Sawdust and Lipstick: The "Easy" Way to Harvest Fresh Corn

Good Morning Everyone!!! I am so sorry that I am late with this, but it literally has been raining and storming here since Monday...and is still raining, but as promised, I am delivering a "how-to" tutorial. Aren't you proud?!?! ;-) Now to get right to the subject.... CORN. I don't know about you all, but I absolutely love fresh corn, grilled to perfection with my homemade garlic butter. Yum---mmmy!! The only thing that I highly dislike is the cleaning and shucking process. It literally drives me almost insane. Literally.... I recently read an article on a fellow blogger's site, explaining how to get the husk off the corn without loosing your marbles....and for the life of me, I can not find it in order to link you to the original post! Tragic huh? Nevertheless, I will continue with my own rendition of the process:

So, if you know me, then you know that I attempt to be a "savvy" grocery shopper. And if any of you see me go into the store WITHOUT my coupon binder, please do me a favor and hit me in the head! I promise I will not press any charges. With that being said, I will continue. In my previous post I mentioned going to a farmers market or a u-pick farm for your fresh fruits and vegetables. And I stick to my word. Nine times out of ten, you will get the cheapest, freshest produce there. Fortunately, Publix was having an awesome sale on sweet corn last week. Ten (10) ears for three bucks ($3) is not bad at all. That is only $.30/ear. which is very reasonable and comparable to the local farmers market and fruit stands. Knowing that the sale would end in a few hours, I bought quite a few ears of corn. Our family can put away some corn, including the kids. So here is the "how-to" properly clean, prepare and freeze corn.

NOTE: (For other ways head over Here). I also read on a forum that older women place the corn (husks and all) in a brown paper bag, roll it up tight and place it in the freezer. no vacuum required. whenever you want an ear of corn you just go grab it out of the freezer. I personally haven't tried this method, but I intend too, so I will update at a future date with that. In the mean time, if you have please share your experience below. (-: )

What you will need:

Ears of corn

Baking sheet

Vacuum sealer

Vacuum seal bags

Marker

First things first: Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Next, Arrange the ears of corn in a single layer on a baking sheet with husks still attached.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 7-10 minutes. Just long enough to get the ears warm.

During this time, get a pot of cold water ready. To me this is a form of blanching, just different than boiling then throwing in cold water. (hope that makes sense) You will know they are ready once the tops of the ears get brittle and dry. Once this happens pull them out of the oven.

Start shucking the husks off the corn quickly. You will find, that the heating process enables you to pull the husks off clean, without those aggravating corn silks. Once shucked and clean place into the cold water. This stops the cooking process and allows the corn to stay fresh once frozen.

Finish shucking the corn as soon as possible. rinsing with water, then placing in the cold water. Once finished, place all the corn on a paper towel to allow the corn to air dry for about 2 minutes. You do not want moisture on the corn or in the freezer bags once you seal them.

Be sure to write the date and product on the contents portion of your vacuum bags. Putting the date is important because usually corn stored in a vacuum seal package or container can last anywhere from 6 -12 months. After twelve months, I would open the package and smell the produce. You will be able to tell if there is any spoilage, trust me. ;-) Once they have dried, place the corn in your vacuum seal bags.

***I recently ordered some vacuum seal bags from Vac-N-Save Products 50 quart size bags for only $11.99. This was a great deal considering, if you were to purchase the FoodSaver brand bags at a retailer such as Wal-Mart the price for only 20 bags is $8.99. So, for less than the price that I paid (including shipping), I received 10 MORE bags. ****

UPDATE: after several attempts to properly use this bag, I am sad to say that I have returned the bags for a refund. The seal never held up as compared to the FoodSaver brand and I was just entirely displeased with the quality.