Fresh Corn for the Winter

[Smokin Don]

Aug 22 2016

Yesterday I had cooked down what tomatoes I got from the garden and set them in the fridge. I filled a quart jar for the freezer and had enough to use for my supper meal.

As soon as Suter’s Produce Wagon opened at 10:00 AM with fresh picked sweet corn I went up and got a dozen. That would make me 4 one pound bags to freeze for this winter. There is nothing better than opening a vacuum sealed bag of it this winter for some fresh corn taste.

I got the pot of boiling water on my Camp Chef and the wife helped me shuck it. I do a half doz. 2 to 3 minute blanch then take inside and run cold water over to stop the cooking. When the wife had the second batch shucked I said run up and get another dozen. It’s only about 3 minutes away. It was such a nice 74 deg. day I might as well do another doz. And it would give me 8 bags of corn.

I cut the kernels off with a serrated boning knife in a large pie dish, and I scrape the ears to get all the goodies. I do 3 ears then spoon into a sandwich zip lock bag. The 3 ears make just about a pound and lays out flat to freeze. In the morning I will just cut the zip off the bag and vacuum seal all on my Food Saver.

Sure glad the weather turned cooler; not sure I would have done the corn and this is the last week for Suter’s to be here in Wapakoneta. They won’t be out of corn but out of help to pick and man all the wagons they have open. The college kids they hire are starting to return to school. They keep open what they can and I can always drive to Lima, 18 miles away, if I want some bad enough.







Smokin Don

[Pam Gould]

Very nice Don..we do it the same way...hmmmmm.    .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.

[tomcrete1]

Looks great Don!

[TentHunteR]

That's a nice little tip about three ears in a sandwich bag being about 1 lb. 

I think I'm heading over to one of our local corn stands this week to grab some ears while they're still available.

[Old Dave]

We have both our corn and green beans all done got the season. We do our corn a little different from most folks and have done so for many years. We cut it off the ears and cook it just like we were going to eat it in some butter and water. Cooked for about 8-10 minutes at a low simmer. We freeze it in quart bags after it cools off. I think Jan has done 27 quarts of the corn. We also do green beans different than most folks but close to the corn method.

[Pappymn]

Winter time treats!

[junep]

I just had a couple of ears for a late lunch. Looks like you have a good technique for processing and freezing.
Next year I'll grow a little area for myself and do what you did and freeze some. The frozen organic corn I buy is pricey, so it's time to grow a small section for myself and hope the raccoons who ate my fava beans this year, will leave the corn alone if I plant cucumbers nearby. I read they don't like to walk over the cucumber vines. I hope that is true!

Aug 22 2016

Yesterday I had cooked down what tomatoes I got from the garden and set them in the fridge. I filled a quart jar for the freezer and had enough to use for my supper meal.

As soon as Suter’s Produce Wagon opened at 10:00 AM with fresh picked sweet corn I went up and got a dozen. That would make me 4 one pound bags to freeze for this winter. There is nothing better than opening a vacuum sealed bag of it this winter for some fresh corn taste.

I got the pot of boiling water on my Camp Chef and the wife helped me shuck it. I do a half doz. 2 to 3 minute blanch then take inside and run cold water over to stop the cooking. When the wife had the second batch shucked I said run up and get another dozen. It’s only about 3 minutes away. It was such a nice 74 deg. day I might as well do another doz. And it would give me 8 bags of corn.

I cut the kernels off with a serrated boning knife in a large pie dish, and I scrape the ears to get all the goodies. I do 3 ears then spoon into a sandwich zip lock bag. The 3 ears make just about a pound and lays out flat to freeze. In the morning I will just cut the zip off the bag and vacuum seal all on my Food Saver.

Sure glad the weather turned cooler; not sure I would have done the corn and this is the last week for Suter’s to be here in Wapakoneta. They won’t be out of corn but out of help to pick and man all the wagons they have open. The college kids they hire are starting to return to school. They keep open what they can and I can always drive to Lima, 18 miles away, if I want some bad enough.







Smokin Don

[spuds]

That corn sure looks good! 

[junep]

Since I moved to the other side of our big valley, I haven't bought corn from the corn stand which I used to visit a few times each season. It's now about a 45 minute drive; but after seeing all your lovely corn, ready for the freezer, I may just see if our Saturdays farmers market still has some corn for sale. I'd love to get some to freeze. I can't do much since both freezers in both my fridges are pretty maxed out at the moment and I'm still having to blanch more beans since I'm producing more than I can eat fresh. I'm glad I planted a lot of tomatoes, or at least a lot for one person, because some critters are eating a lot of them!

I just sent away for some some 3/8" netting to wrap around some of the large green tomatoes to protect them. I've only gotten one plum tomato since something is eating the rest of them as well as most of my tiny cherry tomatoes. I don't mind sharing, but they are greedy garden raiders that I'm dealing with!

I blanch my beans 3 minutes too and then go right in a big bowl of ice water for several minutes and for the first minute or so , I move them around in there so they cool evenly. Then I drain them and lay them on hand towel paper to dry and then package them. I don't have one of those sealers, so I just put them in Zip loc bags and use a wide straw to extract the air and that works quite well. I did have one of those gadgets that supposedly takes the air out and I found my straw trick worked as well or better, so I gave that thing to the daughter of a friend.

I just had a couple of ears for a late lunch. Looks like you have a good technique for processing and freezing.
Next year I'll grow a little area for myself and do what you did and freeze some. The frozen organic corn I buy is pricey, so it's time to grow a small section for myself and hope the raccoons who ate my fava beans this year, will leave the corn alone if I plant cucumbers nearby. I read they don't like to walk over the cucumber vines. I hope that is true!

Aug 22 2016

Yesterday I had cooked down what tomatoes I got from the garden and set them in the fridge. I filled a quart jar for the freezer and had enough to use for my supper meal.

As soon as Suter’s Produce Wagon opened at 10:00 AM with fresh picked sweet corn I went up and got a dozen. That would make me 4 one pound bags to freeze for this winter. There is nothing better than opening a vacuum sealed bag of it this winter for some fresh corn taste.

I got the pot of boiling water on my Camp Chef and the wife helped me shuck it. I do a half doz. 2 to 3 minute blanch then take inside and run cold water over to stop the cooking. When the wife had the second batch shucked I said run up and get another dozen. It’s only about 3 minutes away. It was such a nice 74 deg. day I might as well do another doz. And it would give me 8 bags of corn.

I cut the kernels off with a serrated boning knife in a large pie dish, and I scrape the ears to get all the goodies. I do 3 ears then spoon into a sandwich zip lock bag. The 3 ears make just about a pound and lays out flat to freeze. In the morning I will just cut the zip off the bag and vacuum seal all on my Food Saver.

Sure glad the weather turned cooler; not sure I would have done the corn and this is the last week for Suter’s to be here in Wapakoneta. They won’t be out of corn but out of help to pick and man all the wagons they have open. The college kids they hire are starting to return to school. They keep open what they can and I can always drive to Lima, 18 miles away, if I want some bad enough.







Smokin Don

[Saber 4]

Do you think this would work with the microwave method of cooking the ears?

Has anyone tried blanching and freezing on the cob in a vacuum bag? Or does that create a food safety issue?

[Smokin Don]

Do you think this would work with the microwave method of cooking the ears?

Has anyone tried blanching and freezing on the cob in a vacuum bag? Or does that create a food safety issue?

The microwave method should work fine you just want to par cook the corn though. Don

[Tailgating is my game]

So Don you use regular plastic bags not foodsaver bags with the food saver? Thanks Richard

[Smokin Don]

So Don you use regular plastic bags not foodsaver bags with the food saver? Thanks Richard

No I first freeze the corn in the sandwich bags, they hold a pound so easy for recipes. After they freeze overnight, I cut the tops off and vacuum seal with regular food saver or I use Weston bags. If you don't vacuum seal they will soon get freezer burn. Freezing first just makes it easier so the moister is no issue. I do this with about anything that has water in it. For soup just freeze first in a plastic container. Next day run water over to loosen and vacuum seal. Don

[Tailgating is my game]

So Don you use regular plastic bags not foodsaver bags with the food saver? Thanks Richard

No I first freeze the corn in the sandwich bags, they hold a pound so easy for recipes. After they freeze overnight, I cut the tops off and vacuum seal with regular food saver or I use Weston bags. If you don't vacuum seal they will soon get freezer burn. Freezing first just makes it easier so the moister is no issue. I do this with about anything that has water in it. For soup just freeze first in a plastic container. Next day run water over to loosen and vacuum seal. Don

great tip thanks so much Don