Preserving Corn

We love to eat corn on the cob around here but we really don’t have the space to grow much ourselves.  We have tried several experiments over the years none very successful.

This year we tried two small 4×8 patches and we also tried planting in hills in a flower bed.  We did ok but we really don’t get more than a few meals worth.

So we rely on the local farmers market to provide the bulk of our corn.  There is a farm that sells at the market that has pesticide-free corn for a very good price.  To top it off the farm is less than 2 miles from our house so we feel good about supporting a local farmer.

We buy corn from the market 3 or 4 times a year.  We usually get a dozen to eat and a dozen to save for winter.  We have tried the more traditional methods of preserving corn by cutting the corn off the cob and freezing it, but we found that to be a huge pain in the neck and our kids wouldn’t eat it.  Then one day we were walking through the supermarket and we saw frozen corn on the cob.  We thought, “Why can’t we do that?”  So a few Google searches later we found instructions and we were off and running.  We have also found instructions for freezing corn in the Ball Blue book and that is the method we use now.  I would recommend that before you start preserving food you get a current reference book that will give you good instructions.

The method is really easy.  Just blanch the shucked and washed corn for 8 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the cobs and throw it in the freezer in a freezer bag or other container.  Then enjoy it in January when the snow is 10 inches deep.  Okay, I’ll admit it’s not as good as freshly picked corn in summer time but it really isn’t bad and it makes for a good change from the salads we eat most of the time from the winter garden.