Summer sunshine preserved for Winter – this is the last of this season’s corn. Lewis and I love a few kernels in our bean burritos, so I shucked 50 ears today to blanch and put away in the freezer. Already threw a handful into our lentil soup that we had for dinner tonight and salivating over the thought of corn chowder for lunch tomorrow. We’ll see how long the corn lasts; wondering if it will make it through the autumn.
Being set up before the water boils is important because the corn only needs 2 minutes of blanching. Go over that time and the flavor and texture are destroyed. I learned my lesson last year. Here’s my set-up for 50 ears:
- 2 large pots filled with water
- 2 large bowls
- 1 large bowl filled with ice and cold water
- Clean kitchen towel
- Tongs
- Large baking sheet
- Corn cutter or large chef’s knife
- Sandwich bags
- Gallon freezer bags
Here’s my process:
Bring the 2 pots of water to boil while shucking the corn.
Use the kitchen towel to remove the silks (annoying strands) by wrapping the towel around the corn and rubbing until removed.
Place as many corn as fit easily in the pots with all parts submerged in the water. Blanch for 2 minutes.
Transfer the corn with the tongs to the empty bowls and run cold water over them until the bowl is full. Drain and place the corn in the iced water. After 2 minutes, transfer to the baking sheet.
Repeat until all of the corn is blanched and cooled.
Using a corn cutter, cut off the kernels into a bowl. You can also cut the kernels off by standing the cob tip end up and cutting from top to bottom. Be careful!
Place the corn kernels into sandwich bags (I measured out 1 cup each), seal and place into freezer bags.
Freeze for up to 6 months.
So sweet.
– Sheila