Canning Fresh Corn

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amber

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Anyone ever canned fresh corn OFF the cob? I've tried freezing corn ON the cob, but once thawed and boiled it turns mushy. I par boiled the corn on the cob first before freezing. So if anyone has a better way to freeze corn on the cob or to can it, please share your recipes. Thanks!
 
Amber, did you thaw your corn before boiling it? My mom normally puts a lot of corn in the freezer (she does parboil it first) & I just pop it into boiling water while still frozen. Never had it come out mushy.
 
I think I did thaw it first. Thanks for the tip, I'll try that. I want to buy lots of corn since it's in season now.
 
You're welcome! I don't blame you one bit! My mom normally gets 12 to 15 dozen ears from a friend of hers & The kids & I help her freeze it, but the last 2 years we've had so much going on that she hasn't put any up. I miss all that fresh corn during the winter!
 
amber - to can corn off the cob you must use a pressure canner. If you have a pressure canner let me know if you want the recipe for cream style or whole kernel and I'll post it for you.
 
Michael,

I don't have a pressure canner. Is there some other way I can do it?
 
Amber, no there isn't any other way. You must use a pressure canner for foods that are non-acidic. You can get a small pressure canner for about $100.
 
Canning fresh corn

I helped my mother put up some fresh corn. She steamed it a little and we cut the corn off the cobs and put it in freezer bags. It was a bit messy but easy. We did not use a canner or any special sterilization methods.:rolleyes:
 
Pressure canners

I don't want to step on anyones toes but I just put up some green tomato relish and tomato preserves and I did not use a canner whatever.........because I don't have one. I used a large roasting pan, my lids were not covered with water as recommended but the water level was close. My mother told me as long as the lids popped they were fine. They did and it was.:)
 
Thanks Suzann. I suppose since the corn you steamed was then frozen, there is no need to use a pressure canner. Maybe I'll try that, since I dont have a pressure cooker nor can I afford one right now.

Also going to freeze corn on the cob as well.
 
Amber,

Yes, since we steamed it first you don't need the pressure canner. My husband tells me that his dad used to freeze corn on the cob whole and raw by leaving one layer of husk on each ear and putting a little water in the freezer bag. He swears the ears were never soggy, gooy, or yucky after they were thawed and steamed. He swears they were crisp and good. I have yet to try this myself, I think I will this year.

Good luck with your corn!
Suzann
 
Glad to have you join in our discussion here, Suzann. I just checked my toes and they all appear to be just fine. :LOL:

You can process (can) tomatoes in a boiling-water canner (212-F) because they are a high acid food. The bacteria, molds, and yeasts in high acid foods are killed in the temperature range of 180-212 F.

Low acid foods like okra, carrots, beets, corn, meats, etc. have to be processed at a higher temperature (240-F) to kill the bacteria that exist in low acid foods - thus the need for the steam-pressure canner.

Of course, freezing is another way to preserve foods without as much processing or equipment.
 
Can I just steam my jars of vegetables in a pot, sort of like a pressure cooker? Would that kill any bacteria in low acid vegetables such as corn?
 
amber said:
Can I just steam my jars of vegetables in a pot, sort of like a pressure cooker? Would that kill any bacteria in low acid vegetables such as corn?

Short answer = NO!

No need in me reinventing the wheel - go read this: http://www.homecanning.com/usa/ALStepbyStep.asp?ST=6


http://www.homecanning.com is an excellent resource site - and the least expensive source for the Ball Blue Book - what I personally feel is a must have for anyone learning how to can.
 
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Maybe there is some confusion going on here concerning the canning or freezing of corn. I have never and never will "can" corn but I do know that if one is actually "canning" corn in actual jars it would need to be cooked to the appropiate temp as Michael said.
I was referring to freezing fresh, steamed corn, cut from the cobs. What is the temp of a steam bath? If Amber is canning fresh veggies and she steams them to the appropiate temp and then puts her jars in a bath, such as I did with my preserves and my roasting pan why wouldn't that work as long as her lids all popped and the seal was good?:huh: Personally I prefer frozen to canned veggies anyway.
 
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Arrgh .... we've got two things going on here that are getting mixed up Suzann - canning fresh corn and freezing fresh corn. I guess maybe I confused you when I posted one answer to address a couple of your previous posts that talked about both canning tomatoes and freezing corn. I'm sorry if I did.
The tomatoes you put up are high acid - so they can be processed in a boiling-water bath.

Corn can be steamed or blanched and shocked (to stop the cooking) and then frozen without any problems. The reason for steaming or blanching is to kill the surface bacteria. The cold of the freezer will prevent the growth of bacterial spores. Of course, corn can be fully cooked before freezing, too.

Now - why you can't "can" low-acid vegetables without a pressure canner. Here is the explanation that you would have found if you had read the link in my previous post to amber:

"The spoilage organism, Clostridium botulinum can be present in any food. It is itself destroyed at boiling temperatures, but it has the ability to form toxin-producing spores that can survive the boiling treatment. These spores thrive in a moist, low-acid environment without the presence of air – the exact conditions found in a sealed jar of low-acid food.

The growth of Clostridium botulinum spores is prevented when filled jars of low-acid foods are “processed” at a temperature of 240°F for the established time. The only way for a home canner to achieve a 240°F temperature is in a steam-pressure canner. (Boiling water canners heat only to 212°F, the temperature of boiling water.) Because Clostridium botulinum spores do not grow in the presence of acid, high-acid foods can be safely processed in a boiling-water canner."

I hope this helps to untangle where the thread got twisted between two different forms of preservation.
 
Thanks for the link Michael. I've canned preserves, pickles, and tomatoes before, but never corn or any other vegetable. To save myself from any bacterial poisoning, I guess I will freeze the corn, I do prefer frozen veggies, but wanted to try my hand at canning them. Seeing as I dont have a pressure cooker, I will stay clear of doing that. Thanks again.
 
Suzann,

I too kept thinking why cant I just steam the veggies in a boiling bath, not fully covered with the water just steam the jars of veggies. I read the link Michael gave, and it's kind of icky that the bacterial spores can live on even in a sealed jar. I guess corn would have to be pressured cook (240 degrees), whereas the boiling temp of water only goes up to 212 degrees. Even though I read the link, I'm still a little unsure about the temp of the water, vs the actual temperature of the steam produced by the boiling water. I know steam is much hotter than boiling water. Oh well. Thanks for your input.
 
It's a physics problem amber .... the steam produced by a pot of boiling water is the same temperature as the boiling water producing the steam (that's going to depend on your elevation above/below sea level) - water is merely going from the liquid to the gas phase. The liquid water is "absorbing" heat and the steam is "releasing" the heat when it hits a cooler surface. That's why it "seems" steam is hotter - and why you can get a steam burn when dipping your fingers into boiling water might not burn you. Of course - I don't stick my fingers in boiling water .... and I know how bad a steam burn can be.

The difference between a boiling-water canner and a steam-pressure canner is "atmospheric pressure". Water in a boiling water canner at seal level can't get any hotter than 212-F (maybe 213 if it has a very heavy lid). A pressure canner is different because the internal (artificial) atmospheric pressure inside the pot is being increased (by the weight - usually 10 pounds). So at sea level - 10-pounds of weight will increase the boiling point of water to 240-F. The reference to it being a "steam-pressure" canner is because the canner has to have a sufficient about of head-space to generate enough steam pressure to increase the temperature.
 
Arrgh? hee hee Thanks, I went to the site you posted. Great site. Sorry if I confused the issue. I was just trying to let Amber know that freezing might be easier and safer. Thanks for reminding me to shock the corn. I had forgotten that step. You sound like a science teacher!
 
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