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Fresh Corn is at its peak right now and it’s especially sweet and tender.

Freezing is a great way to preserve it.

I went out early this morning, wanting to meet the corn truck at the local farmer’s stand. I love to be there when the tractor pulls up with freshly picked corn. I try to buy a couple of dozen ears at a time and freeze for eating in the winter. It’s a really simple process to do.

You can either freeze it on the cobs or do it like I do and cut in off before freezing. I don’t freeze the fresh corn on the cobs because it takes up more freezer space.

The fresher the corn the better. If you cannot freeze the corn immediately, refrigerate the ears or put them on ice until you can. The sugars in corn break down quickly at room temperature.

Before you freeze your corn you need to blanch it. What is blanching you ask? Well, it’s so important in preserving the sweet flavor of your corn. Blanching heats the corn enough to stop the enzyme action. You need to stop the enzyme action because over time the enzymes break down destroying the nutrients, color, flavor, and texture of the corn. Who wants to eat mushy flavorless corn? 

Okay, let’s get started.

You’ll need:

Fresh Corn ( I figure 1 and 1/2 ears corn per serving)

Large pot

Lots of ice

Freezer bags or containers

2 large bowls

a sharp knife

First, you take the husks off the corn. Remove the silks with a soft brush if necessary.
 
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Fill a large bowl with water and ice, set aside.
 
Add corn to water. Bring back to boil. Start timing as soon as you put the corn in the boiling water. Cover and blanch for 5 minutes. ( It should come back to a boil within a couple minutes. If not you either have too much corn in the pot or your pot is too small).
Remove from boiling water and cool for 5 minutes in a bowl of ice water.

Lay them out to dry.

With one hand stand the ear of corn in the small bowl. Take a sharp knife and cut the kernels off the cob. (Some suggest using an angel food cake pan instead of a bowl)

Place cut kernels into bags or containers in whatever portion size works for your family. Make sure you get out as much air as possible. This prevents freezer burn. Label with the date and what’s in the bag. Don’t skip this step because believe me you won’t remember a couple months from now!

I lay them flat on a baking sheet and place in the freezer until frozen. This makes it easier to stack so they take up as little space as possible.

It can be a messy project but you will be happy this winter when you heat up a bag of your frozen corn. You can’t buy frozen corn that tastes like this 🙂 Do you freeze summer crops for use in the winter?

Freezing Fresh Corn

Freezing Fresh Corn

Corn, originally known as Maize has been around for about 10,000 years. Did you know that humans eating the corn is a very little part of the use of the corn grown in the United States.