Learn everything you need to know about how to freeze sweet corn (the BEST way!), including tips for freezing corn off the cob or on it, whether or not you should blanch it (and how long), and ways to use freezer corn in recipes.
Sweet corn season is one of the most delightful times of the year. In Minnesota, this happens during late July through September, ending just before the crisp weather of fall. With soups, chilis, and casseroles on the horizon, I love to freeze fresh corn in the summer to enjoy the superior flavor over store-bought frozen corn later in the year.
If you’re also a corn lover, this tutorial on how to freeze sweet corn is for you! I offer many different techniques in the post, but my favorite method is blanching corn on the cob, cooling it completely, and then shucking off the kernels to store in airtight bags. If you prefer another method that doesn’t require much time, scroll through the post to find the technique that best suits your needs.
Jump to:
Recommended Equipment
To freeze corn, you’ll need some or all of the following equipment, depending on the method you use:
- Large pot that’s big enough to fit the whole length of cobs
- Large bowl(s) for ice water and later for cutting off the kernels so they don’t get all over the place
- Tongs
- Serrated knife
- Freezer bags that you can make very airtight to help prevent moisture and air from causing freezer burn – I love to use Stasher bags for this purpose
Freezing Corn Kernels Off the Cob
This is one of my favorite ways to freeze sweet corn, since I find that it preserves the flavor and does not cause the corn to get too watery or mushy during cooking. Here’s how to prep corn off the cob with a brief blanching.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, remove the husks from the corn. Inspect the cobs. Get rid of any lingering silks and cut off any rotten or shriveled areas. Once the water is boiling, add the prepared corn cobs. Cook until bright yellow, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Fill a large bowl with ice water. Use tongs to transfer the blanched corn cobs to the bowl. Let them sit for about 5 minutes, or roughly as long as you blanched them, until completely cooled. Drain.
Use a serrated knife to slice the kernels off the cobs. You can do this over a cutting board, but it’s helpful to hold the cobs upright in a large bowl and shuck them there to prevent the kernels from going all over the place.
Transfer the kernels to freezer bags. Remove as much air as possible, seal tightly, label, and store in the freezer. Use within 8 to 12 months.
Freezing Corn Without Blanching
If you don’t have the time to blanch corn as recommended in the above method, you can also freeze raw sweet corn. Remove the husks, slice off the kernels, and transfer them to freezer bags. Use within 3 months for best results, but the corn may last up to 6 to 8 months.
Freezing Corn on the Cob
If you prefer to freeze whole corn on the cob instead of corn kernels, try one of these two methods:
- With blanching: Remove the husks. Blanch in a large pot of boiling water, about 7 minutes for small ears, 9 minutes for medium ears, and 11 minutes for large ears. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool for about 10 minutes or roughly as long as you blanched them. Drain and pat dry, then transfer to airtight bags. Freeze.
- Without blanching: Remove the husks. Transfer to airtight bags. Freeze.
- How to cook from frozen: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop the frozen corn on the cob into the pot. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the kernels are bright yellow and burst easily when poked with a fork. If you blanched the corn before freezing, check for doneness around 3 minutes since it may take less time to cook.
Freezing Corn in the Husk
Some people have luck freezing fresh sweet corn with the husks still intact. If you want to try this method, I recommend wrapping them very tightly in a couple layers of plastic wrap and storing them in freezer bags with as much air removed as possible. Let the frozen corn thaw in the fridge overnight or in a bowl of cool water on the counter (keep them in the bag) before removing the husks and cooking in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes.
Frozen Corn Recipes
Frozen corn has a world of culinary possibilities. If you froze corn on the cob instead of kernels, cook it in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes until the kernels burst easily when poked with a fork. If you froze corn kernels, check out these recipes.
Frozen corn kernels can replace fresh ones without needing to be thawed first (add them straight from frozen) in the following recipes:
- Sweet Corn Soup with Potatoes and Thyme
- Blackened Corn
- 4 Ingredient Corn Fritters
- Green Beans and Corn with Cider Vinegar and Herbs
- Blueberry Sweet Corn Frozen Greek Yogurt Bark
- Vegetarian Taco Casserole with Quinoa
- Vegetarian Enchiladas Verdes with Zucchini
- Roasted Tomatillo Soup (Vegetarian)
- Cream of Jalapeño Soup
Corn kernels that you blanched before freezing also hold up well in salsas, salads, and gazpachos, like my Sweet Corn and Cherry Arugula Salad and Yellow Tomato and Corn Gazpacho. Thaw them in the fridge overnight or in a bag placed in a bowl of cool water before using. Unfortunately, frozen raw kernels that were not blanched don’t work well in these kinds of recipes and work better when added to hot dishes like those in the above list.
📖 Recipe
How to Freeze Sweet Corn
Equipment
- large pot
- Large bowl
- Tongs
- Serrated knife
- Freezer bags
Ingredients
- 6 ears sweet corn
Instructions
- Remove the husks from the corn. Inspect the cobs and pull off any remaining silks. Use a knife to cut off any bruised or shriveled areas.
Corn off the cob with blanching (my preferred method!)
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop the prepared corn cobs into the water and cook until bright yellow, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Use tongs to remove promptly and transfer to a large bowl filled with ice water. Let them cool for about 4 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
- Slice the kernels off the cobs, using a serrated knife for best results. Consider slicing the corn in a bowl to prevent the kernels from going all over the place.
- Transfer the blanched kernels to a freezer bag. Seal tightly and remove as much air as possible.
- Label and store in the freezer. Use within 8 to 12 months. Add directly from frozen to hot dishes. Thaw before using in salsas or salads.
Corn off the cob without blanching
- After removing the husks, simply slice the kernels off the cob.
- Transfer to bags. Seal tightly and remove as much air as possible.
- Label and store in the freezer. Use within 3 to 6 months. Add directly from frozen to hot dishes.
Corn on the cob with blanching
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop the prepared corn cobs into the water and cook 7 minutes for small ears, 9 minutes for medium ears, and 11 minutes for large ears.
- Use tongs to remove promptly and transfer to a large bowl filled with ice water. Let them cool for about 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
- Transfer to a freezer bag. Seal tightly and remove as much air as possible.
- Label and store in the freezer. Use within 8 to 12 months. Cook from frozen in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes.
Corn on the cob without blanching
- After removing the husks, transfer to a freezer bag. Seal tightly and remove as much air as possible.
- Label and store in the freezer. Use within 3 to 6 months. Cook from frozen in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes.
Corn in the husks
- Do not remove the husks. Wrap each ear tightly in a couple layers of plastic wrap.
- Transfer to a freezer bag. Seal tightly and remove as much air as possible.
- Let thaw before cooking, either in the fridge overnight or in a bowl of cool water on the counter (keep in plastic wrap/bag while thawing).
- Remove husks once thawed and cook as desired, such as in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes.
Notes
- The amount of kernels per cob varies depending on size. Typically, each ear of corn yields about ½ to ¾ cup.
Comments
No Comments