Freezing fresh corn

JRobyn · Jul 10, 2017

I assume this question is kinda like "what oil should I use"?

I also figured this question had been asked and answered a thousand times on here, but my attempts at search for freezing+corn didn't turn up any threads that looked right. Just stuff like "what internet to use".

So what methods have REAL corn growers/preservers used successfully to freeze/preserve whole fresh corn on the cob (still in the shuck). One relative advocates carefully pulling the husk back, removing the silk, re-wrapping the husk and then freezing whole.

What has worked well for you?

Larry Caldwell · Jul 10, 2017

You have to blanch corn to denature the enzymes that will cause it to spoil even if frozen. Drop the ear in boiling water for 30 seconds, transfer to cold water to stop it from cooking, then freeze.

wagne223 · Jul 10, 2017

Like Larry said......this is what I do.
Husk all ears.
Large pot of boiling water, 3 ears at a time in the pot for 30 seconds then into the sink that contains cold water.

Make sure pot is boiling again before doing the next 3.

Allow to dry, then I put them in vacuum seal bags. Then in the freezer.

Works for me.

fishheadbob · Jul 10, 2017

Larry hit it.

oosik · Jul 10, 2017

We would blanch, put in sink with ice & water, take it out and let it dry - then cut it off the cob and bag up in quart bags. Bags go in the freezer. Give the cobs to the deer.

Sawyer Rob · Jul 10, 2017

I'm NOT going to take up freezer space freezing cobs!!

When we eat corn, I pick/cook extra, what ever is left over from our meal, get's cut off the cob and put in freezer bags for winter.

It really taste great that way and the cobs go back into the garden to "mulch out" to feed next years plants!

SR

Bird · Jul 10, 2017

I know those who recommend blanching are right, that's the "proper" way to do it, but . . . . . some years ago when we had a surplus of freezer space, we put a bunch of ears of corn in the freezer, shucks, silk, and all. In other words, we did nothing to them until we took them out to prepare and eat. This last week, Walmart had ears of corn for 10 cents each so I got 30 of them, shucked and cleaned them, and asked my wife if she thought we should blanch them before freezing and she said she'd never seen any reason to do that, so some of them went into ziplock bags and into the freezer. Freezing without doing anything else has always worked OK for us and none have every spoiled or tasted odd when thawed and cooked. When we had a big garden, we shucked and cleaned the ears of corn, then cut the corn off the cobs, scraped the cops and put the corn into ziplock bags and into the freezer without any other processing.

tcreeley · Jul 10, 2017

I vacuum packed my cooked ears and froze them. Tasted delicious, texture was not as good as fresh when I had them months later.
I also cut the kernels off and vacuum pack and freeze, or just stuff the cut kernels in a quart container and freeze. Great for fresh corn taste, good texture or used in chowders and chilis.
I boil up extra corn from the garden and what we don't eat goes into the freezer.

ray66v · Jul 10, 2017

We cut the corn off the cob, and fry it in butter, with a little chopped onion, a little chopped bell pepper, a little sugar, and some salt.

Once all the water is cooked off, it's allowed to cool, and vacuum sealed in the appropriate size for two servings, and then frozen.

It can be then be reheated by being boiled in the bag, or microwaved in the bag, after piercing it.

It keeps for years in the freezer, and, it always tastes as good as the day it was picked.