by How to Blanch and Freeze Corn
September 17, 2013 in Recipes by Anna
Freezer cooking is a breeze when you batch cook and freeze! You spend a little time up front to save time in the end.
You also tend to save money. There’s no need to order in when your freezer is stocked and labeled. There’s no need to go out if you have fresh food ready to go at home!
When corn is not in season, you’ll be so happy to find some tasty kernels in your freezer.
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We all have our preferences when it comes to food. I prefer frozen vegetables over canned. I also prefer to eat corn after it’s been cut away from the cob.
I think that started when I had braces as a teenager. Braces made corn, ribs, and caramel apples difficult to eat. It’s not like I was eating those things daily by any means, but it’s funny how over time, I’ve stuck with the preference of cutting meat off ribs or chicken bones before eating it. Same goes for corn!
Learning to blanch and freeze corn is easier than you think! You can get it done in just a few steps, and save on the mess with a trick I’ll share.
How to Blanch and Freeze Corn
Step One: Boil Water
In a large pot, heat some water. You may want to season the water with some salt. I don’t, but that’s up to you.
Step Two: Clean the Corn
I buy my corn from a local farm and when I get home, I take off the husks and pull away most of the ribbons.
Then, I use a scrub brush (like the kind you scrub potatoes with) and gently scrub the corn under running water.
Step Three: Set up the Bowls and Grab a Knife
While the water is coming to a boil, get a sharp knife ready and invert a small bowl inside a larger one as shown. This is my little trick to help with the mess.
You will also need to set up a large bowl and fill it with cold water and lots of ice.
Step Four: Boil the Corn
You will boil the corn for 6-8 minutes. You don’t want to overcrowd the pot, so depending on how much corn you have, you may want to do this and the following steps in batches.
Step Five: Ice the Corn
When blanching, you boil in hot water and then plunge into ice cold water!
So, in this step, you will quickly move the corn from the boiling pot of water over to another bowl filled with cold water and ice cubes and allow it to chill so you can handle it.
You will love having these tongs to help with the process.
Step Six: Dry the Corn
Once you can handle the corn, place it on some paper towels to allow it to dry.
Step Seven: Cut the Corn Kernels off the Cob
Place a corn cob on the smaller bowl that is inside the larger one. Hold it steadily as you cut down the side of the cob with a sharp knife.
As you cut down the cob, the kernels will fall into the larger bowl, instead of all over the counter!
Once you are done, you can simple remove the smaller bowl from the larger one and get rid of the knife.
Optional Step Eight: Pre-Freeze the Corn
You can lay the corn kernels out on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer for a few hours. Then you can transfer it to a plastic freezer bag. Some people do this to keep the kernels separated a bit more while they are in the freezer. I just skip to step nine.
Step Nine: Bag the Corn for the Freezer
Scoop the corn into a plastic freezer bag. Label and date it. As you can see, I took the time to weigh my bags before laying them in the freezer.
Laying them takes up less space and it’s easier to keep your freezer organized.
You may also save the cobs and use them to flavor soups throughout the year. Again, just label the freezer bag with the date and contents so you’re not guessing what sort of mystery meal is in your freezer!
If you like this post, you may also like:
An Oregon Cottage has a few different ways to freeze corn. Check them out HERE.
If you would rather can corn, here’s a great tutorial for canning corn from One Hundred Dollars A Month.
Do you have a favorite corn recipe?
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