Yesterday I got a message from my friend and neighbor Jody. She was in Atlanta waiting to board a flight to New York. I knew exactly why she was going. She’d mentioned she’d love to see the opera, El último sueño de Frida y Diego (The Last Dream of Frida Diego) at The Met. Unfortunately, it was closing in three days. Clearly she’d decided she wasn’t going to miss it. Her trip was so spur of the moment that she’d bought a bunch of fresh silver queen corn the day before, and we all know fresh corn is highly perishable. She was texting me to tell me it was sitting on her kitchen counter and to go get it.
I didn’t really have an immediate need for corn–I still had corn and sausage soup in the fridge. So I cut it off the cob, blanched it, and bagged it up for the freezer. Twelve ears gave me two quarts’ worth. As soon as it cools I’ll put one in my freezer and the other one in Jody’s.
Every summer, one of my goals is to freeze enough silver queen to have at Thanksgiving at least. I usually manage it, even if I have to freeze a few batches. (Actually, whenever I hear my favorite corn farmers’ last day is soon, I panic-buy so I can freeze a couple more quarts.)
Preparing corn for freezing is easy. A lot of people will tell you to not blanch the corn, but don’t be tempted to skip it. If you want corn to taste fresh-picked all the way to Thanksgiving, blanching is an absolute must. HOWEVER, many recipes will tell you to boil the corn for 5 or even 10 minutes. I have no clue where these people got their information, but don’t do that, either.
Blanching deactivates the enzymes that cause fruits and vegetables to degrade. Blanching sets the color, preserves crispness, and helps to preserve nutrients. The deactivation starts at about 200°–the boiling point of water is 212°–and it doesn’t take long to deactivate the enzymes.
You can freeze corn on or off the cob. I do both, but for longer storage I prefer corn cut off the cob. The instructions here are for off the cob. You’re going to need:
- A sharp knife
- A pot large enough accommodate the corn
- A slotted spoon
- Quart freezer bags
- A wide mouth jar or container to hold the bag open while you fill it
I usually expect a quart of corn from six ears. Your mileage may vary, of course. Also, I sense a couple of questions. Here are the answers:
Yes, I’m aware of the fabulous tip about using a bundt pan to cut corn so it doesn’t go everywhere. I did that once, but my knife kept hitting the cake pan, which was going to ruin the blade. I use a larger cutting board, instead. You do you.
That’s correct. No salt, no butter at this point. Salt draws water out of the kernals and can make the corn bits tough. Butter can hasten degradation. Wait until you’re serving the corn to butter and salt it.
Yum!
Fresh Picked Corn for the Freezer
Equipment
- Equipment needed:
- Sharp knife
- pot large enough accommodate the corn
- slotted spoon
- quart freezer bags
- wide mouth jar or container to hold the bag open while you fill it
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- fresh-picked corn
- water
Instructions
- Shuck the corn if needed, and cut the kernals from the cob. Put the kernals in a pot large enough to hold the corn.
- Add water to JUST cover the kernals. Bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as the pot is beginning to boil, remove from the heat.
- Stir the corn off the heat for a minute or so to help it cool down a bit. Using a slotted spoon fill quart freezer bags with the blanched corn. Carefully squeeze air out of the bags and seal them. Lay the bags flat and let them cool a bit more. Freeze flat.
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