If you like frozen niblets-type corn in the winter, just imagine how good it would taste if you had picked a couple of dozen ears yourself, or bought a couple dozen fresh ears from a farm stand and then quickly froze it at home! It is also one of the simplest ways to put up a vegetable for the winter. Here's how to do it, complete instructions in easy steps and completely illustrated. The corn will taste MUCH better than anything you've ever had from a store.
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Ideal ear - ripe but not bloated. the kernels are still tender (easily punctured with your fingernail) and the juice is milky). White, yellow or bicolor types are all fine! |
| Step 1 - Get yer corn!
Start with fresh corn on the cob - as fresh as you can get. If there is a delay between harvesting and freezing, put it in the refrigerator or put ice on it. The sugars break down quickly at room temperature. |
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| Step 2 - Husk the corn
Husk the corn and pick off as much of the silk as you can. |
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| Step 3 - Get the pots ready
Get the pot off boiling water ready (about 2/3 filled) and a LARGE bowl with ice and cold water. |
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| Step 4 - Blanch the corn.
All fruits and vegetables contain enzymes that, over time, break down the destroy nutrients and change the color, flavor, and texture of food during frozen storage. Corn requires a brief heat treatment, called blanching, in boiling water or steam, to destroy the enzymes before freezing. Blanching times generally vary from one to 10 minutes, depending on the vegetable. the duration should be just long enough to stop the action of the enzymes. Begin counting the blanching time as soon as you place the corn in the boiling water. Cover the kettle and boil at a high temperature for the required length of time. You may use the same blanching water several times (up to 5). Be sure to add more hot water from the tap from time to time to keep the water level at the required height. Blanching time varies depending on the type of corn you are making: cut-whole kernel, cream style or corn-on-the-cob: Blanching times:
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| Step 5 - Cool the corn
Cool corn immediately in ice water. Drain the corn thoroughly. After vegetables are blanched, cool them quickly to prevent overcooking. Plunge the corn into a large quantity of ice-cold water (I keep adding more ice to it). A good rule of thumb: Cool for the same amount of time as the blanch step. For instance, if you blanch sweet corn for 7 minutes, then cool in ice water for 7 minutes. Drain thoroughly. |
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| Step 6 - Cut the kernels from the cob
Obviously, if you are freezing the corn on the cob, skip this step. Personally, I don't recommend freezing it on the cob: it takes up too much space in the freezer, and gets too mushy. Whole Kernel Corn – Cut kernels from cob about 2/3 the depth of the kernels. I hold the ear by the small end, and slide the knife down the ear. see the next photo. Cream Style Corn – Cut kernel tips about ½ deep and scrape the cobs with the back of a knife to remove the juice and the heart of the kernel. Another way to prepare cream style corn for freezing is to cut and scrape the corn from the cob without blanching. Place the cut corn in a double boiler, and heat with constant stirring for about 10 minutes or until it thickens; allow to cool by placing the pan in ice water. |
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| don't need a special tool, just a very sharp knife! | ||||||||||||||
| the corn piles up in your bowl, it will look like this! | ||||||||||||||
| up, the corn comes off in strips. As you put these in the bag, they will easily separate into separate kernels. | ||||||||||||||
| Step 7 - bag the corn
I love the FoodSavers with their vacuum sealing! I am not paid by them, but these things really work. If you don't have one, ziploc bags work, too, but it is hard to get as much air out of the bags. remove the air to prevent drying and freezer burn. |
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| 7 - Label the bags!
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| 8 - Done!
Pop them into the freezer, on the quick freeze shelf, if you have one! |
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 | early in the morning, especially if the weather is hot, to get peak flavor. |
| the corn at its peak maturity (milky fluid in the kernels, kernels tender, and not bloated). Immature corn is watery when cooked and over-ripe corn is chewy and doughy. |
| promptly after harvesting, or keep cooled in the fridge or with ice until then. |
| Davis research has shown that super sweet varieties typically require a 4 min blanch while sweet corn varieties require 6 or more minutes for corn-on-the-cob. |
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