I stayed up until 3am. Once again, I bit off more than I could chew. We jumped on the opportunity to go corn picking for the first time and came home with well over one hundred ears of corn. As usual, the question halfway through was, “Well…Now what do we do with it?” After eating the preserved corn four months later, I must say the labor was well worth it. Let me tell you how we did it.
We have built an awesome community around us who are further ahead in the homesteading game than we are. They look out for us and let us know (albeit generally last minute) what produce or resources are available. In this case, we were told day-of that the corn was (overly) ripe for the picking and we could have as much as we could carry. We quickly loaded up the minivan with kids, wagon to transport and reusable bags and headed to the field!
Note: We are extremely blessed to have such a community and resources, as that has not always been in the case. During tomato season, I reached out to the local farmers at the farmers market and asked if they sold seconds. In June I saw a sign on the side of the road advertising a local orchard’s organic peach sale. Sometimes homesteading is about jumping on the opportunity, which requires flexibility and adaptability (something I was only barely sprinkled with). My shortcomings aside, it is always worth it!
How Do You Preserve Corn For The First Time?
I just completed my second season of canning. The first season in 2022 I didn’t start until after September and therefore the only things I spent time canning were applesauce and different broths. This 2023 season I decided to branch out and try my hand at corn and tomato products. I had no idea what to expect with picking or preserving fresh corn, so this post is written out of a desire to give someone else the information I wish I had before starting!
Selecting A Good Ear Of Corn To Preserve
- Look for a silk that isn’t rotten and moldy. If you are picking at the very end of the season like we were, most of the silk may already be dried out and kind of gross. Most of ours were and the corn was still delicious, but there were not as many usable kernels per cob. Try picking cobs that have a brown and dried out silk on the ends but is still green and kind of wet near the husk.
- If you are not able to pull back the husks and look at the corn itself, look for corn cobs that aren’t too small and thin as they will not be juicy or flavorful. Also avoid cobs larger than an easy grip of your hand. They will be mushy and not appetizing at all.
I’m not sure how they pick corn to sell at the store or farmer’s market, but I promise the corn you handpick will not all look like that. Some will have really weird shaped kernels and colors. Others will look like the best cob of corn you ever set sight on and will turn out to be missing half of its kernels once you shuck it. Most will have the biggest spiders and creepiest crawlies you’ve ever seen lurking inside. As I shucked over one hundred ears of corn late into the night, I realized that instead of using the metaphor of a box of chocolates, Forrest Gump should’ve described a field of corn cobs.
Transporting The corn
We used large black trash bags and also two reusable bags I had in the back of the van to transport. I’m not sure I would recommend the trash bags because every time I reached into the bag I was afraid of what I might pull out (mainly earwigs and spiders). Homesteading is not for the faint of heart! However, the only suggestion I have to avoid this is to perhaps use reusable bags that aren’t as deep. This will give you a better visual of what you’re grabbing. Or use gloves. Gloves would be handy. We have learned in pursuing this lifestyle that you make do with whatever you have and turn out all right in the end. Do what you can and remember, each new experience is a wealth of information and confidence for next time!
This was our haul once unloaded from the van. I do not want to think about how many bugs made our vehicle their new home after this ride. Now that it’s unloaded, what do we do with it?
Steps To Preserve Corn
- Shuck the corn. Preferably outside so all of the little buggies crawl away to freedom outside of your home. But again, do what you need to do to get it done.
- Blanch the corn. I filled a 12 quart stockpot with boiling water and blanched corn for around five minutes before dumping into bowls of ice water. This took a long time with the amount of corn we had and a not-so-big-stockpot. In the future I will have multiple pots going at the same time. Make sure you have large bowls to hold multiple ears of corn, otherwise you will repeat my mistake of staying up until the wee hours of the morning. As a stay-at-home-mom of three, I recommend avoiding this at all cost. No amount of coffee will prevent a two-o’clock-slump.
- Cut the kernels off the cob. I used a nifty tool from Pampered Chef we were gifted when we first got married and my husband used a knife. I LOVE this tool, but the knife was easier given the large quantity we had if you didn’t get too close to the cob.
We tried two different ways to preserve corn this year. First, I froze two cup portions in vacuum sealed freezer bags. Second, I pressure canned three quarts of whole kernels using the hot pack method. We have not tried the canned corn yet, but I have already decided we will only be freezing from now on. The taste simply cannot be beaten. Plus, we don’t eat canned corn. Lesson learned.
What’s Next?
I hope this post has inspired you to seek out and preserve corn next year. Here are some things to note before you do:
- Watch out for the earwigs. They bite. It hurts. They also move fast.
- Have a general idea of how you would like to preserve the corn, even if it is an experiment to see what your family will enjoy moving forward.
- Take a wagon. Or three. And your kids. They will help you fill the wagon(s) quickly, though their selection may not be usable. Therefore, take more than you think you need if it’s free (or if you can afford it).
- As with anything new, walk in confidence that, no matter the end result, you are learning and growing and making memories.
Let me know what memorable first-time homestead experiences you have had on Facebook or in the comments below! I look forward to hearing from you!
City Folk Homestead Recipes
Creamy Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili Recipe – using the canned corn mentioned in this post!
The BEST sausage gravy recipe for biscuits and gravy
Moist fifth generation pumpkin bread recipe with coconut oil
Brenda Strebig
Thanks for sharing this info, I feel like I can try next season!
Looking forward more blogs.
Ada
Thank you for sharing this detailed information on preserving corn! It’s very inspiring to try for the first time.
Paige
Thank you, Ada! I hope you do end up trying & if you do, come back and let me know how it goes! Everything can be so overwhelming when learning new skills and doing things you’ve never done before, but it is so rewarding too!