Freeze fresh sweet corn for just-picked flavor.
For the sweetest corn, whether you are preparing it for freezer or table, timing is a critical factor. As soon as an ear of corn is removed from the stalk, the sugars begin turning to starch and the kernels begin losing flavor. Cook or blanch your sweet corn as soon as possible after picking it. Blanching is simply heating the corn in boiling water for a few minutes to halt the enzyme action before you freeze it. You can freeze sweet corn either on the cob or cut from the cob. The process for both methods is the same. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Fill a large pot with water, cover it with a lid and bring the water to a boil.
2. Remove the husks and silks from fresh-picked corn on the cob while you wait for the water to boil. Trim away any damaged areas and wash the ears in cold water.
3. Place about six ears of corn, at one time, into the boiling water to blanch them. Leave enough space so the ears are not packed tightly into the pot. Replace the lid. When the water returns to boiling, begin timing. To freeze ears of corn, the University of Illinois recommends blanching seven minutes for small ears -- 4 to 6 inches long -- and nine minutes for medium ears -- 6 to 8 inches long. Blanch 11 minutes for large ears longer than 8 inches. Purdue University recommends that you blanch ears for three minutes for whole-kernel cut corn, and four minutes for cream-style cut corn.
4. Remove the ears from the boiling water and place them into a pan of ice water to cool them quickly.
5. Cut the kernels from the cob using a corn cutter or a sharp knife on a cutting board. Remove about three-quarters of the depth of the kernels for whole-kernel corn. For cream-style corn, cut the kernels at one-half the kernel-depth, and then scrape the cob to remove the rest of the kernels.
6. Pack the cut corn or corn on the cob into freezer containers or bags, making them about three-quarters full. Press out as much air as possible and seal the bags or containers. Freeze the corn immediately.
Tags: boiling water, sweet corn, about three-quarters, cream-style corn, ears corn, ears inches