow cooker.

2. Cook Bacon and Sauté Vegetables:

• In a large skillet, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 5-7 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the crispy bacon bits from the skillet and set them aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve these for garnish.
• Carefully pour off the bacon drippings from the skillet into a heat-proof bowl, reserving about 2 tablespoons of the drippings in the skillet (discard or save the rest for another use).
• Add the chopped onions, chopped green peppers, and finely chopped jalapeno to the skillet with the reserved bacon drippings.
• Cook and stir over medium-high heat until the vegetables are softened, about 3-4 minutes.

3. Season Veggies and Add to Slow Cooker:

• Add the ground chipotle pepper, salt, ground cumin, and black pepper to the sautéed vegetables in the skillet. Cook and stir for 1 minute longer until the spices are fragrant.
• Transfer the entire seasoned vegetable mixture from the skillet to the slow cooker with the corn and liquid. Stir everything together.

4. Slow Cook the Soup:

• Cover the slow cooker with its lid.
• Cook on LOW for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or until the corn is very tender and the mixture has thickened slightly.

5. Finish and Serve:

• Once the soup has finished its slow cook time, stir in the heavy whipping cream, fresh lime zest, and fresh lime juice.
• Optional Puree: If you desire a creamier, smoother consistency, you can use an immersion blender to partially or fully puree the soup directly in the slow cooker. Alternatively, carefully transfer a portion (or all) of the soup to a regular blender and puree until smooth (return to slow cooker). Be very careful when blending hot liquids.
• Ladle the hot Mexican Street Corn Soup into bowls.
• Garnish generously with the reserved crispy bacon bits.
• Sprinkle with your desired optional toppings, such as fresh chopped cilantro, extra lime wedges for squeezing, sliced fresh jalapeno, chopped fresh bell pepper, and crumbled cotija cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy!