Sunday, November 20, 2011

Fresh Frozen Corn

1999, Tommy & Katie shuck corn
One of the earliest memories I have of Grandpa Ray is when he tried to see how long it would take me to realize that the bowl of corn had passed around our table for the second time. Recently I asked my father if he knew when our family started preparing corn and freezing it for the winter in this manner.
I'm not sure I got an answer but it was a way of preserving the very end of summer corn without canning it.
So, every year in my home we carry on the tradition. It's always so busy around the time school begins but we make it a point to try out the corn from various farms. When we find the best tasting then we purchase anywhere from 7 to 10 dozen.

1. You shuck the corn and rinse off the silk.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. You only need a few inches of water because the corn on top can be steamed. I cook about a dozen at a time.  Cover and bring it to a boil. Set the timer for 10 - 12 minutes. Remove the corn with long tongs and place on a large tray. Take the tray to the sink that has been cleaned, sanitized and filled with cold water and ice. Quickly immerse the corn in cold water for a couple minutes. Place corn back on tray.



3. Using a 9 x 13 cake pan, cut the corn from the cob with a sharp knife. Then scrape the cob with a butter knife to get the remaining corn. We picked up a Corn scrapper at an Amish store that saves a lot of time.














4. Measure 2 cups of corn per freezer bag. Push the air out before closing. Use permanent marker to date the bags before freezing.
















5. To prepare, thaw bag of corn.













6. Cook in skillet with a tablespoon of butter until all liquid has evaporated. Salt and pepper to taste.