# Freezing sweet corn



## wigg (Sep 20, 2008)

What is the best method for freezing sweet corn? Do you blanch it for a certain period of time? Do you then cut it off the cob?


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## coon18 (Jul 11, 2009)

We are just in the middle of freezing corn right now. We blanch the corn for 4 1/2 minutes and then into ice water for another 4 minutes. After that we cut it off the cobs and bag it for freezing. Our kids love helping with the whole process and eating it later.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I asked this same question not too long ago; and from the responses I received, I decided to do the following:

For corn on the cob: Blanch for 5 min, cool quickly, wrap eash separately in saran wrap and place in large bag to go into the freezer.

For cream corn: Cook for 5 min, pour into another pan (or bowl) that isn't hot, set in cold water until cool enough to put into ziplocks. Freeze. (It was suggested I add butter; but I chose not to add any seasonings.)

Note: The last bushel of sweet corn I prepared I was so rushed that I totally forgot to blanch any of it. Just wrapped the corn wanted on the cob in saran and placed in large bags to freeze; and just place the corn that was cut off the cob into ziplock with a tad of cold water...just enough to let me get the air out good. Guess I'll find out soon enough if blanching is truly needed.


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## kenworth (Feb 12, 2011)

I thought that blanching was to create a chemical process that just freezing wouldn't do. Those in the know can explain it better.

I always blanched sweet corn when I froze it, then cut it off the cob.


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

Blanching deactivates the enzymes that result in the food breaking down over time. It helps to preserve color and taste.


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

Blanching is par-cooking. Brightens the color too. Blanch for 6-8 minutes and into cold water. Then get one of THESE!
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Amco-Houseworks-Corn-Cutter/15204043
Best gadget I've ever invested in. Just twist the cobs through. Cuts right down to the cob, expands to fit the ear. They even have an attachment to go on an electric drill! 
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAuAOLLrNOE[/ame] 
http://www.pineapplecutterfactory.com/store/2225491/product/KK

Silliest thing, but i guess if you're doing 5 bushels, it might be worth it. 
EXCELLENT tool though! Manual or electric. If you're removing corn from the cob, this is the gadget to have.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I have one of those types of corn cutters. I hate it!

The best thing I have found to get kernals off corn is a surrated knife with a blade about 4 inches long. With this I can either take off the entire kernal or, if I want more juice, I can take off the tops of the kernals and then scrape the cob for the juice.


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## XayInIowa (May 9, 2011)

Here's a tip, stick the end of the ear in the hole of an angel food cake pan, then slice off the kernals. It is much less messy to clean up!


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## wanda1950 (Jan 18, 2009)

We always have cut corn off the cob first, add a little water, bring to quick boil till corn looks more opaque, pour out in flat pan to cool, bag & freeze.


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## Stephen in SOKY (Jun 6, 2006)

Like Wanda, I cut off first. I microwave blanch in covered pyrex dishes, takes about 6 minutes stirring every 2, until it develops a really good strong head off steam. No sticking/scorching at all when mictowave blanched! Keeps the kitchen cool as well. Then it goes into a stock pot partially submerged in ice water to quick chill. I tend to keep 2 or 3 pyrex in rotation and my normal corn day is 10 dozen by myself. I went up to 17 dozen in one day this year and that was too much for me personally.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

To keep down the mess, I take the kernals off the ear "inside" a large roasting pan. The sides keep the corn from flying everywhere and I have room to work without hitting my hand on anything.


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

motdaugrnds said:


> I have one of those types of corn cutters. I hate it!
> 
> I hated it too when I first bought it. The instructions say to PUSH the cutter down the cob. WRONG!!!!! You have to *twist the cob* through, I did 2 bushels in about 45 minutes by hand. And I still have a bag left from last year.
> 
> Just personal preference I guess. I love it now.


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## campfiregirl (Mar 1, 2011)

We blanch on the cob, but ONLY for 4 minutes or you are not blanching, you're cooking! Especially the super sweet varieties. Cool in ice water, then cut using your favorite method. Freeze in quart freezer bags.


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## lemonthyme7 (Jul 8, 2010)

I use the corn cutter shown in the link above and find it the easiest way for me. Maybe this is because that is how my mom always did it so that is what I am used to. Blanch 4 minutes, into ice water to cool and then cut from cob and freeze. My mom had a board, probably about 2 ft by 8 inch wide and it had a nail driven up trough it from the bottom. You took the ear of corn and skewered it on the nail and used the cutter to cut the corn. The nail holds the cob securely so it's not moving around while you are trying to cut the kernels off. Pull it off and put another on. You could get a pretty good rhythm going and every 5 ears or so you scraped the kernels into a large bowl. I know it sounds strange but it really works!


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## eam (Jun 5, 2002)

When we cook corn to eat, I only cook it for 2 minutes. We love it that way. So, it seems to me that blanching, even for 4 minutes it will be overcooked before it even hits the freezer, let alone once I take it out of the freezer. Can I just blanche it for 2 minutes (when we would consider it cooked) and then cut off the cob and freeze?

Thanks.
Elizabeth


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## Mountain Mick (Sep 10, 2005)

Hi, we freeze a lot of sweet corn every year, about 4 pickup trucks full, for our Parrot farm and our parrots are super fussy about what the corn looks like, Plus we also eat some of this corn as well, we use to blanch the corn and we would spend days peeling and blanching thousands of cobs, one day we were in a hurry, as one of our kids (son number 2) broke his arm "dirt-bikes", I said to my wife, go I finish up and I'll be behind you. so I pack the corn I had left unpeeled so in it's husks straight in the freezer, it took about 15 minutes to pack half pick-up truck away, and guess what, the corn that was not blanched with the husk still on was as good as it was coming out off the freezer as it when in, We love it our Parrots love and I save hundreds of dollars paying people to work for days peeling and blanching corn, number 2 son broke his arm 10 years ago, This works for us, the husk must work as a shield to protect the corn, MM


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Mick, now that sounds like a "winner"! What do you do to make sure you are'nt freezing the corn worms too?


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## Tirzah (May 19, 2006)

Here is how we do it 

I got this from Granny Sue here on the board:

http://grannysu.blogspot.com/2009/07/easy-way-to-freeze-corn.html

We just take it out of the freezer and place it on the grill as is. It's not quite as good as fresh but it sure is close. I just got through freezing two cases of Olathe corn.


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## wigg (Sep 20, 2008)

Thanks for all the replies. I did learn a few things here to make things easier. Before I was able to get back on here to check for your advice, we blanched enough to make 12 quarts cut off the cob. We blanched 8 minutes and I think that is far too long. We'll try our next batch tomorrow with 4 to 5 minutes and then cooling down and keep it seperate so we can compare methods. Thank you greatly!


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## Forlane (Jul 17, 2010)

Take a big knife, nice and sharp. Shave the kernels off the cob, throw in bag, put into freezer.

I guess I am not too fussy but I still have half a gallon in the freezer from last year. Saves time and space.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

We don't like the corn when it comes out of the freezer after being blanched & then froze so I always just cut it fresh off the cob & put the amount in a freezer bag(enough for a meal) & freeze. Works good for us & we love the taste & texture better. Tastes more like fresh corn to us.


Love the tip about using the Bundt pan for cutting the corn off the cob though, Great TIP! Thanks XayinIowa!


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## Mountain Mick (Sep 10, 2005)

Hi,

the corn worms is killed the freezing. and we pick him out latter.MM




motdaugrnds said:


> Mick, now that sounds like a "winner"! What do you do to make sure you are'nt freezing the corn worms too?


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## kandmcockrell (Oct 10, 2008)

I do the same thing MM does, except i cut off each end, put as many ears as i can in a ziplock freezer bag and freeze. Then i either pull out a couple ears and through right on a hot grill or in the micro for 4 min per ear. Just like fresh!


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

My neighbor lady makes the best freezer corn ever. 

Blanch 6 minutes then put in ice water for 7 minutes. After you remove the corn from cobs put it in quart bags and put 1 cup brine over the corn. I made the brine in 10 cup batches and heated it to dissolve the sugar and salt.

Brine:
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 tsp salt
1 c. water

I used one of those gadgets that remove the corn from the husk. I just makes the task go so quickly. My mom and I did up 26 quarts in 8 hours.... including driving to the neighbor's mom's house and removing husks and silk.

The key to using the corn cutter is to put a nail that sticks up out of the wood 3-4" through a 2" piece of wood that's about 6" square or whatever works for you. You just spear the corn onto the nail and use corn cutter. It just goes lickety split.


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