Freezing Fresh Corn

It's harvest time and anyone with a garden is most likely up to their ears with produce. I hate when anything goes to waste so I'm always in search of ways to store food. I love to can but it can be a very big project and you have to have all the equipment what can you do instead? Freeze it! I know this isn't the best option if your wanting to store it for long periods of time but it should be good for up to a year. 

I'll be using corn on the cob to demonstrate what you need and how to do it. First off, freezing always goes best when you have a food vacuum. It can be done without it, there's just a bigger risk of freezer burn. I don't have a food vacuum so I'll will be making do without it. I started with a dozen ears of corn, the fresher the better, so if your able to pick it right off the stalk it's going to taste really good!

1. Shuck the corn and try to get as much of the silk off as possible but if there is some let it will be fine.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once it's boiling add the corn, I only did six at a time and did two batches. This is called blanching and is necessary for keeping the taste. Depending on the size is how long you will cook it. Small-7 minutes, Medium-9 minutes, and Large-11 minutes.

3. Once it has cooked for the needed time you will transfer it to a bowl of water filled with ice. Let it cool for the same time that it cooked adding more ice as it melts. 

4. Once its cooled down you can cut the corn off and add it to a freezer bag or a zip lock bag. Since there are only two in my family I used a sandwich size zip lock bag and only put two-three serving sizes in it. 

5. If you have a food vacuum this is where you will suck out all the air. If you have a zip lock bag like I do just try to get as much air out of it as possible and close it. I've heard of people putting a straw in it and sucking out the air then closing it. Whatever works best for you.

6. Lastly you can mark the bag with the date it was made. It should last about a year as long as there is not bad freezer burn.

Note: When you are ready to eat it just put the bag in the microwave and heat it up for a couple of minutes.