Freezing corn

[PJ]

Each summer I go to the fruit & vegetable market and buy fresh white silver Queen corn to freeze. I usually put up about 40 quarts of corn to be used the following year. I always blanch my corn on the cob for about 3 minutes in boiling water with a little sugar added. I then plunge the cob into ice water. I then cut and scrape the corn fromm the cob and put it into freezer bags. I have had exellent results. But, a neighbor told me she freezes her corn without blanching it. I don't understand this. Am I doing my corn right? Also, I have always frozen my corn the day I purchase it. How long can you keep corn before it is not suitable for freezing? I had a freezer go out on me, and I couldn't put up the corn I had purchased. I had it three days before my new freezer arrived. But, I threw the corn out. I was afraid it wasn't fresh enough. Was I right?

Thank you Pj

[Wambly]

When I freeze corn I do almost exactly as you .. I cook off the ears (boiled or grilled), hit the ice water, remove the kernels, I then spread the kernels on a sheet pan and freeze individually (kind of a in house IQF), then bag and tag ... makes it easier to grab a small portion out of the bag.

You do need to preblanch most veg before freezing or the enzyme reactions will continue even in the freezer causing a loss of nutrients and off flavors. Blanching won't stop these reactions, but it will slow them to a great degree.

The freshness is an individual call for me .. I don't go by how long I have had it on hand, but how the product looks and tastes.
Every time I get near a freezer I hear voices from the past telling me that freezing won't improve squat .. so if it is marginal before the freeze it will unacceptable after..




[This message has been edited by Wambly (edited August 21, 2000).]

Hi PJ!

I copied some technical vegetable freezing hints for you as follows:

Freezing Basics

Freezing is the easiest, most convenient, and least time- consuming method of preserving foods. Freezing does not sterilize foods or destroy the organisms that cause spoilage; the extreme cold simply slows the growth of microorganisms and the chemical changes that affect quality or cause spoilage.

Enzymes are complex proteins, present in all living tissue, that help organisms ripen and mature. During freezing, enzyme action is slowed but not stopped. If not inactivated, these enzymes can cause color and flavor changes and loss of nutrients during freezer storage.

Blanching vegetables before freezing inactivates the enzymes. During blanching, the vegetable is exposed to boiling water or steam for a brief period. The vegetable is then rapidly cooled in ice water to prevent cooking. The use of microwave ovens for blanching has become popular. However, microwave blanching produces uneven results because of varied heat patterns within an oven and from one oven to another. Microwave blanching requires working with only small quantities at a time; there is no time saving when working with large quantities of vegetables.

Blanching also helps destroy microorganisms on the surface of the vegetables. When blanched, vegetables such as broccoli and spinach become more compact. Following the recommended times for blanching each vegetable is important. Overblanching results in a cooked product and loss of flavor, color, and nutrients. Underblanching stimulates enzyme activity and is worse than no blanching at all.

Freezer Storage
To maintain top quality, store frozen fruits and vegetables at 0 degrees Fahrenheit (F) or lower. Storing frozen foods at temperatures higher than 0 degrees F increases the rate of deterioration and shortens the shelf life of foods.

Containers for Freezing
Foods for the freezer must have proper packaging materials to protect their flavor, color, moisture content, and nutritive value. Select packaging materials with these characteristics:

moisture and vapor resistant
durable and leakproof
resistant to oil, grease, and water
not susceptible to becoming brittle and cracking at low temperatures
able to protect foods from absorbing other flavors or odors
easy to seal
easy to label
Suitable packaging materials include rigid plastic containers with straight sides, glass jars made for freezing and canning, heavy-duty aluminum foil, moisture-vapor resistant bags, and paper.

Containers intended for short-term storage, such as bread wrap; cottage cheese, milk, or ice cream cartons; regular aluminum foil; or waxed paper do not provide effective protection against flavor and moisture loss or freezer burn during long-term storage.

Plastic containers designed for long-term freezer storage may or may not be suitable for direct use in a microwave oven.

Packaging Foods
Cool all foods and syrup before packing. Pack foods in quantities that are usable for a single meal.

Pack cold foods tightly into containers. Because most foods expand on freezing, allow ample headspace (space between food and closure). The amount of space needed will vary depending on the food and size of containers. When packing food in bags, press out excess air before sealing. Label and date each package. It is also helpful to list number of servings on the label.

Freezing Pointers
Freeze foods at 0 degrees F or lower. To freeze foods rapidly, set the temperature control at -10 degrees F or lower 24 hours in advance.
Freeze foods when they are packaged and sealed.
Do not overload your freezer with unfrozen food. Overloading slows down the freezing rate, and foods that freeze too slowly may lose quality.
Place packages in contact with refrigerated surfaces in the coldest part of the freezer.
Leave a little space between packages so air can circulate freely. Then, when the food is frozen, store the packages close together.

What to Do If Your Freezer Stops
Keep the freezer closed. If it looks like the freezer will be stopped for more than 24 hours, use dry ice (if you can get it) or move the food to another freezer.

Vegetables containing ice crystals or at 40 degrees F or below can be refrozen. Thawed vegetables in good condition can be cooked in soups, stews, or casseroles and then frozen.

More coming!

Found more!

Freezing Corn

Best to freeze corn as soon after picking as possible.

There are three recommended ways of freezing fresh corn: on the cob, whole kernel, and cream style. Corn should be frozen, if possible, within two-to-three hours after it is picked. The sugar in corn begins to turn to starch after the corn is picked, so the sooner you freeze it the sweeter it will be.

If you must pick the corn a day or two before you freeze it, leave the shucks on it and spread out in a cool place, or take off the shucks and store the corn in plastic bags in the refrigerator.

When it is time to freeze the corn, work with small amounts. Shuck the corn, remove the silks, trim the ends and wash it.

To freeze corn on the cob…

Sort the ears according to size and blanch them. Put about a pound of corn into a gallon of boiling water. Start counting the blanching time when the water returns to a boil. Blanching time is longer for corn-on-the-cob because the cob must get hot enough to deactivate enzymes.

You should blanch small ears of corn for seven minutes, medium sized ears for nine minutes, and large ears for eleven minutes.

Take the corn from the boiling water and chill it thoroughly in ice water. It's important that you cool the corn long enough for the cob to cool, however, if the corn is left in the water too long, it will become soggy. A rule of thumb… it takes as long to cool the corn as it does to blanch it.

After the corn is blanched…

Drain off the water and wrap each ear separately in plastic film or freezer foil. You can put several ears together in one freezer bag or you can wrap several ears together in freezer paper. Try to remove as much air as you can from the package.

To freeze whole kernel corn…

Blanch it for four minutes, then chill it and drain off the water. Cut the kernels off the cob at about two-thirds the depth of the kernels. Pack the corn tightly into freezer containers or bags, leaving about a half-inch at the top. Seal the packages and
freeze them at zero degrees Fahrenheit.

You can also freeze southern cream-style corn. For creamier corn, cut and scrape it off the cob before you blanch it. Cut the corn at about the center of the kernels, then scrape the cob with the back of a knife to remove the juice and the heart of the kernel. Then cook the corn in the top of a double boiler. Heat and stir for about 10 minutes or until thickened.

Cool the corn quickly by putting the pan or boiler on ice or in a pan of ice water. You can hurry the cooling process by putting the corn into a cold, shallow pan, then putting the pan on ice. Stir the corn often until it's cool.

Package the corn in airtight, moisture-vapor-proof containers, leaving about a half-inch at the top. Freeze the corn immediately at zero degrees Fahrenheit.


Very important to blanch! My guess is that your neighbor isn't getting as much of a quality product as you are.

Take care!

[PJ]

Originally posted by ChefJulie:
Hi PJ!

I copied some technical vegetable freezing hints for you as follows:

Freezing Basics

Freezing is the easiest, most convenient, and least time- consuming method of preserving foods. Freezing does not sterilize foods or destroy the organisms that cause spoilage; the extreme cold simply slows the growth of microorganisms and the chemical changes that affect quality or cause spoilage.

Enzymes are complex proteins, present in all living tissue, that help organisms ripen and mature. During freezing, enzyme action is slowed but not stopped. If not inactivated, these enzymes can cause color and flavor changes and loss of nutrients during freezer storage.

Blanching vegetables before freezing inactivates the enzymes. During blanching, the vegetable is exposed to boiling water or steam for a brief period. The vegetable is then rapidly cooled in ice water to prevent cooking. The use of microwave ovens for blanching has become popular. However, microwave blanching produces uneven results because of varied heat patterns within an oven and from one oven to another. Microwave blanching requires working with only small quantities at a time; there is no time saving when working with large quantities of vegetables.

Blanching also helps destroy microorganisms on the surface of the vegetables. When blanched, vegetables such as broccoli and spinach become more compact. Following the recommended times for blanching each vegetable is important. Overblanching results in a cooked product and loss of flavor, color, and nutrients. Underblanching stimulates enzyme activity and is worse than no blanching at all.

Freezer Storage
To maintain top quality, store frozen fruits and vegetables at 0 degrees Fahrenheit (F) or lower. Storing frozen foods at temperatures higher than 0 degrees F increases the rate of deterioration and shortens the shelf life of foods.

Containers for Freezing
Foods for the freezer must have proper packaging materials to protect their flavor, color, moisture content, and nutritive value. Select packaging materials with these characteristics:

moisture and vapor resistant
durable and leakproof
resistant to oil, grease, and water
not susceptible to becoming brittle and cracking at low temperatures
able to protect foods from absorbing other flavors or odors
easy to seal
easy to label
Suitable packaging materials include rigid plastic containers with straight sides, glass jars made for freezing and canning, heavy-duty aluminum foil, moisture-vapor resistant bags, and paper.

Containers intended for short-term storage, such as bread wrap; cottage cheese, milk, or ice cream cartons; regular aluminum foil; or waxed paper do not provide effective protection against flavor and moisture loss or freezer burn during long-term storage.

Plastic containers designed for long-term freezer storage may or may not be suitable for direct use in a microwave oven.

Packaging Foods
Cool all foods and syrup before packing. Pack foods in quantities that are usable for a single meal.

Pack cold foods tightly into containers. Because most foods expand on freezing, allow ample headspace (space between food and closure). The amount of space needed will vary depending on the food and size of containers. When packing food in bags, press out excess air before sealing. Label and date each package. It is also helpful to list number of servings on the label.

Freezing Pointers
Freeze foods at 0 degrees F or lower. To freeze foods rapidly, set the temperature control at -10 degrees F or lower 24 hours in advance.
Freeze foods when they are packaged and sealed.
Do not overload your freezer with unfrozen food. Overloading slows down the freezing rate, and foods that freeze too slowly may lose quality.
Place packages in contact with refrigerated surfaces in the coldest part of the freezer.
Leave a little space between packages so air can circulate freely. Then, when the food is frozen, store the packages close together.

What to Do If Your Freezer Stops
Keep the freezer closed. If it looks like the freezer will be stopped for more than 24 hours, use dry ice (if you can get it) or move the food to another freezer.

Vegetables containing ice crystals or at 40 degrees F or below can be refrozen. Thawed vegetables in good condition can be cooked in soups, stews, or casseroles and then frozen.

More coming!

Thanks Julie. The information is so appreciated. Wow! Pj

[PJ]

Originally posted by Wambly:
When I freeze corn I do almost exactly as you .. I cook off the ears (boiled or grilled), hit the ice water, remove the kernels, I then spread the kernels on a sheet pan and freeze individually (kind of a in house IQF), then bag and tag ... makes it easier to grab a small portion out of the bag.

You do need to preblanch most veg before freezing or the enzyme reactions will continue even in the freezer causing a loss of nutrients and off flavors. Blanching won't stop these reactions, but it will slow them to a great degree.

The freshness is an individual call for me .. I don't go by how long I have had it on hand, but how the product looks and tastes.
Every time I get near a freezer I hear voices from the past telling me that freezing won't improve squat .. so if it is marginal before the freeze it will unacceptable after..


[This message has been edited by Wambly (edited August 21, 2000).]

Thank you, thank you pj

[mudbug]

I just saw yesterday the best way to freeze corn is simply do not shuck it and put it in a zip lock bag, then in the freezer. I read the previous posts about enzymes etc, the reasoning for this is once corn is harvested, the starches start to change, so for best freshness and flavor, don't do anything to it at all besides put it in a bag to freeze.

[PJ]

Originally posted by cchiu:
I just saw yesterday the best way to freeze corn is simply do not shuck it and put it in a zip lock bag, then in the freezer. I read the previous posts about enzymes etc, the reasoning for this is once corn is harvested, the starches start to change, so for best freshness and flavor, don't do anything to it at all besides put it in a bag to freeze.

Thank you for the suggestion. I have heard of this method, but if space in the freezer is limited, freezing the corn is bags is the only solution. But, I will have to try this method and do a taste test.

Thanks for the input.

Pj




[This message has been edited by PJ (edited August 25, 2000).]