How to Freeze Sweet Corn Off the Cob

Natural sugars in corn quickly convert to starches during storage. To keep your corn tasting sweet, freeze it soon after picking or purchasing. This blanching technique does not completely cook the corn, but it shortens final cooking time, cleans the corn and stops the enzymatic activity that contributes to a deterioration in the taste and texture of the corn. For best results, complete the packaging and freezing process two to six hours after picking your corn or bringing it home from the market.

Fill a gallon sized pot with 2 to 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil over high heat.

Pull the shucks off of the corn cobs and place the whole sweet corn cobs into the boiling water.

Boil the corn for four minutes to partially cook it. Begin timing the four minutes after the water returns to a boil.

Immediately remove the corn from the boiling water with tongs and immerse the cobs in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

Hold a single cob upright on a cutting board and cut the sweet corn kernels off the cob with the paring knife. Cut only the top two-thirds of the kernels off rather than trying to scrape the corn cob.

Transfer the cut sweet corn off the cob into the freezer container. Fill zip-top freezer bags to the top and squeeze out extra air before sealing. Place enough corn in resealable bowls to allow for at least 1 inch of expansion space at the top of the container between the corn and the lid.

Freeze the sweet corn off the cob until ready to use.