Freezing sweet corn?

I know this has been covered before….

I have LOADS of sweet corn right now. (Taste is second to none, I might add).

Historically, I have boiled it first, then cut it off the cob, THEN froze it.

BUT… I want to try cutting it off raw (instead of cooking it first) and freezing with cooking. That way, I don’t have to make a big process out of it and burn my fingers on hot cobs. I’m hoping to just take it out, unthaw it, and cook it on the stove or microwave for a few minutes when I want to eat it.

Anyone use this method with success? Any reason why it won’t work? For those of you who do it this way, I’d like to hear your results… Just seems easier and faster… And I can do a handful here and there easier without all the boiling.

Thanks,

Mike

My parents do it a little different, but it’s worked for the last 20 + years. We use electric knives to cut the stuff off into cake pans. Blanch it in boiling water. Drain, then use a measuring cup to put into freezer bags.

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My parents do it a little different, but it’s worked for the last 20 + years. We use electric knives to cut the stuff off into cake pans. Blanch it in boiling water. Drain, then use a measuring cup to put into freezer bags.

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My mom is a little older and she has been doing that way for 40+ yrs.

Boil for 2 min then put in sink with cold water (ice) this will stop it from cooking. Once cooled just cut it off the cob. Just that simple

Yeah, the big concern with freezing straight-up raw is damage to the cells. If you boil or blanch first, the cell walls get a bit stretchier and you don’t end up with total mush when you thaw and cook.

You don’t have to all-out boil it on the cob either. What I’d recommend is that you get a big pot of water boiling, drop 4-5 cobs in all at once, time it for 30 seconds and then use a tongs to pull the cobs out and drop them into a cooler filled with ice and water.

It’s a lot easier to blanch on the cob and then cut it off than it is to try to blanch cut kernels (IMO anyway). Not to mention that if you drop it into the ice water with tongs you stop the cooking AND cool the corn off… and then you just cut it off into a cake pan, freeze, and then measure into bags.

Just be forewarned, if you cut it off and freeze it straight-up raw you’re going to have sweetcorn mash when you thaw it out to eat it.

PS – One other thing, we used to use a cheese slicer like the one pictured here to cut the corn off the cob. They’re cheap (you can find them in the grocery store’s kitchen ware section) and rocket fast, and they don’t let you cut into the cob so you never get that woody crap that you can easily do with a knife.

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BUT… I want to try cutting it off raw (instead of cooking it first) and freezing with cooking.

Mike

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Better wear a rain coat if you want to cut it off raw it’s going to squirt everywhere

Thanks for the responses, guys, but I haven’t gotten an answer to my original question. I’m not asking about cooking the corn first, as I already know that works just fine.

Again…. Anyone freeze the corn WITHOUT first cooking or blanching? How does it keep/taste when go to eat it? How does it compare to pre-cooked frozen corn??

…. I have heard the reason behind cooking first is to lessen enzymatic actions with regards to sugar conversion to starch — (which apparently can happen even in a deep freeze) — which is why I am asking for opinions from people who have actually done the freeze-without-cooking method.

Thanks, though…

Mike

I think Arm Chair Diety said it is a bad idea. It will turn to mash.

I don’t remember how he does it, but search for Tuck’s post from last year I think. It isn’t the healthiest but my god, it is an awesome way.

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Again…. Anyone freeze the corn WITHOUT first cooking or blanching? How does it keep/taste when go to eat it? How does it compare to pre-cooked frozen corn??

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I always blanch plus add some sugar no matter how good the corn, before we freeze.

Only once have I tried fresh off the cob or, freeze on the cob before resorting back to GRANDMA’S methods of freezing corn

Hope that was plain enough for ya

I know a guy that told me to freeze it in the husk and then microwave it in the husk and peel and eat. I also know someone that freezes it raw and adds salt water and sugar to it. Always tastes like crap both ways. I blanch and then cut off the cob and lay the corn on cookie sheets in the freezer and then put in bags once frozen. Takes a little more time but it thaws faster and you do not have a giant frozen blob of corn. Also tastes like it was fresh I think.

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Thanks for the responses, guys, but I haven’t gotten an answer to my original question. I’m not asking about cooking the corn first, as I already know that works just fine.
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Thanks, though…

Mike

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I thought I was pretty clear… you’ll get flavorless, lumpy corn mush soup when you thaw it out.

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I thought I was pretty clear… you’ll get flavorless, lumpy corn mush soup when you thaw it out.

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Sorry, I took your initial response to be more of an opinion, not actually based on trying the freeze-without-cooking method. At least, that’s how it struck me, anyway… I’m too accustomed to evidence-based information I guess I don’t pay attention to much else….

I assume you’ve tried it, then, and gotten poor results?

If so, my bad.

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I don’t remember how he does it, but search for Tuck’s post from last year I think. It isn’t the healthiest but my god, it is an awesome way.

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I blanch and cut it off with my electric fillet knife and vacuum seal it with a chunk of butter. Re-heating is as easy as dropping the bag into boiling water.

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I thought I was pretty clear… you’ll get flavorless, lumpy corn mush soup when you thaw it out.

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Sorry, I took your initial response to be more of an opinion, not actually based on trying the freeze-without-cooking method. At least, that’s how it struck me, anyway… I’m too accustomed to evidence-based information I guess I don’t pay attention to much else….

I assume you’ve tried it, then, and gotten poor results?

If so, my bad.

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Here’s a thought: buy an ear of corn (or use one of the TRUCKLOADS of corn you have), cut it off the cob, freeze it, and get your own damned observations.

I did look on the internet for you and couldn’t find anyone’s master’s dissertation or doctoral thesis on the subject. I found a lot of information but it wasn’t documented first-hand observations so I won’t bother you with any of the results.

Peace out, good luck with your corn.

We have always done it the way you are asking about and it is some of the best corn I have ever eaten. It is my grandmas, and my wifes grandmas way of doing it (and everything grandmas make is excellent ) We take the raw corn and cut it off the cob into a cake pan with an electric knife. After all the corn is off, turn the blade around and scrape the cob, getting the juices and remaining corn off the cob. Yes it makes a bit of a mess, but it is worth it. Then we put the corn into big pots or kettles at a rate of 4 quarts of corn, 1 quart of water, 2/3 cup sugar, and 2 heaping tsp of salt. If at my grandmas where we are freezing for 10-12 families we are putting pots of corn on the stove, grills, and turkey friers just to keep up. You can double triple the batch depending how big of a pot you have. Put it on stove on high until boiling (and with big batches this may take a while) once boiling turn down and boil lightly for 10 minutes. Stir often. Remove and cool down in sink with cold water. We put it in ziploc bags at 2 cups per bag which we cook for our family of 4. It is a little time consuming and can be messy, but I have NEVER had a bag come out of the freezer mushy and it tastes very good.

Let me know if you try it and if you like it.

As a side note, the cheese slicer idea… is the slicer deep enough to get most of the kernal out? In my head I am picturing it cutting thin slices of cheese. If it were to work we could have more people than just me cutting the corn off when freezing for 3 or 4 different families. Do you think it would work on raw corn?

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As a side note, the cheese slicer idea… is the slicer deep enough to get most of the kernal out? In my head I am picturing it cutting thin slices of cheese. If it were to work we could have more people than just me cutting the corn off when freezing for 3 or 4 different families. Do you think it would work on raw corn?

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Oops, dude, your idea still involves cooking. Prepare to be chastised for not “getting” it like the rest of us were.

We used the cheese slicer for the last few years we froze corn (haven’t done it for a long time now). They don’t cut thin slices of cheese, they cut off maybe 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick mini-slabs of cheese, so they cut off 90% of the kernel. In your way of doing it, there would be plenty cut off so that scraping the cobs would just get the last little bit of mush off them.

And it made it so fast and easy. Again, for the $3.99 it costs to pick one up it’s at least worth trying.

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BUT… I want to try cutting it off raw (instead of cooking it first) and freezing with cooking. That way, I don’t have to make a big process out of it and burn my fingers on hot cobs. I’m hoping to just take it out, unthaw it, and cook it on the stove or microwave for a few minutes when I want to eat it.

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I read the part where it says cutting off raw and freezing WITH cooking that I assumed he was looking to do it the way I was describing. I am guessing with his responses he meant to say without cooking. My bad…..

I will have to try the cheese slicer thing though if and when we do it again this year. Thank you.

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BUT… I want to try cutting it off raw (instead of cooking it first) and freezing with cooking. That way, I don’t have to make a big process out of it and burn my fingers on hot cobs. I’m hoping to just take it out, unthaw it, and cook it on the stove or microwave for a few minutes when I want to eat it.

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I read the part where it says cutting off raw and freezing WITH cooking that I assumed he was looking to do it the way I was describing. I am guessing with his responses he meant to say without cooking. My bad…..

I will have to try the cheese slicer thing though if and when we do it again this year. Thank you.

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Yup, typo.. sorry about that.. Thanks for correcting me! Hoping you got the idea from the rest of the post(s)

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Oops, dude, your idea still involves cooking. Prepare to be chastised for not “getting” it like the rest of us were.

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Sorry, I didn’t mean for my other posts to be inflammatory??? Not sure why you are getting so upset about this? I was simply asking a question on a public forum that you couldn’t answer for me, based on your previous lack of experience with that particular method that I was inquiring about. Sorry for ignoring your opinions that didn’t in any way give me the information I was looking for????

Anyway, corn is excellent this year…. If any of you want pretty much the best tasting corn available, buy Mirai brand seed next year… Awesome stuff! (My opinion, proceed with caution)

Whittsend

Sorry for getting grouchy about the posts… it’s a pet peeve when people ask a question, get an overwhelmingly consisten response, then complain that it didn’t come exactly how they wanted it.

Also, having contributed what I’ve learned from various sources over the years, getting told I was being ignored because my response wasn’t good enough kinda steamed me.

But I will admit that I do tend to post in a state of at times, and this was one of those times.

I stand by the suggestion that you do your own experiment and then let US know what happens… but I also apologize for being a jerk about it.

At least I know the nicotine reduction is working.

When the consistant responses don’t answer the actual question….???? Then what???? Its kind of like asking a question about a Chevy Silverado, and getting responses like “Well, my Ford has this and that…” Similar and roughly on-topic, but not quite what I was looking for. And how do you go about getting the answer you are looking for unless you are assertive and pointedly re-ask?

As far as me ingoring what you have learned over years of life… Well, this and any other public forum ultimately must be taken with a grain of salt. Nothing personal or mean-spirited about it…. You may indeed be the ultimate information source on any given topic, but people who don’t know you personally have no idea of your background, education, etc.. If you actually know what you are talking about or if you are loony. Just something to be aware of, I guess. That other people don’t know you and might react differently to your opinions than you expect them to. No reason to get upset about it, just accept it as their loss, I guess.

BTW, that “expiriment” with freezing uncooked corn has been in process for longer than this thread has been going. Got it covered…

BTW #2, have you looked into Chantix or other medical smoking cessation aids?