# Corn - to can, or to freeze?



## CountryGoalie (Aug 31, 2004)

Beginning canner here - I've done applesauce, and berry preserves, and will soon be canning peaches with my husband (he comes from a family with seven siblings and a mom who gardens and cans like crazy.. me not so much), but I'm a bit perplexed as to what to do with sweet corn.

Any canned corn I've ever had, to me, tasted _nasty_. But, the only canned corn I've ever had was _commercially_ canned corn. Growing up, my family always ate frozen store-bought corn when sweet corn on the cob wasn't in season, so that's what I'm used to, and that's the corn texture and taste I like.

So the question is, does home-canned corn taste like store-bought canned corn? Because if so, I _know_ we'll be freezing instead of canning, but I just wasn't sure if my bad experience had to do with the commercial "canning" that goes on.

THanks for your tips!


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

Do you have experience pressure canning? I ask because you only list fruit projects which are done in a BWB.

Corn has to be pressure canned. If not then freezing will be your only option. And if you don't like commercially canned corn then I think you'll prefer frozen as well.


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## CountryGoalie (Aug 31, 2004)

Aye, I have a pressure canner. I found a website that listed out how to pressure-can applesauce, and when I did the jelly, I just left the lid off and used it as a water-bath.


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## NEfarmgirl (Jan 27, 2009)

I freeze most of our corn but I do can some--not a lot for casseroles and to have on had if we run out of frozen. I usually freeze quarts but can pints. It does taste different than frozen and different from store bought. I prefer the frozen over canned but if it came down to eating canned I would. Also, you should keep a lid on the BWB --do you have a lid that would fit over your pressure canner besides the lid that came with it?


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## FrontPorch (Mar 27, 2008)

My family prefers it frozen and it's easier than canning.


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## DW (May 10, 2002)

I've done both but like the taste of frozen best. You might want to can a little so you can taste it.


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

We freeze cream style and can whole kernal. My DD will not touch cream style or frozen whole kernal but loves canned whole kernal.


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

We prefer canned corn (this year I think half the jars will get some chopped Jalapeno)
MIL freezes her cut kernals and shares it with us...we don't like the texture so we feed it to the Chickens and Ducks, they LOVE it!
Canning the corn isn't any harder then freezing, the prep is the same...unless one is freezing the whole corn and cob...~lol~...


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

I think I'm going to try canning some to see if I like it. My Granny canned a lot for my family, and she prefered frozen corn so never canned it. So I don't really know if the reason I prefer frozen corn is because the only canned stuff I've had is from the store. 

At least with freezing, you don't have to worry about how much you've got - you just keep cutting and packing until it's all done.


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## hardworkingwoman (Jun 4, 2009)

Due to the lack of a big freezer I canned mine last year and dried it. The dried corn is so good! I just eat it by the hand full. I also throw it into soup and it re hydrates easily. You can also add it later so you have texture. I have done this with dried tomatoes too! Try it, you'll like it. hehe


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## PrettyPaisley (May 18, 2007)

hardworkingwoman said:


> Due to the lack of a big freezer I canned mine last year and dried it. The dried corn is so good! I just eat it by the hand full. I also throw it into soup and it re hydrates easily. You can also add it later so you have texture. I have done this with dried tomatoes too! Try it, you'll like it. hehe


That's a really good idea. I don't have the freezer space for veggies but am still too scared to use my pressure canner. Thanks!


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

If Im not mistaken, corn has a crazy long pressure canning time...someting like 90 minutes. In the summer heat, that is enough to deter me.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

For canning, pints are 55 minutes, quarts are 85 according to my BBB. Canned 10 pints of whole kernel last Saturday with a slight twist. BBB says don't pack them and to add water. We've always tamped it down a bit and added no water. During the BWB process, the corn is stewing only in its own juices. Ends up semi-dry or thick, something like a relish. When done that way, it's not for a side dish but to use in casseroles and the like. 

Martin


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

Paquebot said:


> .... Ends up semi-dry or thick, something like a relish. When done that way, it's not for a side dish but to use in casseroles and the like.
> 
> Thank you for the tip Paquebot. I was going to pressure can, but now I think I'll freeze. Although I DO like the idea of drying it. I have plenty of clamp top jars to keep the dried corn in for later use.


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## lemonthyme7 (Jul 8, 2010)

Definitely frozen. Frozen sweet corn done right (blanched for the proper time) has the taste of fresh sweet corn to me - even more so then store bought frozen corn. My mom always froze ours so I am probably partial to it but my SIL cans and I am not crazy about the flavor.


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## MrCalicoty (Jun 27, 2010)

DW is canning more corn this morning. She's learned from her Grandmother that canned corn spoils faster (whatever that means) than frozen. Therefore, GMA never canned corn. DW is going to try it anyway and will watch it closely.

I'm glad I found this thread as we hadn't thought to dry some of it. DW wants to try THAT now too! 

I've seen charts that show corn doesn't even last all that long in the freezer. Anyone with experience care to comment on the longevity of the various methods?


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

I don't know about canned corn spoiling...we're still eating corn canned in 2007, still yummy and tender. Frozen Corn tends to get chewy with 'age'...IMO..
It's funny watching the Chickens eat the ice crystals off the frozen Corn...gotta wonder what they're thinking.

Fingers crossed that MIL's Corn is doing well, we can't seem to grow it up here so she plants enough for her and our family.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> I don't have the freezer space for veggies


Corn takes very little room if you cut it off the cob.
We put it in quart size Zip-locks, but spread it out *FLAT* so you can stack a lot of bags in a small space


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

I've been doing that with chopped onions...hubby bought 50lbs a month ago and they aren't keeping well in the pumphouse, so I'm chopping, placing in ziplock and freezing!


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## Calico Katie (Sep 12, 2003)

If you have frozen corn or other vegetables taking up too much freezer space or getting old, you can dry it from frozen. There's a video at the dehydrate2store.com site showing the process.


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## Christine81 (Nov 4, 2012)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Corn takes very little room if you cut it off the cob.
> We put it in quart size Zip-locks, but spread it out *FLAT* so you can stack a lot of bags in a small space


Be careful stacking it while putting it in to freeze - it's possible for the center bags to go bad before they freeze if you don't cool it enough before adding to the freezer and/or stack it too deep while unfrozen. We layer the bags in a cooler with ice for an hour before tossing in the freezer, and limit stacks to 2-3 bags deep. You can always make deeper stacks later once it's frozen solid.


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## notbutanapron (Jun 30, 2011)

I don't have the freezer space for veggies either. I cut it off the cobb, too, I just get a lot of corn! I have a loooot of land [compared to freezers] and only three freezers [what?]. And then what if electricity fails? Eeeek, no corn for a while! I'm paranoid.


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