You can have fresh tasting corn on the cob year round without paying the high cost of buying it out of season. In the height of the summer season, prices on corn on the cob are fairly cheap. It makes sense to buy fresh vegetables in season. You can easily freeze corn on the cob, with no preparation if you want to be able to pull a few ears out of the freezer for dinner.
What you will need
You will need as many ears of corn as you can store in your freezer. Paper bags are best, but hard to come by these days when grocery stores are all using plastic bags. These are all that you will need to store your corn on the cob in your freezer for months. Plastic bags will work, but each bag holds less ears of corn and it’s necessary to use two bags for each package to freeze.
Selecting your corn
Select your corn on the cob by pressing gently around the top of the ear, just under the corn silk. If you feel the fullness of the corn at this spot, then you have selected a good ear of corn. If you feel emptiness at this spot, and only feel the hard cob under the corn husk, select a different ear. Make sure you do not disturb the corn husk. You need the husk intact to protect the tender kernels in the freezer. I like to choose large ears that are full to the top of the corn husk. When you find a good price on corn on the cob it’s a good idea to stock up, and freezing helps with this.
Bagging your corn
It’s a simple matter from this point to freeze your corn. Simply lay the corn in the bag, putting as much as you can fit in. If you are using a large paper bag, you can fit approximately 20 to 25 ears of corn in the bag. Roll the top of the paper bag down tightly. You can use freezer tape to hold the bag closed, but it’s not really necessary. The bag will stay closed in the freezer.
If you are using plastic bags, you will be able to fit about 6 ears of corn in each bag. Lay 6 ears flat in the bottom of the bag, and tie the top, making sure to remove as much air as you can. Put this bag with your corn on the cob in it inside another plastic bag with the tied part down. Tie the top of this second bag after squeezing to remove air.
Thawing your corn
When you are ready to have corn on the cob with your meal, simply pull out the exact number of ears of corn that you need, and thaw. I place my frozen corn on the cob in a sink full of cold water, and allow it to thaw enough for me to remove the husks. Then I steam my corn on the cobs, allowing it to finish thawing while it is steaming. You can thaw your corn completely before use, by placing it in the refrigerator to thaw. The corn remains tasty and tender with no mushy texture.
How long will it keep in the freezer?
Your corn will stay fresh in the freezer until the next season. It’s advised that you don’t freeze more than you can use in one season.
Tasty corn on the cob
Now you are ready to enjoy the taste of fresh corn on the cob whenever you want. Imagine fresh corn on the cob in the middle of winter. Bring memories of summer to your winter meals. Save money by stocking up on fresh corn on the cob when it is in the peak of its season.
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