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Home / From the Garden / How To Freeze Fresh Sweet Corn

How To Freeze Fresh Sweet Corn

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Thanks for sharing!

If you have ever grown your own produce you know that there is a huge difference in taste between homegrown fruits and vegetables and those purchased from a store. This is especially relevant to fresh sweet corn. Therefore, in today’s post, we’ll show you How to Freeze Fresh Sweet Corn. 

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Sweet corn growing in the garden
My Mom and Dad’s Garden

Gardening

As I have mentioned before in several previous posts, I grew up on a farm. Every spring my Mom would plant a garden. Actually, she had 3 gardens. Each garden was on the same farm but in different spots.

In one garden she grew tomatoes, onions, lettuce, spinach, asparagus, peas, green beans, okra, cabbage, broccoli, and radishes. In another garden plot, she planted potatoes, sweet potatoes, and some herbs and in another, she planted rows of fresh sweet corn, squash, watermelon, and cantaloupe.

Now that I am older I am so very grateful that she taught me so much about gardening… and now that my Mom is older she has limited her planting to just one small garden.

Fresh ear of corn ready to be picked.
A fresh ear of corn ready to be picked. I pulled back the shucks so you could see the kernels

One of our favorite things out of the garden has always been (and still is) sweet corn. Sweet, juicy, delicious sweet corn. There’s nothing like picking an ear off of the stalk, shucking and cooking it, slathering creamy sweet butter and salt all over it and devouring the whole thing. (I am drooling just talking about it!)

Through the years my Mom has tried planting a variety of different types of corn but she told me that her all-time favorite is a brand called Bodacious sweet corn. This particular brand of corn is sweet, flavorful and exceptionally tender. It also has excellent disease resistance and matures 75 days from planting. 

Pile of fresh ears of fresh sweet corn.
Pile of fresh ears of sweet corn.

Ears of corn mature differently. Therefore at harvest time, we pick the corn every other day or sometimes every third day. In the spring my Mom also stages her planting of sweet corn. Consequently, some of the corn matures in one week, then a couple of weeks later the second planting of corn matures. This helps greatly at harvest time and spreads out our workload. Plus this also provides us with fresh sweet corn to eat over a period of weeks.

The process of shucking fresh sweet corn.
Shucking sweet corn.

Once the corn is picked we pile it up in the yard and remove the husk from the ears. We place the ears of corn in large containers and take them home. It is simple to freeze fresh sweet corn. 

Fresh, juicy, fresh sweet corn in a bowl
Fresh, juicy, succulent sweet corn straight out of the garden

Cutting the corn off of the cob isn’t hard but it does take some time and can be a little messy.

Cutting off fresh sweet corn kernels from the cob.
Cutting off the corn kernels from the corn cob.

Next, we prepare to blanch the corn. Blanching simply means scalding the corn in boiling water for a short time, then plunging it into cold water to cool it off quickly. This process cleanses the surface of dirt and organisms, brightens the color and helps retard loss of vitamins. It also softens the vegetables and makes them easier to pack. Plus it also allows you to keep them for an extended period of time.

Getting ready to blanch fresh sweet corn.
Getting ready to blanch the corn.

It is not advised to try to blanch your vegetables in a microwave because this process will destroy nutrients in your vegetables. This may lead to off-flavors and loss of texture and color. 

Blanching fresh sweet corn.
Blanching the corn.

When the corn has cooled completely, we fill our freezer containers, making sure to leave about 1 inch from the top of the container. As the corn freezes, it will expand. If we do not leave this extra space the lids will ‘pop’ off.

Blanced fresh sweet corn cooling in freezer containers.
Keep the corn 1 inch away from the top of the container.

We always date our containers so that we know when we fixed the corn.  It is best to use the corn within one year but it will keep well for longer if you keep it frozen solid.

Fresh sweet corn ready to place in the freezer.
The corn is now ready to place in the freezer.

This whole process takes a little time and some effort but it is well worth it. Whenever we eat some of this corn in the middle of the cold winter months we always remark on how much it tastes just like fresh corn on the cob. It is also great in vegetable soup, casserole, cornbread, corn pudding, sweet corn tamale cakes, or just plain cooked corn.

How to Freeze Fresh Sweet Corn

How to Freeze Fresh Sweet Corn

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 quarts of cut fresh sweet corn
  • 4 tsp. of salt
  • 1 quart water
  • 1 cup sugar

Instructions

  1. Combine all of the ingredients and heat the corn on medium heat, bringing it to a full boil. Blanch the corn for 4 minutes then remove the pan from the stove.
  2. Allow the corn to cool to room temperature; stirring occasionally.
  3. Fill freezer containers, and leave about 1 inch from the top of the container for expansion.
  4. Freeze.
© BlessedBeyondCrazy.com
Category: Sides and Sauces
Home to make FREEZER CORN

What is your favorite corn recipe?

Have fun and I hope you love this recipe as much as our family does.

Linda

More great ideas:

 

Thanks for sharing!

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Comments

  2. Nancy Norris says

    I used your recipe to freeze my corn today. I was looking for a method where I did not have to blanch it on the cob and I found yours. It turned out great!! The last spoonful was mine to try and I loved it!!! I can't wait to try it this winter. The next batch I may have to use some for dinner!! Thanks so much!!
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hey, Nancy! That's so awesome and I'm so happy to hear that you like this recipe! I hope that your corn taste just as great as ours does during the cold winter months. It's always a great reminder of summertime, that's for sure. :) Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving us a message. Happy harvesting!!!! Linda
      Reply

  3. Linda T. says

    I have a question on how to prepare the corn once you take it out of the freezer. I have only ever blanched my corn while on the cob then cut it off. Once I take mine out of the freezer I put in a cast iron skillet with some water, sugar, salt, pepper and bacon grease and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. Thanks.
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hi Linda, This recipe is super versatile and I believe that you will be able to fix your corn like you always have. (It sounds super yummy by the way! A little bacon grease makes everything taste better!) We use our corn in a wide variety of ways. Sometimes we simply throw it in a pan and cook it until it's nice and hot ( it taste like it's right off the cob). Sometimes we drain a container of corn and use it in a corn casserole, Mexican dish, or in corn bread. Sometimes we make creamed corn or use it in soup recipes. There really is unlimited ways to use corn when preserving it using our recipe. Good luck, and please let us know if you have any further questions. Thanks for stopping by! Linda
      Reply

  4. KAYE Wise says

    I Blanche my corn on the cob then plunge into ice water to cool completely then cut it off. It is ready to put in bags and freeze. Taste like it's right off the cob.
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hi Kaye, My mom does this same method with some of her fresh ears of sweet corn too, although she freezes the vast majority using the method in our blog post. Thanks so much for sharing and leaving us a message. Have a great day! Linda
      Reply

  5. Diane says

    My hubby and I have a huge garden every year and Indiana sweet corn can't be beat! I usually blanch it on the cob and then cut if off into the biggest glassbaking dish I have, scrape the "milk" off the cut cobs and then vacuum seal it before freezing. I don't add any seasoning until cooking time and then only butter. We like the frozen much better than canned and it's so much quicker! The cut cobs also make great corn cob jelly that tastes a little like honey. I also dehydrate some when I run out of freezer space and it's great in soups! I even eat the corn right out of the garden without cooking it. It's so sweet and tender that it doesn't need anything else! My family says I'm corny. Lol!
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hi Diane, Wow, the way you preserve your fresh sweet corn sounds amazing and super versatile. Thanks so much for sharing this info with us. I'm sure it also taste fantastic in the middle of the winter when the snow is flying! Thanks for stopping by and leaving us a note! Have fun being "corny!" lol Linda
      Reply

  6. Judy says

    Just curious. When blanching other things,me always drop the item into boiling water for a few min, then plunge into ice water. You don't do this?
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hi Judy, You are correct about the typical blanching process. Usually you quickly heat the produce then quickly cool it down using ice water. However, for this particular corn recipe we do not use the ice water because we freeze all of the liquid with the corn. If we were to drain off all of the liquid and plug the corn into ice water, we would loose a lot of the flavor. You certainly can use the icing method if you don't care about discarding the liquid. Hope this answers your question. Have a wonderful day! Linda
      Reply

  7. Lovefoodies says

    I would love to visit your parents farm! Here in Holland, they grow corn mainly for animal feed and it is incredibly hard to find fresh corn, or even frozen. It is in cans and simply there is no comparison to have fresh corn from a field! I am very envious. It was very nice to read about how you prepare corn. (it is in fact my favourite vegetable!!) and your photos are really lovely Linda. Super post! Mary
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hi Mary, I sooo wish that you could taste this corn - straight from the garden! There isn't any comparison to anything you can buy in a grocery store. It is a spectacular recipe and everyone raves whenever I serve it, (especially in the middle of winter when the snow is flying!) Everyone says that it taste like it's right out of the garden... and they are right! It really is a keeper! Thanks for stopping by, leaving us a message and all of your kinds comments! Take care, Linda
      Reply

  8. Mary Erickson says

    Thanks for the tips! May I offer two more to the list? Place the ear of corn in the center of a bundt pan to cut the kernels. The corn falls into the pan. Not my idea so I don't take credit! My mom freezes the corn on cookie sheets. Once frozen, place in plastic bags. It takes up less space in the freezer.
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hi Mary, Thank you so much for sharing those great tips with us!!! Since the writing of this particular post I have seen someone use a bundt pan when cutting the corn kernels off of the cob but not heard of freezing corn on a cookie sheet. Does your Mom sprinkle any salt or seasoning on the corn before she places the kernels out on the cookie sheet? We'll definitely have to try both methods ourselves sometime. Thanks again for dropping us a note and for the suggestions. Linda
      Reply

  9. Rebecca says

    Great tutorial, growing up my aunt would plant 2-3 acres of sweet corn and then the family would get together and we would make batch after batch of corn for the freezer. All splitting the fruits of our labor (or in this instance corn). It's in season in full force in Iowa right now and I was looking for a different process than we used to do (blanch while on the cob). I will be trying this in the next week. I am curious though, approximately how pints did you end up with from your 4 quarts of corn?
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hi Rebecca, We average 2 pints of processed corn for every quart of freshly cut corn. We always add a little of the liquid that is present from the processing (this comes from the water and the juices from the corn), to each container too. This whole process requires some effort and is a little messy, however, the end result is so worth it! Whenever we serve this corn in the dead of winter, people are amazed at how truly delicious it is. Hope that you like this recipe as much as we do. Thank you for stopping by and good luck with your corn harvest this year. Please drop us a line and let us know how you like it if you do end up trying it. Happy Harvesting ! Linda
      Reply

  10. Natalie says

    Hello! Great post. We just got done doing this ourselves and I couldn't help noticing you are cutting the corn off the cob with a knife. We found a fantastic tool that makes this part of the process so much easier. It's a pampered chef kernel cutter. Literally cuts out so much frustration and the possibility of accidentally cutting yourself. Anyway, I'm not really into product endorsements (I don't work for PC or anything) but I just wanted to pass along a tip that might make your work easier (and faster)! Take care and happy gardening. :) Natalie
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Hi Natalie, Thanks for letting us know about the corn r=processing tool. We will definitely check that out and "Thank You" for stopping by and visiting our blog! Have a great day! Linda
      Reply

  11. Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens says

    I loved this post - great instructions and such a wonderful way to have home-grown "fresh" summer corn even in the middle of winter! I think my very favorite part of the post, though, was the beautiful garden photo and the story about your mom's (3!!!) gardens - it absolutely took me right back to my childhood memories of helping my grandmother pick corn from her amazing organic garden, and standing out in the sunshine with her, eating just-picked fresh corn right off the cob. :D Pinning these wonderful instructions for sure! My Profile
    Reply

    • Blessed Beyond Crazy says

      Awwww.... Thanks so much for stopping by Shelley! It has been fun writing about our gardening experiences and my Mom is having fun being somewhat involved with our blog. She was a Home Economics teacher for 22 years so she loves to teach people how to do things and gardening is certainly her passion. I'm glad to hear that you had some wonderful times with your grandmother in her garden. There just isn't anything better then going outside and picking fresh, organic produce. I also know what you mean about eating things right out of the garden. My favorites were eating strawberries and peas right off the vines! Happy memories for sure :) Linda
      Reply

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