5 Ways to Preserve Corn: Freezing, Drying, Canning, Pickling, Salting

Reader Contribution by Carole Cancler
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Preserving corn is a good way to extend summer into fall and winter. Canning and freezing are two popular methods, especially for today’s sweet corn varieties. But there are several other good ways to capture the essence of the corn. Pickled corn is a bright salad-like relish that can be enjoyed with many meals. Salting and drying are other good methods. Each of these food preservation methods for corn are detailed below.

How to prepare corn for preserving. Grasp and pull husks and silky fibers from ears of corn; scrub ear gently with a vegetable brush to remove all fibers. If freezing or drying, blanch ears of corn as described in the next paragraph. To cut corn kernels from the cob neatly and easily, stand an ear on end in the center of a Bundt pan and slice down the side with a chef’s knife. The kernels will fall neatly into the pan.

How to blanch corn before freezing or drying. Blanching, or partial cooking, helps vegetables stay fresh longer when they are frozen or dried. Without blanching, enzymes that are naturally present remain active and the food continues to ripen and may spoil.Blanch husked ears by plunging into boiling, unsalted water for 7 minutes if ears are under 1-1/2 inches in diameter, for 9 minutes if up to 2 inches, and larger ears for 11 minutes. Cool ears in ice water and then drain well before cutting kernels from cob. Alternatively, you may grill corn (preferably without oil or seasonings), cool it, and cut the kernels from the cob. Roasted corn is excellent when frozen or dried.

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