Corn is something everyone would like to have as snacks. Every year during summer, farmers harvest hundreds of ears of corn, which you get in the market. But unfortunately, it vanishes after a while. Corn is rich in vitamins, B1, B5 and dietary fiber. The mouthwatering taste of fresh, sweet corn harvested right away is indeed a favorite of everyone. But, it is not available throughout the year. It grows only in summer. Then what will you do during the rest of the year? Wait for the next summer? How about having corn snacks throughout the year? It really sounds interesting. There are many ways you can freeze corn. You can either buy it in bulk from the market, or freshly harvest it from the field. By freezing corn, you will be able to taste corn in its fresh flavor. In fact, frozen corn tastes better than fresh corn harvested right away. Here are some steps which will help you choose, prepare, and freeze corn in bulk for even the rainy days.
Complexity level: Basic.
Time required: 20 to 25 minutes.
Resources required:
- Corns
- Big boiling pan
- Sharp knife
- An empty freezer
- Freezer bags
- Dishcloth
Instructions:
1. Pick the right corns: The first task that would keep you busy the whole days is picking the right corns to be frozen. If you are plucking them right from the field, you should be careful that it is neither too small nor too big to be edible. One way to know this is to hold the cob in your hand. If it fits your hand nicely, you can pluck it. Another method to find the right corn is by feeling the silk; if it’s sticky, it is the right one. If you are picking them from the market, chose it if the silk on the top is brown and the ears of the corn is firm to the touch. If you are allowed to check the husks, make sure that the kernels have not dried out.
2. Clean the corns: Next, you need to get the corn cleaned just as you use it to prepare corn-on-the-cob. Remove the silk, husk the corn, and use sharp knife to trim off the edges. Rinse each ear of the corn. Make sure that it is completely cleaned. You can either choose to freeze the corn on the cob or freeze the whole kernel of the corn.
3. Blanch the corn: Even though there are many others methods of preparing and cooking corn, the best method is believed to be blanching. For blanching, fill a pot (big enough to accommodate the corns) with water and put it on the stove. Place the ears of the corn in the pot of water. Make sure that there is enough water to cover all the corns completely. Close the pot with a lid and let the water reach the state of rolling boil. If you want to cook the corn on the cob, let it boil for 9 minutes and if you want to cook the whole kernels, keep it for 4 minutes.
4. Chill the corn: The next step has to be carried out immediately after the preceding step. You need to remove the corns from the boiling water and dip it in icy water and chill the corn for the same period of time you used to boil it. Fill a sink or a large vessel with icy water and soak the corns in it until it cools down to a temperature when you can easily hold it in your hands. This is done so that the cobs won’t wrinkle and the cooking process will be stopped fast. Make sure that you keep changing the water, because when the boiling corns are put in it, the temperature of the water may go high. After chilling, pat dry the corns with dishcloth.
5. Cut, pack and freeze: After chilling the corn, you need to cut it out from the kernel. Cut away the cobs using a sharp knife. This would take a bit of practice to be done perfectly. Cut them in the downward motion. When you have finished cutting the corn, pack them in freezer bags. Fill each bag with the same amount of corn. Get the packs air-tight. This can be done by squeezing out the air from the bags. Now, you are at the end of the process of freezing corns. All you need to do is to place the bags into the freezer.
Frequently asked questions:
1. How to Freeze Corn on the Cob without it Getting Mushy?
First of all, remove the husk and the tiny silks on the corn. You could use a vegetable brush to brush away the silks. Blanch the corn and afterwards, chill it by dipping it into icy water immediately after it is boiled. Transfer the cooled corn ears into bags. Seal them and place them in the freezer.
2. How to cream corn?
To cream corn, you need to get the corn peeled and cleaned. After that, scrape the corn into a pan. Pour 3/4 cup of whipping cream, teaspoon of salt, 3 teaspoons of sugar and 1/4 teaspoons of cornstarch into the pan. Bring the mixture into a boiling state after which, it has to be simmered for another 15 minutes.
3. How to make corn salad?
Take scraped corn. Add pimentos, bell pepper and onion, and mix well. Add mayonnaise, mustard and French dressing to the mixture. Stir the mixture well and chill it for a few minutes. Your corn salad is ready.
Quick tips:
- It is better to harvest the corns in the morning.
- Make sure the corn is fresh.
- Involve more people in case huge amount of corn is being frozen. This will make the work easier.
- To cook the frozen corn, microwave it with butter and salt for 6-8 minutes.
- Place the corns into the freezer as soon as possible after chilling them.
- Use sharp knife to remove the kernels.
Things to watch out for:
- Be very careful while using knife, because the knife you would use has to be very sharp.
- Make sure that you don’t overcook the corn. By doing so, it will become mushy in the freezer.
- Keeps things clean. You probably won’t want to eat something contaminated.
- It is not good to eat too much raw corn.
- Don’t freeze the corn in the cob. It will ruin its flavor.
