Freezing corn on the cob
turner
close to fresh.
Am I chasing a dream of having garden fresh corn on the cob in January?
Ken75
of the academic community, and actually completely cooked the corn for ten
minutes. I'd hardly call that blanching! My conclusion by January was that
it wasn't as good as fresh, but it was sure good enough to make the effort
worthwhile. Mostly a texture thing; it was a little watery, at least
compared to fresh. I would thaw it while submerged in water. The thinking
there is that it won't get all shriveled that way. Then I would steam it. If
you don't get it thawed all the way, the reheated corn gets tepid in a hurry
from the cold cob. This year I'll try reheating it in the oven. That may be
the trick. Also, a couple of years ago I froze corn on the cob after
blanching for three minutes. It got tasteless on me as the winter
progressed.
Ken A.
turner <tur...@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:aj8fjo$c3b$1...@slb2.atl.mindspring.net...
Jack Schmidling
had much better corn this winter by "blanching" for ten minutes than in
previous years.
We prepared it in boiling water or microwave and both process produced
about the same results. Considering the time of year, I could complain
about nothing.
Last year someone suggested measuring the core temp while cooling and not to
remove it from water till it was below 70F.
I did this today but not sure why and posted a question for clarification.
We also went back to Golden Bantam this year and will never try another new
corn again. This stuff is without a doubt, the finest corn one can grow.
js
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Ross Reid
I never could understand what was the big deal about having corn "on
the cob" in the winter?
We normally freeze hundreds of freshly picked ears of corn but, we
freeze the kernels "off the cob". Doing it that way, it tastes far
better than any we've tried freezing on the cob with the added bonus
that it takes up much less freezer space.
I have a 12 gallon pot that I use outside on a propane fired cooker. I
bring the water to a good rolling boil and dump in about 4 or 5 dozen
cobs of corn. The moment the water returns to the boil I scoop out the
cobs with a large mesh strainer and plunge them into a big pot of ice
water.
When they've cooled off, I drain them and take them into the house
where my wife cuts off the kernels. We then pack it into freezer bags
and put it into the freezer.
This is the only corn many of our grandkids will eat. As far as I'm
concerned, as much as I enjoy the "ritual" of the first fresh corn on
the cob, for the rest of the year I'll take it off the cob way ahead
of on the cob.
Ross
Eliminate obvious to email.
Jack Schmidling
"Ross Reid"
> I never could understand what was the big deal about having corn "on
> the cob" in the winter?......
It's a ritual... like an hors-d'oeuvre. It's fun.
Off the cob it's just another vegetable you can buy in 5 lb bags at the
supermarket.
js
zxcvbob
You can buy better frozen corn-on-the-cob than you can freeze yourself. If
you cut it off the cob, it is far better than any frozen or canned corn
than you can buy and it doesn't take up so much freezer space.
My garden is too small to grow corn -- although if I were fighting a
nematode problem I would grow nothing but corn for a year. I buy sweet
corn off the back of pickup trucks around here on weekends in late summer.
I buy a dozen ears of fresh corn and boil it all. We eat corn until we are
stuffed, and I cut the rest of the cooked corn and freeze it. Several
iterations of this each year, and we have good tasting frozen corn for the
winter. I buy bags of frozen corn for cooking with (in soups and
casseroles and stuff), but it's not nearly as good as the stuff I freeze.
And my procedure is optimized for laziness, not for optimum quality.
Best regards,
Bob
Ross Reid
Jack,
If your home blanched, de-cobbed and then frozen corn tastes anything
like the stuff you get in a bag at the supermarket you are definitely
doing something wrong ;-).
turner
I have always found it challenging to try to achieve
something others have thought undoable. Or to have
others enlighten me with their success or failures.
I do agree that cut off the cob and frozen is preferable
to any on the cob frozen I have tried. I will continue to chase
my dream however.
Regards..............................
Turner
Jack Schmidling
"zxcvbob" <b...@area51online.net>
> You can buy better frozen corn-on-the-cob than you can freeze
yourself.....
There are two kinds of people on earth. Those who like modern sweet corn
and those who like real corn. The former are the same people that like Bud,
white bread and chicken breasts.
In my humble opinion, modern sweet corn, be it off a pickup or the
supermarket is marginally eatable and then only before our Golden Bantam is
ready. In most cases when we buy corn, we have a hard time eating a single
ear and the rest goes to the chickens.
The difference between our corn and anything else we can get is like the
difference between our beer and Bud.
. > If
> you cut it off the cob, it is far better than any frozen or canned corn
> than you can buy and it doesn't take up so much freezer space.
That may very well be but it has nothing to do with your first statement.
> I buy bags of frozen corn for cooking with (in soups and
> casseroles and stuff), but it's not nearly as good as the stuff I freeze.
What we can not eat or do not want to freeze, we dry and use in soups or as
corn meal which is another awsome taste experience. The difference between
corn bread made from our dried corn and Quaker field corn meal is right up
there with white bread a Bud.
> And my procedure is optimized for laziness, not for optimum quality.
Ah so.... now the truth comes out. There is a definite conflict between
gormandizing and laziness.
To me preserving and preparing food is a labor of love just like eating it.
zxcvbob
Do you raise your own hogs and butcher them yourself to make your sausage?
If not you are a hypocrite. Do you grow and malt your own barley for your
beer? I didn't think so.
If I grew my own corn, I would not have space for tomatoes and peppers and
beans.
The only laziness involved in the way I put up corn is I do not buy corn
specifically to freeze. I buy too much corn for a meal so there will be
leftover corn for freezing. I prefer to think of it as economics. The
quality is excellent; it might be superb if I blanched and chilled the corn
before cutting it instead of briefly cooking it first and letting cool on
its own, or it might not if I get ahold of a bad batch.
Best regards,
Bob
George Shirley
favorite is basically grown, or at least was on my Dad's place, as animal fodder. Big fat ears, up
to 12-14 inches long, very tasty if picked at the dead ripe stage and then boiled a few minutes and
slathered with fresh butter, sprinkled with a little salt and some pepper. Leave it on the stalk and
harvest it at the dry stage to feed the stock. Haven't had any for years though.
George
Sandra P. Hoffman
wrote:
>
>"zxcvbob" <b...@area51online.net>
>
>> You can buy better frozen corn-on-the-cob than you can freeze
>yourself.....
>
>There are two kinds of people on earth. Those who like modern sweet corn
>and those who like real corn. The former are the same people that like Bud,
>white bread and chicken breasts.
I grow and like peaches and cream corn. It is a modern hybrid. We make
our own beer. We don't eat pre-packaged white bread, and we are
vegetarian so don't eat any part of chickens.
>
>What we can not eat or do not want to freeze, we dry and use in soups or as
>corn meal which is another awsome taste experience. The difference between
>corn bread made from our dried corn and Quaker field corn meal is right up
>there with white bread a Bud.
We grow only enough corn for fresh summer eating. It is best eaten
immediately while still standing beside the stalk it was picked from.
We buy frozen for the rest of the year. The difference in corn bread
between that made with Quaker field corn and that made with a good
organic corn meal is also quite stunning. The beer we make is better
than large brewery beers, but not as good as the best beer from a good
microbrewery where the brewmaster has spent his life learning how to
make good real beer. A really good baguette from a true French bakery,
made with white flour, by a baker who has spent his life learning how
to make the best bread possible, is an amazing treat.
>
>> And my procedure is optimized for laziness, not for optimum quality.
>
>Ah so.... now the truth comes out. There is a definite conflict between
>gormandizing and laziness.
Not usually. Not when it comes to growing and preserving your own
foods. Very often the less done the better.
Back to corn. There really is no way to preserve corn on the cob that
gets close to the experience of cooking up and eating fresh corn on
the cob. Freezing corn on the cob is a lot of effort for a minimal
reward. People are still free to do that, but a lot of people will opt
for the better flavour and texture you get when you remove the corn
from the cob before freezing.
>
>To me preserving and preparing food is a labor of love just like eating it.
And for me simplifying that process to its cleanest and most elegant,
and focusing my efforts on processes that maintain the best flavour
texture and nutrition are an integral part of that labour of love.
Some people want corn on the cob in the winter. I don't fully
understand why, but the instructions for processing it should always
come with the warning that it will not be anywhere near as good as it
would be fresh, and will not even be as good in flavour and texture as
the same corn would be cut off the cob before freezing.
And finally if I had enough space to grow all the corn we could use, I
would still only grow enough sweet corn for fresh summer eating. I
would drop frozen corn from the list, and grow corn for drying and
popping for winter use. But that is because I have opted for minimum
ongoing energy inputs for storing food (I don't own and don't intend
to buy a stand alone freezer).
sph
The voices of the cicadas
Penetrate the rocks. -- Basho
Sandra Hoffman he...@magma.ca
Ken75
good ng.
Ken A.
Ken75
Jack Schmidling
"Ross Reid"
> Jack,
> If your home blanched, de-cobbed and then frozen corn tastes anything
> like the stuff you get in a bag at the supermarket you are definitely
> doing something wrong ;-).
I do not remove it from the cob but presume it would probably taste even
better if I did.
My point was that eating corn on the cob is gastronomic experience that goes
beyond just the flavor.
A serving of shelled corn on a plate is only flavor and I prefer the whole
program.
Jack Schmidling
"zxcvbob" <b...@area51online.net> wrote in message
news:3D592494...@area51online.net...
> Do you raise your own hogs and butcher them yourself to make your sausage?
> If not you are a hypocrite. Do you grow and malt your own barley for your
> beer? I didn't think so.
What does that have to do with the fact that you said you optimized for
laziness not quality?
> The only laziness involved in the way I put up corn is I do not buy corn
> specifically to freeze...........
Your word not mine.
js
zxcvbob
>
> "zxcvbob" <b...@area51online.net> wrote in message
> news:3D592494...@area51online.net...
>
> > Do you raise your own hogs and butcher them yourself to make your sausage?
> > If not you are a hypocrite. Do you grow and malt your own barley for your
> > beer? I didn't think so.
>
> What does that have to do with the fact that you said you optimized for
> laziness not quality?
Because you take shortcuts in your sausage making and beer brewing, and
that's exactly the same thing you were ragging on me about.
Best regards,
Bob
Ross Reid
>
>"Ross Reid"
>> Jack,
>> If your home blanched, de-cobbed and then frozen corn tastes anything
>> like the stuff you get in a bag at the supermarket you are definitely
>> doing something wrong ;-).
>
>I do not remove it from the cob but presume it would probably taste even
>better if I did.
>
>My point was that eating corn on the cob is gastronomic experience that goes
>beyond just the flavor.
>
>A serving of shelled corn on a plate is only flavor and I prefer the whole
>program.
>
>js
Then, resign yourself to mediocre tasting corn outside of fresh corn
season. For me, I'll take superior flavour every time.
Jack Schmidling
"zxcvbob" <b...@area51online.net>
> > What does that have to do with the fact that you said you optimized for
> > laziness not quality?
>
> Because you take shortcuts in your sausage making and beer brewing, and
> that's exactly the same thing you were ragging on me about.....
Wrong! You said (to praphrase) that laziness prevails over quality.
A gormandizer allows no such copromise. I take shortcuts only if they have
no effect on the quality of the final product.