Removing and freezing fresh corn on the cob or “the girlfriends know how to do this without buying any new kitchen tools.”

Where I live in New England, most of the local farms start harvesting and selling their corn on the cob in August.  As a child, I would drive to the local farm with grandmother on these August mornings to select the ears of corn, picked earlier that morning, for that evening's dinner.  It was a favorite meal of mine as a kid. 

After making my first Black Bean, Corn and Butternut Squash casserole I contemplated what the process would be to freeze fresh local corn. In discussing this with my girlfriends Sarah and Sally, they offered these gems:  Use an angel food cake pan to steady the cob and catch your kernels as you remove them and you don't need to cook the corn before freezing,--just remove the kernels, freeze them and use them like frozen corn from the supermarket.  They were right. Using my angel food cake pan to remove the kernels, freezing them and using them just like frozen corn worked wonderfully. 

I will advise if this is your first time trying this, go very slowly as there it's a bit of a balancing act between you, the corn cob and the knife.  Also, don't be dismayed if the kernels come off the cob in “groups” and not one by one. This is remedied by breaking the kernels apart before freezing.  

If you're uncomfortable with the idea of using a knife to remove kernels from a corn cob, there are plenty tools available to do this job. Just replace step three, below, with instructions from tool.  

To freeze fresh corn on the cob, you’ll need: 

-- Sandwich size ziploc storage bags,--I recommend one bag per corn cob 

-- Quart or Gallon size freezer safe ziploc storage bags,--one quart size bag will hold 4 sandwich size bags of corn kernels 

-- Knife 

-- Solid, stable, flat, level surface to prop ear of corn on Angel food cake pan with funnel center (if possible)  

1) Husk the corn, removing as much silk as possible. If using angel food cake pan, leave enough shank to insert into funnel of cake pan. If not using angel food cake pan make sure shank end of corn ear is level when placed on flat level surface.   

2) If using angel food cake pan, insert shank of corn cob into funnel of cake pan making sure it's stable. If not using angel food cake pan place shank end of corn ear on flat level surface.  

3) Using knife, carefully slice kernels off corn cob in a slow downward motion. Don't worry if the kernels come off the cob in “groups” and not one by one. Repeat until majority of kernels have been removed from corn cob.  

4) For the kernels which came off the cob in “groups”, carefully break apart using your fingers.  

5) Place corn kernals in ziploc sandwich bag. One bag per corn cob recommended.  

6) Repeat steps 2 – 5 as many times as needed.  

When all corn cobs have been stripped of kernels and the kernels bagged, seal sandwich bags.  Put sandwich bags into freezer safe quart or gallon size ziploc bag. You should be able to fit 4 bags of corn into one quart size bag. Seal freezer safe bag and put in freezer.  

The corn will last about 2 – 3 months and can be used like frozen corn.  Keep in mind, the longer the corn is in the freezer they more likely it is to lose flavor.