Freezer Corn

I love HARVEST time... after planting the garden, watering, weeding, & weeding.... comes the harvest!!  But along with the YUMMY produce to eat- comes the WORK!   Freezing corn can be quite the process. 

When I was first married I did it like my Mother had taught me..... husking, washing, blanching in a pot of boiling water, putting it into a sink of ice water, cutting it off of the HOT ears, bagging & freezing!  Whew..

Then I started doing it a much easier way.... and I have been doing it like this for 30 years.

First you need fresh corn!!

then cut each ear of corn at both ends like this... it makes it easier to peel the husks off.  This is a great job for the kids to do.

Now this is the TIP of the day.... cut the kernals of corn off  BEFORE blanching it. I know this picture looks a little dangerous, but when you are taking a picture of yourself cutting corn off you have to stage it. I held the cob upright, stuck the knife in the cob & took the picture with the other hand.  Making it look like I was about to cut my thumb off. LOL  I just wanted you to be able to see I cut it with a knife

because the corn isn't cooked it can be a little messy when you cut it off, so if you cut the bottom inch off on a cutting board first

then put the cob inside the bowl you are using it falls into the bowl = less mess to clean up.  I use the large tupperware bowl and it's perfect.  After you have cut the corn off of the cobs- measure the corn into your bowl (I use the tupperware bowl again)  Usually 1 dozen ears will give you about 11 cups of corn.  Pour 1/2 cup water into the bowl of corn & put it in the microwave.  Cook it 1 minute per cup/  So if you have 11 cups cook 11 minutes.

then bag up the blanched corn into bags and freeze.  I have a food saver, so I put 2 cups per bag and seal them.  But before I had a foodsaver I just put the corn into Ziplock freezer bags and flattened them so they stacked into the freezer better.   If you have never froze corn before.... you have NO idea how much easier this is!!  I will never go back to the old way of doing it.  So there is your Tip for Tuesday!!