How to Freeze Corn ♥

On Saturday, I had the great pleasure of sharing a table and an evening's worth of conversation with Niman Ranch pork producers Richard and Delores Blackford whose central-Iowa farm is only a tractor's ride from where my great-grandparents once were townies raising strawberries on a corner lot.

And when an Iowa farmwife shares the technique she uses to put up 120 quarts of corn every summer, you just know this Veggie Evangelist is grabbing a pen to take furious notes -- not that notes are required, the technique is dead simple.

So on the drive back to St. Louis, I picked up a 'farmers dozen' ears of corn whose fourteen ears yielded only a scant six cups of corn -- about 1 percent of what Mrs. Blackford puts up -- but I promise to enjoy every single kernel. Here's her recipe - farm-tested, farm-loved, farm-sweet.

Here Mr. and Mrs. Blackford enjoy the first page of Pig Perfect by the ever-so-charming Peter Kaminsky who in his book weaves tales of 'Encounters with Remarkable Swine and Some Great Ways to Cook Them' and was the keynote speaker at the 2007 annual Hog Farmer Appreciation Dinner. More on THAT, later!

MAKE IT A MEAL Corn and pork (and soybeans) are the primary agricultural products of Iowa so let's serve today's frozen corn (rewarmed briefly in the microwave) with a Kitchen Parade Quick Supper, Tender Pork Tenderloin.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES See the Recipe Box for plenty more great corn recipes, including how to cook corn in the microwave.

A YEAR AGO A September 11th Remembrance and a simple arugula salad.

TWO YEARS AGO Roasted Tomatoes with Herbed Ricotta, just a terrific appetizer.

MORE CORN RECIPES from FAVORITE FOOD BLOGS
From Simply Recipes, Arugula Corn Salad with Bacon
From La Tartine Gourmande, Corn Soup
From Smitten Kitchen, Corn Muffins

HOW TO FREEZE CORN

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Time to freezer: 2 hours

Water to cover
Fresh sweet corn

Bring water to boil in a large pot - enough to 'wet' the corn and leave room to move around but not have the kernels floating aimlessly around.

Meanwhile, shuck the corn, leaving the 'handles' on, rubbing off the corn silk with your hands under running water. In a large broad bowl, hold the corn upright in one hand, tip down. Top to bottom, slice off the the kernels in broad swaths.

Drop corn into boiling water and let return to a boil. Cook for 4 - 5 minutes, just enough to burn off the starch but not completely 'cook'. Drain well in a colander. Spread the corn evenly on a baking sheet and refrigerate for an hour or so, just enough to chill the corn and to slightly dry it. Transfer to freezer bags, squeezing out the air before sealing. If you like, you can 'double bag' (which will help prevent freezer burn) by placing smaller bags (quart-size, say) in large ones (gallon bags).

Freeze. To serve, transfer corn to a microwave-safe dish and warm for 2 - 3 minutes in the microwave.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Nutrition Information Per 1/4 pound of raw corn: 98 Cal (11% from Fat, 13% from Protein, 76% from Carb); 4 g Protein; 1 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 22 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb19; 4 g Sugar; 2 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 17 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

Nutrition Information Per ear of raw corn (about 1/2 cup): 31 Cal (11% from Fat, 13% from Protein, 76% from Carb); 1 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 7 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; NetCarb6; 1 g Sugar; 1 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 5 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 0 points

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Eat more vegetables! A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and is the award-winning source of free vegetable recipes, quick, easy, and yes, delicious. Start with the Alphabet of Vegetables or dive into all the Weight Watchers vegetable recipes or all the low carb vegetable recipes. © Copyright 2007