Corn for the Freezer

[jal_ut]

I know, wrong time of the year for this, but it is still too wet for getting on my ground, so to keep busy today I decided to finish up a project I started a while back. Maybe its well to get after it now because, when I can get on the ground I will be busy. What it is, is a pictorial of getting corn ready for the freezer. Hope you enjoy it.

I wondered where to put this, but decided to put it here since this is where I hang out. If the mods don't like it they can move it.

Clickable Link

[Kisal]

Very nice!

[ozark_rocks]

Very nice! What kind of corn was that? I made me hungry for fresh corn on the cob.

[Des_WA]

That's a great guide, thanks for posting it! I ran out of room for corn this year but hope to fit it in again next year - it's much more flavorful and sweet when homegrown...

[Gary350]

Are you having any trouble with freezer burn after about 9 months?

That looks like Peaches and Cream corn. You sure do have some nice looking ears of corn.

I have tried freezing and canning. I grew up on the farm the whole family canned so I did too then I decided to buy a freezer and freeze every thing. All my food gets lost in the freezer I marked all the freezer bags but things still get lost. Next problem is freezer burn and lots of wasted food and sometimes the electricity is off for 3 days after a tornado. I returned to canning the food keeps for many years and still tastes garden fresh. I no longer have to own an expensive freezer or pay for electricity to run it every month. Canning jars are reuseable only expense is new jar seals and gas for the stove a few weeks each summer. I use to be pretty slow at canning but now I have learned how to get much faster. My pantry is made of 1x12 boards spaced to hold jars with 1" of clearance between the jar tops and the next shelf 3 jars deep and 11 jars per 3 feet wide 12 shelves high 396 jars in a 3 ft wide area.

For each his own.

[jal_ut]

That corn is Ambrosia. Mixed yellow and white kernels.
We use the heavy freezer bags and press as much air out of the bags as possible before sealing the zipper. Not a problem with freezer burn. It is air in the bags that let them get freezer burn. Fortunately we don't have the problems you mention about losing power. It is rare we have an outage. If we do there is a "Jenny" in the shed for such occasions.

We also do lots of things in jars. Don't need nearly as much food now that the kids are gone. I like corn frozen and beans canned. Some things like summer squash we only eat in season. Never did like it canned nor frozen. I don't mind canned carrots and they are easy to do. However I can keep fresh carrots nearly year round so not much use doing those.

........hmmmmm where is this going?

[coolqcumber]

im hoping i grow a successful enough corn crop to be able to use your preserving method. that cutting board is great. thank you for the info.

[wordwiz]

I blanch beans, corn and carrots but can potatoes and tomatoes as well as tomato juice. Only once in nearly 30 years have we gone more than a few hours without electricity and that was when Cincinnati was literally hit with a hurricane (sustained winds of 74 mph).

Mike

[gardenvt]

Great looking corn. I use a food vac machine w/heavy duty bags to freeze food and it keeps a very long time.

I sometimes blanch the corn but also roast it. Nothing like roasted corn in the middle of winter or in corn chowder. I also roast cherry tomatoes and put them in the freezer whole - nice treat on homemade pizza.

I also use a dehydrator for putting up the harvest. I haven't tried corn but so many other things have been so successful that I may try the corn as well. Nine large red peppers dried didn't quite fill a small spice jar. Sliced cherry tomatoes taste just sun-dried tomatoes. Drying food is simple and keeps a long time. I use canning jars and use the food vac to remove the air. What is particularly nice is that dried food takes up very little space.

[lakngulf]

What it is, is a pictorial of getting corn ready for the freezer. Hope you enjoy it.

Great pictures, Jal, of a great process. You can't bet frozen corn when gathered and put up so fresh. I have helped many times and have enjoyed the product. When my dad and mom had a big garden, putting up fresh corn in the freezer was quite an event. Here is their process:

1. Pick the corn about sun up. We would back the pickup truck up to the edge of the patch and pick the corn in five gallon buckets, or arm loads and put them into the truck
2. Back the truck up to the working table under the shade of the big oak tree. At the table are pots and pans, knives, brushes, water hose, wheel barrel, lemonade, several roast size pans, corn cutting board, and other items.
3. Towel goes onto the tailgate of the truck, and the shuckers start shucking, cutting off any bad spots and stack the corn on the towel
4. The silkers use the brushes to remove the silks and place the ear into a big pot filled with water.
5. The next person uses the corn cutter and a roast pan just the right size
6. Roast pan goes on a grill at low temp for "blanching". The pan full of already cut off the cob corn is brought to a temp (whenever my mother said it was hot enough) and these go into refrig for cooling. (BTW, the edges of the corn grilling will cook a little faster, and you take the spoon and scrape it into a plate.....hmmm)
7. When cooled the corn is put in freezer bags and ready to enjoy

[garden5]

Jal, thanks for the great tutorial. That was really interesting.

From what I'm seeing, It's way easier to freeze some things than it is to can them.

[BrianIllinois]

Excellent tutorial. Very nice of you to share.
Just one question: Where did you get the awesome stainless steel container in slide No. 3? What are its dimensions? Do you use it over two burners?

Thanks again for sharing.

[jal_ut]

That pan is 11.5 x 19 x 6 inside dimensions. It can be found at restaurant supply houses. Yes, we use it over two burners.

[orgoveg]

I learned blanching and freezing a couple of years ago. It keeps most of the nutrients in the food, so it's very close to eating fresh. Canning doesn't accomplish that. I never thought about doing it with corn. I don't grow it, but it's a great idea for some at the farmer's market this year.

I remember that "hurricane" in Ohio. We lost power for about 2 days. I bought the last bags of ice at the gas station.

JAL - Unless it just slipped, you wear your watch the same way that my father always has (and his father before him). I've never met anyone else who wears the face on the inside of the wrist.