How to freeze sweet corn without blanching the corn and requiring to cut corn off of hot cobs and instead making a simple sugar and salt brine to freeze the corn in is the way I grew up doing it. When I first moved to Indiana, I helped my husband's family freeze sweet corn. I was thrown completely off by the blanching of cob after cob of sweet corn and the cutting of kernels from hot cobs. It seemed crazy. And it was definitely not the way grandma did it. So, here is how to freeze sweet corn without blanching - AKA the cool way.
All this talk of freezing corn on my facebook feed is making me wish we had a sweet corn patch this year. Then my cousin even talked about freezing corn with our grandmother's recipe yesterday. And nothing triggers a memory of grandma like the sweet nectar of sweet corn. So, I thought I would share with all of you how to freeze sweet corn. The right way;)
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Freezer Corn Brine Ingredients
The ingredients for freezing corn with a brine are simple.
- Salt
- Sugar
- Water
How to Freeze Sweet Corn without Blanching
Let's start with what not to do - DO NOT BLANCHE YOUR CORN. Yes, I am yelling. Do not cook the corn on the cob or off the cob. There is no need to burn your fingers. Start by cleaning the corn by taking the husk and silks off the ear of corn. Then rinse the corn under cold water.
Start by cutting all the corn raw off the corn cobs. Cut the corn into a large bowl or even casserole dishes. Big bowls of raw sweet corn kernels will be ready for freezing. Using a very sharp knife will help. Many people will also use an electric knife.
Once it is cut, put into freezer quart bags. Try to measure how much you are putting in. I usually do small bags of 2 cups (equivalent to a can of corn) or 3 cups.
The key is in the brine. A brine is one of my favorite things. I use meat brines all the time. The brine for freezer corn is 1 cup of water to 2 teaspoons of sugar to 1 teaspoon of salt. The corn-to-brine solution should be 2 cups of corn to โ -1/2 cup of brine. So, if you have around 10 cups of corn or five bags of sweet corn I would make a brine with 3 cups of water, 6 teaspoons of sugar, and 3 teaspoons of salt.
To make the brine, heat the water, sugar, and salt until all sugar and salt are dissolved. You can bring to a boil. Then let the boiling water cool.
Depending on the amount of sweet corn in each bag do a 4 corn to 1 brine ration. I recommend โ -1/2 cup of brine to two cups of corn. Add the brine to freezer bags. Seal. Freeze.
Freezing fresh corn without cooking it is always more fun with friends. I loved being able to host corn freezing parties when we still grew over an acre of sweet corn. Then in the winter when we pull out the frozen corn, it is like summer again. Since the corn was not cooked before it was frozen, you will want to cook it a bit longer when you prepare the frozen corn. Add a pat of butter when you cook it. The texture of the corn kernels will soften as it cooks.
Hint: The corn-to-brine solution for the best freezer corn should be 2 cups of corn to โ -1/2 cup of brine.
FAQ
I think cutting fresh corn off the cob and freezing with salt, sugar, and water brine is the best way to freeze fresh sweet corn.
Yes, you can successfully freeze delicious fresh sweet corn without blanching. This recipe uses a brine of salt, sugar, and water to preserve the fresh corn and make it taste so good still when you pull the corn out of the freezer.
Equipment for Freezing Sweet Corn
Looking for the supplies to get your freezer corn made and in the freezer? I have you covered. Here are all the supplies you need in my food preservation list.
Fresh Sweet Corn Recipes
- Mexican Zucchini and Yellow Squash Skillet
- Cheesy Zucchini, Squash, and Corn Casserole
- Skillet Zucchini and Summer Squash Recipe with Corn and Mushrooms
- Pineapple Corn Salsa Straight From the Sweet Corn Field
Garden and Food Preservation Recipes
Here are lots of recipes you can use to your garden bounty for.
- Easy Refrigerator Pickled Beets
- Quick Spicy Pickled Radishes in the Refrigerator
- Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe
- Roasted Tomato Basil Sauce - Homemade Tomato Sauce Recipe
๐ Recipe
How to freeze sweet corn
Instructions
- Place two cups of corn in quart-sized freezer bags.
- Heat water and add salt and sugar. When salt and sugar are dissolved, remove from the heat.
- Pour ยฝ cup of brine in each bag of corn.
- Place in freezer immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Shared on Weekend Potluck
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Lynn
I'm getting prepared to do this. I've done other methods of freezing corn, but just hate all the steam and hot water and work! So this method interests me and I'm going to do it. When I use the first bag in a few months, I'll know how well it turns out! Thanks for sharing a method that makes sense and is do-able. I'll let you know how it goes.
Leah
Good luck! I can't wait to hear how it worked for you! We froze another 27 bags on Friday night.
Rachel
We have used this recipe for 2 years now and this is life-changing! So much faster and way less mess! Thank you for the great method!! ๐
Dana
I just found you via Pinterest. And, please forgive me, but I'm extremely new to gardening and the subsequent storage of everything I'm growing. My question is: when do you cook the corn? Do you cook it right when you are ready to use it? I use sweet corn mostly for making fresh corn salsa, so I want the corn to be crisp and cold. So would I need to cook it? Or would the brine take care of that?
Leah
You have a legit question. You have two options. You can cook the corn in the brine prior to freezing post cutting it off the cob. This is how my grandma would do it. Or cook it when you get it out of the freezer. If you are using it in a salsa, the corn wouldn't have to be cooked either. When I have fresh ears of corn I don't cook the corn when I use it in salsa. Does this help?
Dana
Yes! Thank you! I was thinking that I wouldn't have to cook it, but doubting myself because I've never used fresh corn like this. I cut up 6 ears yesterday (4 cups worth) and froze them in the brine. I can't wait to pull out one of those bags the next time I use corn!
I've also ventured around your website some. I just wanted to say thank you for being such a great ag-vocate and sharing your lifestyle. I am from a very small farm in central Illinois, grew up in 4-H and now work in the ag industry. I love seeing others helping share a positive light on a lifestyle and industry often misunderstood!
Dolly
do you cool the brine or just add it hot right off the stove?
Trish Craig
In this method, I would think cooling the brine is a must since plastic bags really don't hold up all that well with boiling hot liquid. Once the salt and sugar are in solution, they will stay that way after the brine is cooled. I put up freezer corn every year by cutting it off the cob, adding enough water to not quite cover in a pan, add in a sprinkle of sugar (if it is good sweet corn, you really don't need any) a pinch of salt and butter! Bring that up just to a boil, hold for 3 mins then take off the heat. Once cooled, I put it into containers and freeze. Blanching slows down the enzyme action that destroy the flavor, color, and texture. It is personal preference from there!
Nancy
I noticed the brine is quite salty. Do i need to rinse the corn before using it when pulling it from the freezer?
Sara
Can stevia be used instead of sugar??
Jennifer L
I'm a retired dairy farmer myself, and it's so fun to find others on the internet. ๐
I'm trying this this year for the first time, have it barely in the freezer now, so I can't comment on how it turned out, but I do have a question: Have you ever tried this with other vegetables? I brought in a handful of pole beans today with the corn and had leftover brine and figured why not try it? Worst I can do is lose a bag of beans! But I wondered if this is something you've done.
Thanks for the recipe!
Regina
The natural enzymes in corn need to be inactivated before freezing to prevent both loss of color and nutrients, and flavor and texture changes. These enzymes are inactivated by a hot blanch treatment. How does this method stop the enzymes? I've tried to freeze corn without blanching it first but it was awful.
Michelle Hurlbut
My mother used to preserve sweet corn by boiling it on the cob, cooling, cutting off the cob, then cooking it in the same solution you do before freezing. I work 2 jobs, have a large garden, so my time is limited. I used to do it mom's way but it took way too much time. Last year, I merely shucked off the husks, cut it off the cobb and put 2 c in pint freezer bags. To use, I put the frozen chunk in a saucepan with salt, a little sugar, butter and a little water and cook for about 5 min. It tastes like fresh sweet corn! So easy!
Marg
Excellent. We did a test run in August. September 24th froze 12 two cup bags for the winter.
Anne Nelson
Today I made my second batch of corn for freezing, using this recipe. Made it a month ago and used some already....wonderful! It retains the fresh corn flavor and this is such an easy method. I will be using this method every summer from now on. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
John Throop
I'm wondering have you tried cutting the corn from the cob, and just freezing it in vacuum sealed bags without blanching it or adding anything? Your Grandma's method obviously works, I was wondering how it would turn out without adding anything to it, just freezing it I mean?
B Bjornson
Tastes like fresh corn. I heated it in the microwave and the family loved it. It is so much easier than blanching and stripping the hot cobs. I will use this recipe from now on.