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How to Freeze Corn - Easily! With Step-by-step Photos, Recipe, Directions, Ingredients and Costs
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If you like frozen niblets-type corn in the winter, just imagine how good itwould taste if you had picked a couple of dozen ears yourself, or bought acouple 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'show 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 youwantdirections for freezing corn ONthe cob, click here. Personally, I think you will get better results anduse 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 perserving.
- 1 Large pot of boiling water
- Plenty of ice - about 1 tray per ear.
- Vacuum food sealer or "ziploc" type freezer bags (the freezer bagversion is heavier and protects better against freezer burn.
- 2 large bowls, one filled with cold water and ice.
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 Large spoon
The photo at right shows an i
dealear - 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!
Step 1 - Get yer corn!
Start with fresh corn on the cob - as fresh as you can get. Ifthere is a delay between harvesting and freezing, put it in therefrigerator or put ice on it. The sugars break down quickly at roomtemperature.
Step 2 - Get the potsready
Get the largest pot you have (I use my canner) filled 3/4 full with hotwater, put it on your largest burner (or straddle two burners) and get itheating to a full rolling boil..
Next, get a LARGE bowl filled with ice and cold water. You may need tobuy a bag or two of ice if you are planning to do more than a dozen earsof corn.
Step 3 - Husk the corn
Husk the corn and pick off as much of the silk as you can. Asoft vegetable brush is the fastest and easiest way to get the remainingsilk off - just don't be too rough with it.
Step 4 - Blanch the corn.
All fruits and vegetables contain enzymesthat, over time, break down the destroy nutrients and change the color,flavor, and texture of food during frozen storage. Corn requires a briefheat treatment, called blanching, in boiling water or steam, todestroy the enzymes before freezing. Blanching times generally vary fromone to 10 minutes, depending on the vegetable. The duration should be justlong enough to stop the action of the enzymes.See the note below for updates
Begin counting the blanching time as soon as you place the corn in theboiling water, noting that the water ought to return to a boil in a minuteor less. If it takes several minutes or more to return to a boil, you areusing too small a pot or adding too much corn.
Cover the kettle and boil at a high temperature for the requiredlength of time. You may use the same blanching water several times (upto 5). Be sure to add more hot water from the tap from time to time tokeep the water level at the required height.
Blanching time varies depending on the type of frozen corn you aremaking: cut-whole kernel, cream style or corn-on-the-cob:
Blanching times, for freezing the corn:
Whole Kernel Corn - 3 to4minutes.
Cream style corn - 3 to 4minutes.
Note: It's my opinion that best results come from whole kernel or creamstyle. Personally, I don't recommend freezing it on the cob: it takesup too much space in the freezer, and gets too mushy.
Blanching notes:
UC Davis research has shown that super sweet varieties typicallyrequire a 4 min blanch. Their point being, it is easy to OVER-blanch supersweet corn. In my own experience, I've found that blanching for 2 to 3minutes is optimal, even as little as 1 or 2 minutes if you are going to eatthe corn within 3 or 4 months. The blanching step is ONLY to stop the actionof enzymes that degrade the flavor - it is not a safety step, so less isbetter than more in this case! Especially with super sweet varieties -as one farmer (Vaughan Farm's Produce) points out, the sugars can caramelize(breakdown) if you blanch too long.
Some people skip blanching and reportexcellent results. I still blanch for 3 minutes, and use that as acleaning step and to slow some enzymes.
Step 5 - Cool the corn
Cool corn immediately in ice water. Drain the corn thoroughly.
After vegetables are blanched, cool them quickly to preventovercooking. Plunge the corn into a large quantity of ice-cold water (Ikeep adding more ice to it). A good rule of thumb: Cool for the sameamount of time as the blanch step. For instance, if you blanch sweet cornfor 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 thedepth of the kernels. I hold the ear by the small end, and slide the knifedown the ear. see the next photo.
Cream Style Corn - Cut kernel tips about 1/2 deep andscrape the cobs with the back of a knife to remove the juice and the heartof the kernel.
Another way to prepare cream style corn for freezing is to cut and scrapethe corn from the cob without blanching. Place the cut corn in a doubleboiler, and heat with constant stirring for about 10 minutes or until itthickens; allow to cool by placing the pan in ice water.
 | You don't need a special tool, just a very sharp knife! However, a numberof people wrote in to point out that they prefer one of the tools below, asdo I, often because it is easier for them due to arthritis, or simplyfaster. See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on AmazonSee here for related tools, equipment, supplies on AmazonSee here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon Tip from a visitor: "When cutting corn off the cob, put stem in a Bundtpan and cut with electric knife." |
| As the corn piles up in your bowl, it will look like this! |  |
 | Close up, the corn comes off in strips. As you put these inthe bag, they will easily separate into separate kernels. Tip: |
Step 7 - Bag the cornI love the FoodSavers (seethis page for more information) with their vacuum sealing! I amnot paid by them, but these things really work. If you don't haveone, ziploc bags work, too, but it is hard to get as much air out of thebags. remove the air to prevent drying and freezer burn. |   See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon |
 | A vacuum-sealed FoodSaver bag is on top at left. You can see how theFoodSaver really sucks out all the air, so the corn won't dry out or getfreezer burn. That means the food inside will last many times longer. I'vebeen using them (and their predecessor in the marketplace, Seal-a-Meal) formany 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 muchair out of the bags. remove the air to prevent drying and freezerburn. One person wrote to tell me that she uses a straw and seals the Ziplocaround the straw to suck the air out of the bag, then pinches the straw andquickly removes it while pressing the seal. It works fairly well, butI'll stick to the Foodsaver, since the bags are microwaveable and muchthicker 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. |
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 4minutes in the microwave (from frozen) or in the top of a double boiler.It doesn't need to be "cooked", just heated up! Freezing keeps corn safeto eat almost indefinitely, but the recommended maximum storage time of 12 months is best for taste and quality. The quality of the frozen corn is maintainedbest in a very cold freezer (deep freezer), and one that keeps them frozencompletely with no thaw cycles. Excluding any air from inside the bags whichleads to freezer burn, by using vacuum-sealed bags, is also important tomaintaining quality |  |
Tips:
- Harvest early in the morning, especially if the weather is hot, to getpeak flavor.
- Harvest the corn at its peak maturity (milky fluid in the kernels,kernels tender, and not bloated). Immature corn is watery when cooked andover-ripe corn is chewy and doughy.
- Process promptly after harvesting, or keep cooled in the fridge or withice until then.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I didn't know about the blanching step and I already froze my corn? Isthat dangerous? Should I take the corn out of the freezer and blanch it andre-freeze it?
No, there is no health or safety problem. Blanching is done to preservethe flavor and sweetness. In fact, if you eat the corn in a matter ofweeks, you probably wouldn't notice the difference. It becomes mostnoticeable (much less tasty and sweet) after months in the freezer, ifit hadn't been blanched.
Q. I'm freezing corn on the cob tomorrow. Is it possible to "steam" ina crab pot vs. boiling in water? If so, what adjustment to the blanching timeshould I make?
A. Great question. You can steam blanch most vegetables, althoughwater is generally preferred. Heating in steam is recommended for a fewvegetables, and for broccoli, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and winter squash,both steaming and boiling are satisfactory methods.
Steam blanching takes about 11/2 times longer than water blanching.Water blanching provides greater enthalpy, means more effective andrapid heating, thus steam blanching takes longer.
To steam, use a pot with a tight lid and a basket that holds the foodat least three inches above the bottom of the pot. Put an inch or two ofwater in the pot and bring the water to a boil.
Put the vegetables in the basket in a single layer so that steamreaches all parts quickly. Cover the pot and keep heat high. Startcounting steaming time as soon as the lid is on.
| Type of Corn | Blanching time in water | Blanching time in steam |
| Corn-on-the-cob | ||
| Small Ears | 7 minutes | 11 |
| Medium Ears | 9 | 14 |
| Large Ears | 11 | 17 |
| Whole Kernel or Cream Style (note: the ears are blanched beforecutting corn from cob) | 4 | 6 |
Q. I have tried to use a vacuum sealer to seal my corn for freezingbut the juice of the corn is pulled from the kernel preventing my food-saverfrom sealing the bag. Any suggestions?
A. Yep! Some corn is juicier than others! In that case, just fillthe bag with the corn kernels, and pop it into the freezer, unsealed. Wait afew hours, or overnight, until it is frozen; then take it out and vacuumseal it!
Q. My sister brought me sweet corn from California where she justmoved from. She asked the farmer what is the best way to freeze the cobs and hetold her that his family just cut the over-growth and ends and freeze the wholecob within the cobs and silk. I did this because of the fact it took her 3 daysdriving in hot temps outside so I had to do something quick. I always wouldclean and remove the silk and then blanch for over 5 minutes and cool in icewater then I would use the food saver vacuum sealer. By not blanching will thisbe harmful to eat after being frozen and vacuum sealed without blanching?
A. No, there's no health risk; the corn just will not maintain thequality of its flavor and appearance as long in the freezer. It mayhave noticeably less flavor after weeks rather than months.
Q. When freezing sweet corn you say to start counting blanch time whenyou put cobs in the boiling water then boil for 4 minutes. I know that when Icook corn on the cob I put the cobs in boiling water and it takes 4 to 5 minutesbefore it starts boiling again, so my question is does the blanch time actuallyrequire the water to be boiling?
Yes, the temperature ought to be back up to boiling before starting thetimer, if it takes more than 1 minute to return to a boil.
There's another problem at work though. If it takes that long (severalminutes or more) for the water to get back to boiling, that indicates thatthe 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 arephysicists 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 cornin each batch - or both - so the water returns to boiling in a minute or so.
Comments and Tips
- Comments from a visitor on August 15, 2009: "Hi, I just wanted to sharethat we use an electric knife to remove the blanched corn from the cob. Itis the easiest quickest way we have found for this part of the process. Lastnight we processed 10 dozen ears of corn in two hours. Please pass it on. My80 year old grandma taught me this trick! Thanks, kim"
