Not ONLY are you going to learn how to freeze fresh corn on the cob, you're going to learn how to do it so it still has a good crunch when you bite into it in the middle of winter. That's right - frozen corn on the cob that isn't mushy.
If you haven't tried freezing whole corn on the cob before you're probably just casually reading this sentence. If you HAVE tried freezing whole cobs of corn before you are currently spinning like a border collie on uppers.
Frozen corn on the cob that isn't MUSHY is the unicorn of the preserving world. It's a known thing. Don't believe me? The world corn is literally in the word unicorn.
Everyone says it can be done, but when you try it the results are more donkey than unicorn.
Since I grow corn and have a habit of trying to preserve most of the food I grow, I've been trying to freeze it for years. THIS is the first year I think I have the method down.
I don't like canned corn the same way I like canned green beans. Otherwise I would just can the kernels - which I've done in the past. But picking up a forkful of loose kernels just isn't the same as biting into a full cob.
Just ask anyone with dentures.
There are 4 main rules when it comes to success with freezing corn.
Table of Contents
FREEZING RULES
- The corn MUST be picked within hours of processing it.
- The corn MUST be blanched.
- The corn MUST be cooled and frozen quickly.
- Cook from frozen.
MUST MUST MUST
If you fail on any one of those things you'll be dealing with donkey cobs.
How to freeze corn
- Buy your corn from a farm stand and make SURE it was picked that day. Corn starts to degrade within hours of picking it. The natural sugars in each kernel start converting to starch within a couple of hours after picking it. So, the longer it sits the less sweet and more sticky/gummy/tough it becomes.
Instructions
Once you've bought your fresh corn the processing begins - immediately.
- Get a large pot of water boiling. DON'T add salt.
- Shuck all your corn.
- To blanch your corn, add it to the pot of boiling water, and cook for 9 minutes. I know that sounds like a long time (compared to the 3 minutes you're probably used to cooking corn) but trust me on this. 9 minutes.
4. After 9 minutes remove the corn from the boiling water and place it in a pot of ice water for 9 minutes to quickly chill it.
5. Lay your cobs onto paper towels or a clean dish cloth and pat to dry. The corn needs to be completely dry with no moisture.
6. Cover with a dry cloth and leave it a few minutes to doubly make sure it's dry.
7. If you have a Foodsaver, seal your corn in bags right away, making sure the kernels don't squish and you get a good seal. (If you don't have a Foodsaver put the corn in a freezer bag, press all the air out that you can then use a straw to suck any remaining air out.
Hint: To help keep my ice water icy when I remove my corn from the boiling water I run each cob under a cold tap for a few seconds. Then I put it in the ice bath. This takes some of the initial heat away and keeps your ice bath colder.
Cooking
On that cold winter night, with snow flying and mittens melting into the sink, pull your summer corn out of the freezer and heat it in simmering water from frozen until it's warmed through.
- If you have a Foodsaver you can drop the corn still sealed in the bag into a pot of simmering water to heat up. Foodsaver bags are safe to simmer in.
- If you froze in a freezer bag, remove the corn and drop into a pot of simmering or boiling water to heat up.
The Results
Incredible. As you maybe heard in the video, after being frozen the corn retained crunch and sweetness.
Was it as good as fresh picked corn? No. Don't be ridiculous. Nothing is as good as fresh picked corn, but it really wasn't that far off.
If I had served it to someone they never would have known it had been frozen. And that's the goal.
The Blanching
Like I mentioned, 9 minutes seems like a long time to blanch, but that's what you need to do to help guarantee the enzymes in the corn have been rendered as inactive as possible.
It's those enzymes that ripen the corn. It's those enzymes that immediately start turning sugars to sticky starches when you pick it.
If you don't deactivate the enzymes by blanching, the corn will continue to ripen even while it's in the freezer causing colour loss, nutrient loss and that gross gummy/starchy texture.
So it's those enzymes you want to STOP in their tracks before freezing.
If you still don't believe me you can read this very boring scientific paper on the effects of blanching on corn prior to freezing.
You know when corn is sticky and and starchy and gets glued to your molars? That's what happens when it's old. You can thank active enzymes for that.
Equipment
If you don't have a vacuum sealer and are on the fence about it I can tell you I've had one for decades and I love it. I use it all the time. If you have a huge family and food doesn't sit in your freezer any longer than a couple of weeks you might not need one, but if there's just one or two of you at home (especially if you have a Costco membership) a Foodsaver really will save your food. This is the one I have - it's the smallest most basic model.
Storage
Store the corn in the freezer for up to a year. After that it's still fine to eat, the quality (colour, taste, texture) just degrades the longer it's frozen. It won't go bad, it just won't taste as good.
How to freeze fresh corn on the cob
How to freeze corn right on the cob so you can pull it out and crunch through it in the winter. CRUNCH being the operative word. No mushy kernels here.
Materials
- Corn on the cob - fresh picked, no older than a few hours
- Large pot of unsalted boiling water
- Large pot or bowl of ice water
- Tongs
- Clean dish cloth
- Baggies with straw or a vacuum sealer
Instructions
- Add shucked corn to a pot of unsalted boiling water and blanch for 9 minutes.
- Remove corn from pot after 9 minutes and plunge into ice bath. Leave for 9 minutes.
- Remove corn from ice bath and lay on dish cloth, patting all sides dry.
- Place cold corn in baggie and press the air out. Using a straw suck any remaining air out and close bag.
- OR if you have a vacuum sealer, vacuseal the corn.
- Freeze immediately.
Notes
Blanching corn
Small cobs - 7 minutes
Medium cobs - 9 minutes
Large cobs - 11 minutes
I know this sounds like a LONG time to blanch but trust me on this. Corn has enzymes that need to be inactivated before freezing. Boiling the corn does this. If you don't completely inactivate the enzymes you'll get gummy corn.
FAQ
Well it's not going to kill you if you don't, but you aren't going to like your frozen corn either. Blanching kills the enzyme activity. And enzyme activity is what causes corn to be gummy and tasteless.
Yep. If you aren't afraid of microwaves it does a great job of blanching. It doesn't speed the process up though. You still need to blanch in the microwave on high for 9 minutes. You must also blanch in a Pyrex bowl with a Pyrex dish on top so you don't lose moisture.
Sure, you can also steam blanch corn on the cob instead of boiling it. 9 minutes is still the length of time recommended.
As a matter of fact I can. Read this guide to find out of you're a lunatic based on how you eat your corn on the cob.
I've tried to do this many times over the years but never exactly like this. I blanched for too short a time, or used corn from the grocery store, little things I didn't think would matter that much. They matter.
Freeze corn exactly like this and when you open your freezer in the middle of February you stand a very good chance of coming face to face with a unicorn.
How do you cook it after freezing? Sorry I may have missed your instructions on that.
I'm assuming it's ok to break the cobs in half and blanch then freeze? It doesn't matter what size the cobs are, right?
Sure! That's fine. ~ karen!
We tried several years ago too freeze corn on cob, what a disaster that was.
Funny thing is I just asked hubby if we should try to do it again…..
The look alone made me realize that I must have grown at least one more head if not more 😁.
His verbal response was ( are you #(/* kidding me).
So there for I unfortunately will not be freezing corn cob or not.
Just try two cobs. Don't tell him. Then pull them out in January. ~ karen!
I'm a rebel.
I shuck and de-niblet (is there another term?) the cobs without blanching. I have two fridge freezers and one stand up freezer packed full, so I certainly wouldn't be able to fit the 5 dozen cobs intact anywhere. Between containers of home made dog food, pans of baked ziti, bacon, steaks, soups, etc., there's just no room.
We enjoy the taste of fresh corn all year long and I haven't noticed any unpleasant taste or texture. Maybe I just eat it too fast. I may have to try this method next summer if things empty out by then.
Next time you eat it see if it seems overly sticky. Mind you if you haven't noticed yet you probably shouldn't seek trouble, lol. I like niblets but I wouldn't care if I ate them all winter. For some reason it HAS to be on the cob to be really enjoyable for me. ~ karen!
Hi, okay, but I want to remove the corn from the cob and freeze it. (gasp! I kno’) How would I do that please?
Thank you!
Karen- I loved this! And the sound of your crunching. It sounded like the typewriter style, and I’m sorry I cannot remember which style you are. I go round and round and back and forth at the same time - but mostly round and round.
I haven’t gotten to visit Kansas for the third summer in a row, so I also haven’t gotten my fill of corn from my friends’ farmer’s market. They do go out - every morning, and pick bushels and bushels. This is making me so very hungry for their Peaches and Cream corn. You hardly have to chew it, it is so tender.
Now I must leave you all with this, from Instagram. This has gone viral, so everyone may have seen it, but I love this little lover of “Cone on the Cob”. He’s quite the spokesperson! His name is Tariq, and he loves corn and is so very smart and is missing front teeth. 😍❤️
https://www.today.com/video/-corn-kid-goes-viral-and-gets-a-remixed-song-146965573576
The beginning:
The next one:
The song
Recess Therapy on Instagram
Excellent tips on the corny process. Thanks for sharing. I was tempted to say "Aw shucks, ma'am."..... but I won't cuz that would be silly.
IT WOULD. Very silly. You corn do better. ~ karen!
Methinks your comment holds a kernel of truth and wisdom. I should gladly partake of an earful.
Not hot enough here to grow corn, so I’ll have to trust you on the secrets. But I saw a side bar you have about canning green beans. Oh, boy, that’s triggered a whole recollection from childhood. My Nana canned green beans. They were GRAY and limp and horrid. My mother always cooked her green beans til they were gray and limp and not that horrid, as usually she’d add a pile of bacon to the mix. But the reason she cooked them til gray and limp: She’d been taught you’ll get Ptomaine poisoning if you don’t cook them thoroughly! Well, I guess improperly canned beans can get toxic, but not cooked for the plate, beans! And to this day, I feel guilty with my barely cooked haricots verts fresh from the garden! Or, defiant. But I think Mom would have loved the crunch of my brands! And a little bacon would be nice!