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How to Freeze Corn - From Corn
on the Cob!
Click
here for a PDF print version
If you like frozen niblets-type corn in the
winter, just imagine how good it would taste if you had picked a couple of dozen
ears yourself, or bought a couple dozen fresh ears from a farm stand and then
quickly froze it at home! It is also one of the simplest ways to put up a
vegetable for the winter. Here's how to do it, complete instructions in easy steps and
completely illustrated. The corn will taste MUCH better than anything
you've ever had from a store. These directions are for corn which you
will cut off the cob. If you want
directions for freezing corn ON
the cob, click here. Personally, I think you'll get better results and
use less freezer space with it OFF the cob.
Directions for Freezing Corn
Ingredients and Equipment
- fresh corn on the cob - any
quantity. I figure 1.5 ears per serving.
- 1 Large pot of boiling water
- Plenty of ice - about 1 tray per ear.
- Vacuum food sealer or "ziploc"
type freezer bags (the freezer bag version is heavier and protects
better against freezer burn.
- 2 large bowls, one filled with cold water
and ice.
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 Large spoon
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Ideal ear - ripe but not bloated. the
kernels are still tender (easily punctured with your fingernail) and the
juice is milky). White, yellow or bicolor types are all fine!
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Instructions
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Step 1 - Get yer corn!
Start with fresh corn on the cob - as fresh
as you can get. If there is a delay between harvesting and freezing,
put it in the refrigerator or put ice on it. The sugars break down quickly
at room temperature. |
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Step 2 - Get the pots ready
Get the largest pot you have (I use my canner) filled ¾ full with hot
water, put it on your largest burner (or straddle two burners) and get
it heating to a full rolling boil..
Next, get a LARGE bowl filled with ice and cold water. You may need to
buy a bag or two of ice if you are planning to do more than a dozen ears
of corn. |
Step 3 - Husk the corn
Husk the corn and pick off as much of the
silk as you can. A soft vegetable brush is the fastest and easiest
way to get the remaining silk off - just don't be too rough with it. |
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Step 4 - Blanch the corn.
All fruits and vegetables contain enzymes
that, over time, break down the destroy nutrients and change the color,
flavor, and texture of food during frozen storage. Corn requires a brief
heat treatment, called blanching, in boiling water or steam, to
destroy the enzymes before freezing. Blanching times generally vary from
one to 10 minutes, depending on the vegetable. the duration should be just
long enough to stop the action of the enzymes.
Begin counting the blanching time as soon as
you place the corn in the boiling water, noting that the water ought to
return to a boil in a minute or less. If it takes several minutes or
more to return to a boil, you are using too small a pot or adding too
much corn.
Cover the kettle and boil at a
high temperature for the required length of time. You may use the same
blanching water several times (up to 5). Be sure to add more hot water
from the tap from time to time to keep the water level at the required
height.
Blanching time varies depending on the type
of frozen corn you are making: cut-whole kernel, cream style or corn-on-the-cob:
Blanching times, for freezing the corn:
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Note: It's my opinion that best results come from whole kernel or cream
style. Personally, I don't recommend freezing it on the cob: it takes
up too much space in the freezer, and gets too mushy.
Note: UC Davis research has shown that super sweet varieties typically
require a 4 min blanch. |
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Step 5 - Cool the corn
Cool corn immediately in ice water. Drain
the corn thoroughly.
After vegetables are blanched, cool them
quickly to prevent overcooking. Plunge the corn into a large quantity of
ice-cold water (I keep adding more ice to it). A good rule of thumb: Cool
for the same amount of time as the blanch step. For instance, if you
blanch sweet corn for 7 minutes, then cool in ice water for 7
minutes.
Drain thoroughly. |
Step 6 - Cut the kernels from the cob
Obviously, if you are freezing the corn on the cob, skip this step.
Whole Kernel Corn – Cut
kernels from cob about 2/3 the depth of the kernels. I hold the ear by the
small end, and slide the knife down the ear. see the next photo.
Cream Style Corn – Cut
kernel tips about 1/2 deep and scrape the cobs with the back of a knife to
remove the juice and the heart of the kernel.
Another way to prepare cream style corn for
freezing is to cut and scrape the corn from the cob without blanching. Place
the cut corn in a double boiler, and heat with constant stirring for about
10 minutes or until it thickens; allow to cool by placing the pan in ice
water.
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You don't need a special tool, just a very sharp
knife! However, a number of people wrote in to point out that they prefer one of the tools below, as do I, often because it is easier for them due to
arthritis, or simply faster.
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| As the corn piles up
in your bowl, it will look like this! |
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Close up, the corn comes off in
strips. As you put these in the bag, they will easily separate into
separate kernels. |
Step 7 - bag the corn
I love the FoodSavers (see
this page for more information) with their vacuum
sealing! I am not paid by them, but these things really work.
If you don't have one, ziploc bags work, too, but it is hard to get as
much air out of the bags. remove the air to prevent drying and
freezer burn. |
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A vacuum-sealed FoodSaver bag is on top at left. You can see how the FoodSaver really sucks out all the air, so
the corn won't dry out or get freezer burn. That means the food inside will
last many times longer. I've been using them (and their predecessor in
the marketplace, Seal-a-Meal) for many years. If you're interested,
here's where you can get one. If you don't have one,
Ziploc bags work, too, but it is hard to get as much air out of the bags.
remove the air to prevent drying and freezer burn. One person wrote to tell
me that she uses a straw and seals the Ziploc around the straw to suck the
air out of the bag, then pinches the straw and quickly removes it while
pressing the seal. It works fairly well, but I'll stick to the
Foodsaver, since the bags are microwaveable and much thicker than a Ziploc
bag (even the Ziploc "freezer bags")
Step 8 - Label the bags!
"Sharpie" marking pens work well on plastic and won't rub off.
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Step 9 - Done!
Pop them into the freezer, on the quick
freeze shelf, if you have one! Later, when you are ready to serve
the corn, it just takes about 3 or 4 minutes in the microwave (from frozen)
or in the top of a double boiler. It doesn't need to be "cooked", just
heated up! |
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Tips:
- Harvest early in the morning, especially if the
weather is hot, to get peak flavor.
- Harvest the corn at its peak maturity (milky
fluid in the kernels, kernels tender, and not bloated). Immature corn is
watery when cooked and over-ripe corn is chewy and doughy.
- Process promptly after harvesting, or keep
cooled in the fridge or with ice until then.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I didn't know about the blanching step and I already froze my
corn? Is that dangerous? Should I take the corn out of the
freezer and blanch it and re-freeze it?
No, there is no health or safety problem. Blanching is done to
preserve the flavor and sweetness. In fact, if you eat the corn in a matter
of weeks, you probably wouldn't notice the difference. It becomes most
noticeable (much less tasty and sweet) after months in the freezer, if it
hadn't been blanched.
Q. I'm freezing corn on the cob tomorrow. Is it possible to "steam" in a
crab pot vs. boiling in water? If so, what adjustment to the blanching time
should I make?
A. Great question. You can steam blanch most vegetables, although water is
generally preferred. Heating in steam is recommended for a few vegetables, and
for broccoli, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and winter squash, both steaming and
boiling are satisfactory methods.
Steam blanching takes about 1½ times longer than water blanching. Water
blanching provides greater enthalpy, means more effective and rapid heating,
thus steam blanching takes longer.
To steam, use a pot with a tight lid and a basket that holds the food at
least three inches above the bottom of the pot. Put an inch or two of water in
the pot and bring the water to a boil.
Put the vegetables in the basket in a single layer so that steam reaches all
parts quickly. Cover the pot and keep heat high. Start counting steaming time as
soon as the lid is on.
| Type of Corn |
Blanching time in water |
Blanching time in steam |
| Corn-on-the-cob |
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| Small Ears |
7 minutes |
11 |
| Medium Ears |
9 |
14 |
| Large Ears |
11 |
17 |
| Whole Kernel
or Cream Style (note: the ears are blanched
before cutting corn from cob)
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4 |
6 |
Q. I have tried to use a vacuum sealer to seal my corn for freezing but the
juice of the corn is pulled from the kernel preventing my food-saver from
sealing the bag. Any suggestions?
A. Yep! Some corn is juicier than others! In that case, just fill the bag
with the corn kernels, and pop it into the freezer, unsealed. Wait a few hours,
or overnight, until it is frozen; then take it out and vacuum seal it!
Q. My sister brought me sweet corn from California where she just
moved from. She asked the farmer what is the best way to freeze the cobs and he
told her that his family just cut the over-growth and ends and freeze the whole
cob within the cobs and silk. I did this because of the fact it took her 3 days
driving in hot temps outside so I had to do something quick. I always would
clean and remove the silk and then blanch for over 5 minutes and cool in ice
water then I would use the food saver vacuum sealer. By not blanching will this
be harmful to eat after being frozen and vacuum sealed without blanching?
A. No, there’s no health risk; the corn just will not maintain the
quality of its flavor and appearance as long in the freezer. It may have
noticeably less flavor after weeks rather than months.
Q. When freezing sweet corn you say to start counting blanch time when
you put cobs in the boiling water then boil for 4 minutes. I know that when I
cook corn on the cob I put the cobs in boiling water and it takes 4 to 5 minutes
before it starts boiling again, so my question is does the blanch time actually
require the water to be boiling?
Yes, the
temperature ought to be back up to boiling before starting the timer, if it
takes more than 1 minute to return to a boil.
There’s
another problem at work though. If it takes that long (several minutes or
more) for the water to get back to boiling, that indicates that the volume
of water is too small, relative to the amount of corn added. The corn is
cooling the water too much. Those of you who are physicists or
thermodynamicists will recognize the problem of enthalpy here. While the
water isn’t at the boiling point, it’s still heating the corn, which may
result in loss of flavor and sugar due to overcooking.
The solution
is to use a substantially larger pot, or put much less corn in each batch –
or both – so the water returns to boiling in a minute or so.
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