Content
- 1 Benefits of freezing corn
- 2 Preparing corn for freezing
- 3 How to properly freeze an ear of corn
- 4 How to freeze corn kernels
- 5 Is it possible to freeze canned corn?
- 6 Is it possible to freeze boiled corn?
- 7 How long can frozen corn be stored?
- 8 How to defrost corn correctly
- 9 How to cook frozen corn
- 10 Conclusion
Most housewives know how healthy and tasty frozen corn is in winter. To please yourself with fragrant fresh cobs during the cold season, you don’t need to make a lot of effort or spend a lot of time and money. But many ignorant people prepare frozen vegetables incorrectly. This leads to the loss of most of the beneficial properties of the product. It’s worth learning more about storing frozen corn for the winter.
Benefits of freezing corn
Corn can be prepared for the winter in two ways: canned and frozen. The second method is simpler and more profitable. Firstly, freezing is much easier and less expensive than canning. Secondly, it allows you to preserve the vegetable almost in its original form. Frozen cobs have everything: the aroma, color, and taste of the original product, and most importantly, the beneficial substances remain in the same composition.
Preparing corn for freezing
Before placing a vegetable in the freezer, it must be properly processed. It is necessary to remove leaves and corn silk. To do this, it is necessary to cut off 1-2 cm of the inedible part from the blunt end of the head of cabbage. Then the cleansing process will be much easier. Wash the peeled heads of cabbage under running water and dry so that the frozen grains do not stick together and the moisture does not turn into ice. If the corn will be frozen ready-made, boil it.
There are housewives who do not consider it necessary to wash vegetables when preparing them for the winter. But this is wrong and can lead to unpleasant consequences. Water washes away dirt, bacteria, parasites, some of them do not die even at very low temperatures and can enter the body, causing poisoning and other negative symptoms.
How to properly freeze an ear of corn
To get the maximum amount of nutrients in winter, it is better to freeze fresh vegetables. At the same time, corn heads will turn out bright, juicy and aromatic if they are blanched.
No processing
Prepare the corn cobs, wrap them in cling film, and place them compactly in the freezer compartment. You don't need anything else - this is the easiest way to freeze vegetables. To improve its taste, after defrosting, various culinary techniques are used, but more on that later.
After blanching
In preparation for freezing, corn cobs can be blanched, which helps not only preserve the properties of the vegetables, but also extend their shelf life.The heads of cabbage are dipped in boiling water and boiled there for 5 minutes. Then abruptly interrupting the cooking process, immerse it in a bowl of ice water.
The fact is that vegetables contain enzymes that continue to remain active at low temperatures. Thanks to their activity, various biochemical processes are accelerated, including reactions of decay, rotting, and spoilage. Shock heat treatment of frozen vegetables, albeit short-term, helps stop this process.
How to freeze corn kernels
It is more advisable to harvest frozen corn grains, since the scope of its application is significantly increasing. Now the vegetable can be used not only as an independent dish, but also as additional ingredients in various culinary recipes. Frozen corn beans are used in soups, salads, side dishes, and other dishes.
Raw
Freshly harvested corn should be frozen. During long-term storage, starchy substances begin to accumulate in it, which significantly spoil the taste of the product. They are converted from natural sugars found in the vegetable.
To separate the grains from the head of cabbage, you need to carefully cut them down to the very base with a sharp knife. Then put it in a bag or other suitable container, always sealed, and put it in the freezer until winter.
After blanching
After blanching the corn cobs, you need to wait until they cool to room temperature. Then try to separate the grains by hand. If that doesn't work, use a knife or other device. There are special devices for cleaning corn, manual and electric shellers, so there shouldn’t be any problems with this.
It is better to use durable storage bags so that they do not tear. It is necessary to divide the grain mass into small portions - this way you won’t have to defrost the entire supply for 100 g. If a vegetable is frozen for the first time, more than half of the nutrients are retained in it, but when the procedure is repeated, they are completely destroyed.
Is it possible to freeze canned corn?
Sometimes, after preparing holiday meals, there is half a can of canned corn left over. Thrifty housewives have learned to save such leftovers by freezing them. This allows you to extend the shelf life of canned corn (after opening) until next time. You can do this as follows:
- drain the water and dry the grains with a towel;
- freeze in bulk;
- pour into a bag;
- put in the freezer.
You can immediately pack it in a plastic bag, which needs to be shaken periodically. The frozen mass will stick together without this.
Is it possible to freeze boiled corn?
Before freezing, corn can be boiled until tender and then placed in the freezer. You can do this in two ways:
- Entirely, if in winter you want to treat yourself to fresh juicy cobs. Boil them until ready, cool and wrap in cling film. In winter, throw frozen heads of cabbage into boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes at 100 degrees.
- In beans. This method is more suitable for soups, casseroles, stews, and baby food. Boil whole, separate the grains from the cells, first one row, the rest will be easier. Pack in small portions (at a time) in plastic bags.
How long can frozen corn be stored?
Frozen corn can be stored for a very long time, up to one and a half years. Therefore, it is necessary to sign the harvesting date on each container (package) so as not to subsequently confuse the old harvest with the new one. Boiled vegetables can also be stored for a long time, until the next season.
How to defrost corn correctly
Corn cobs frozen raw should be removed from the freezer and allowed to thaw on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Then cook as usual in boiling salted water for 30-40 minutes.
How to cook frozen corn
Let the frozen heads of cabbage thaw, pour boiling water over them to make the grains juicy and tender. Let it cook. If frozen cobs are first immersed in cold water, then while it boils, all the beneficial substances and juice of the vegetable will be released into it. If you pour boiling water over it, the surface will be scalded, forming a protective film that will prevent the loss of taste and nutritional properties of frozen corn.
For one head of cabbage you need to prepare 250-300 ml of boiling water. Pour everything into the pan, put the cobs and close the lid. The upper layers protruding above the water will be steamed thanks to this. Many people are mistaken into thinking that the longer they cook, the softer it will be. But the result is the opposite! Prolonged cooking produces starch, and frozen corn becomes hard and tasteless.
To keep frozen feed corn juicy, it must be soaked in milk for two hours before cooking. It will become sweet if you add 1 teaspoon of sugar per liter of water during cooking.To preserve the natural color of the frozen vegetable, you must also pour the juice of half a lemon (2.5-3 liters) into the pan. Twenty minutes after the start of boiling, take a toothpick and pierce the head of cabbage with it.
If it bends or breaks, you can cook for another five minutes, then turn off. Let the heads of cabbage stand in hot water for a while (5 minutes) to make them even juicier. To keep frozen corn tender, do not salt it while it is boiling or in water. Salt stimulates the extraction of juice from the grains. Therefore, corn must be salted before serving.
Recipe with milk
You can get a wonderful dish by boiling frozen corn in milk. It acquires an unusually delicate creamy taste. Frozen cobs that have thawed in the refrigerator can be prepared as follows:
- cut portionwise into several pieces, so they are better saturated with milk;
- add water to lightly cover;
- pour milk, filling the missing volume;
- cook for 10 minutes at 100 degrees;
- add 50 g of butter, boil the same amount;
- turn off, keep covered for 20 minutes until the grains become juicy;
- When serving, sprinkle each piece with salt.
Cooking time may vary, it all depends on the variety and degree of maturity of the frozen heads of cabbage. It's even tastier to grill them.
Conclusion
Frozen corn will help bring the freshness and bright colors of summer to your diet in the winter and nourish the body with useful substances. Simplicity and ease of preparation make this product accessible in every home.
