How to Freeze Sweet Corn

Late summer is when canning, preserving, dehydrating and thinking about the upcoming winter seems like it can completely take over your life.  Getting those last few quarts of tomatoes into the canner or just one more batch of apples in the dehydrator feels like a way to bring a bit of the summer with you into the upcoming colder months.  One simple way I like to preserve some of summer’s bounty, is to freeze a large batch of sweet corn so we have delicious corn to eat all winter.

Usually, I try to preserve food in ways that don’t require a freezer, just in case of a power outage or outlet failure that may ruin all my hard work, but sweet corn is one exception.  Canning corn just doesn’t seem to preserve the flavor quite as well as freezing does, so I save room in my freezer for enough corn to get us to the next season. 

Planning

Your first task is to decide how often your family likes to eat corn as a side dish or as an ingredient in a dish per month and then how many months until there will be fresh corn again.  For our family I usually figure corn as a side dish twice a month, excluding the summer when we eat it fresh so about 18 packages will usually get us through.

My garden had a less than ideal year and my corn only reached knee high before it was ruined by a strong storm so homegrown corn was out of the question for us.  We were able to find a local seller that was selling sweet corn (at a great price!) to bring in extra funds for our local food pantry.  We purchased four dozen ears of corn for $12 total; a frugal find for us and we also got to support our food pantry!

Prepping the Corn

To freeze corn, blanch in boiling water for about 10 minutes to soften the kernels and release some of the starch.  While the water heats up, I shucked the corn, making sure to get as much of the silk off as possible.  There was quite a lot of “help” from my toddler who was more than happy to start shucking about 487 ears of corn before losing interest. 

Once the water reaches a rolling boil I submerge as many ears as can fit in the pot and still be covered with water and boil for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes I remove them from the water and submerge them in the sink with ice water to cool. 

Cutting up the Corn

After blanching and cooling, cut the kernels off the cob using a sharp knife (I found using a filet knife works the best, although a serrated bread knife will work in a pinch too).  Stand the cob on end and cut from the narrow end to the broad end being careful not to go too deep or you’ll get part of the cob in your finished product.  If you are having trouble keeping the corn upright with one hand and slicing with your other hand, try using a bundt pan or angel food cake pan. Place the cob into the hole in the middle of the pan to help hold it while you cut the kernels off.  This way as you slice down the cob, the kernels fall into the circular pan and you can just dump it into your larger bowl as it fills. 

Packing and Freezing

 For our family, a two-cup package is about a perfect amount, so I measure two cups, fill a Ziploc freezer bag, remove as much air as possible, and seal.  If you flatten the corn in the bag once it’s sealed, then you can stack them in your freezer much more efficiently and save a ton of room.  Remember to label with how many cups each package contains as well as what it is and the date.  You’d be surprised how different things look once they’re frozen, and how many times I’ve pulled out corn instead of frozen summer squash because I didn’t think I needed to label what was in each package.  Save yourself the headache and write on the package what it is!  I also always write the year on the package so I make sure to use up the older corn before I start using this year’s corn if I have leftovers.

Cost Calculations

Freezing corn is a fast and easy way to enjoy those summer flavors throughout the winter.  It’s also a budget and time friendly way to add to your stored food.  I purchased four dozen ears at $3 a dozen ($12 total) and it made 19 packages, which comes out to $0.63 per package.  I spent under two hours start to finish including “help” from my toddler throughout the entire process.  Definitely a budget friendly way to add some great fresh nutrition to my family’s meals throughout the winter! 

Also, just a note on butter . . . Some people like to add butter to their frozen corn before freezing and I’ve done that in the past.  I’ve found that if you grow/find great tasting sweet corn to freeze you don’t need to add butter and if you feel you need to, I find it easier to add when I’m warming it up on the stove to eat instead of when I’m processing to freeze.

Let me know your favorite way to use frozen sweet corn!