Freezer Preserving Fresh Corn

Since I have been doing a lot of canning and preserving lately, I have decided to share with you one of the simpler preserving methods, freezing. We picked some early corn yesterday at my Grandpa's farm and got just enough for a batch to freeze. Summer sweet corn is the perfect addition to any meal! It is great on the grill, just boiled in water, or cut off the cob and cooked in butter. It is delicious!! So, here we go with freezing some fresh summer sweet corn!

Ingredients:
   12-16 Ears of Fresh Corn
   1 Stick of Butter or Margarine (Salted or Unsalted, you decide)
        (You can omit the butter for a healthier option and use 1/2 Cup more water)
   1/2 C. water

Supplies Needed:
   Sharp Knife
   Bunt Cake Pan
   Large, heavy Pot
   13x9 Metal Pan
   Freezer Quality Ziplock Bags, or Food Saver Bags


1. Gather up your ingredients and supplies. You will want to have everything ready and in reach before beginning. For the corn, Fresh is best!! If you can get it from your own garden or farmer's market, that is great!! They are the best options over supermarket corn. But if you must...well, just do it. I used 16 ears for the batch I made up today.

2. The first step in preparing the corn is you have to shuck it! This process removes the outer layers of corn husks and silks. You can see some pictures below, but it was difficult to grab some pics while shucking it at the same time. I start by taking off the outer-most layers. These require little effort to remove, just grab it from the top and pull down.

After you have the out-most layers off, you can get the rest by pinching the top, including the silks, and pull down. With some effort, you will get most of it off. Once you have removed the first part, the rest is easy.

When all the husk and most of the silks are gone, you want to try to remove the rest of the silks. These can be tricky. Some people will resort to buying a silk remover, which you can find on amazon.com . I just rub my hands across it and it works for me. You can choose whether or not to break the stem off the end of the corn or not. It really doesn't matter if you do or not.

3. After you have prepared all of you corn, you should rinse it well with water. Lay it on a towel to dry it some. You don't want to cut on wet corn. Your knife could slip and you could be a hurtin'! Just damp it with a dry kitchen towel and all will be well. Now comes the best part! It comes with a tip that I just adore! Use your bunt pan to hold your corn while you cut it off the cob. Place your cob over the hole in the middle. Hold it upright, take your knife from the top and cut all the way to the bottom. The hole holds the cob and the cut corn falls right into the pan with no mess! I love it!!

(This is the best picture I could get without someone taking the picture for me :)



4. So, you have all of your corn cut off. Now, dump it all in your large cooking pot along with the butter and water. For my 16 ears, I used a whole stick of butter and 1/2 Cup of water. If you are using 10-12 ears, I would suggest only using 1/2 stick and 1/4 cup of water. Turn heat on medium. Let this simmer until the butter is melted, stirring frequently. When butter has melted, let it simmer for about 2-3 more minutes, still stirring frequently. You do not want this to burn!

5. Once you have finished the cooking step, pour the contents of your pan into the 13x9 baking dish. Spread it out evenly with the back of your spoon. Now you have to let it cool. This could take between 1 and 1 1/2 hours. I let mine set out on my counter top for the whole time. If you are stickler on food spoilage, you can let it set for 30 minutes, then place it in the refrigerator for the rest of the cooling time. Mine does fine on the counter, but do what is best for you.


This is a very important step. You cannot skip this and just bag it and freeze it. It has to be cooled to at least room temperature before you package it.

6. Once your corn has cooled, you can package and freeze it. Only use bags that are of freezer quality or it will not keep. I recommend Hefty/Ziploc freezer bags, or Food-Saver vacuum-sealing (my preference). With my 16 ears, I got about a gallon-sized bag full. You could always divide this in smaller sizes, like quarts. It is up to you and what will work best for your family. My gallon-sized bag will be perfect for having my summer corn at our Thanksgiving dinner!

This recipe can last up to a year in your freezer.

I hope you can take this information and put it to good use! I really do enjoy putting fresh food in my pantry and freezer for my family to have come winter! I think it is the best and most healthy option, opposed to store-bought food full of preservatives and additives! Again, I always recommend that you get your corn or any food item from the best possible source. The more you know about your food source, the more peace of mind you can have at the end of the day. At least this way, you know where your food came from! You know how it was grown and what was put in it and what was NOT put it it. You reduce your food miles from farm to fork and by doing that, you are also helping the environment. Did you know the average amount of  food miles in the US is 5,000 miles!!! Something to think about for sure!!! Happy preserving!!