How to store corn on the cob at home

Corn is a fairly common plant that is often grown in suburban areas. Some people want to enjoy this cereal not only in summer, but also in autumn or winter. To do this, you will have to deal with the storage of corn cobs. If the storage of the harvested crop is not properly organized, then the corn grains will eventually become rubbery and tasteless. To prevent this from happening, you should figure out how to store corn on the cob.

Which cobs to choose?

Storage of corn begins with the selection of the most suitable ears, which will definitely be able to be stored for a long time without losing taste. It is recommended to choose cobs of late-ripening corn varieties for winter storage.When choosing a source material, pay attention to its condition. Selected specimens must not be rotten or have spoiled grains.

Having selected the cobs for further storage in the winter, you should start preparing them. To keep corn on the cob at home for the winter, you will have to completely clean the heads of fibers and leaves. Then the unripe part of the cob and the areas that begin to rot are cut out. If the heads of cabbage will be dried in the future, you can not tear off all the leaves from them. It is better to leave a few leaves on one side so that air enters the grains. The remaining leaves can only be disposed of if the corn heads are already dried.

Methods of storage

Not all gardeners know how to properly store corn and what to do to keep it for a long time. This is due to the fact that many store it not on the cob, but in grains. However, experienced vegetable growers recommend storing it on the cob, as this method retains most of the beneficial qualities of corn.There are three common methods for storing corn crops that you should be familiar with.

In the freezer

Many housewives store corn on the cob in the freezer, as frozen corn kernels have a longer shelf life. Heads of cabbage should be kept in the freezer for no more than one and a half years, since then they gradually deteriorate. When storing the entire crop in the refrigerator, you should familiarize yourself with the features of its defrosting. The collected heads of cabbage are defrosted gradually, and only in a natural way.

To speed up defrosting, do not pour hot water over corn grains placed in the refrigerator for storage. This will adversely affect the palatability of the corn.

Before storage, you should familiarize yourself with the features of freezing corn cobs. Some people think that to freeze them, you just need to put the heads in the freezer. However, before placing the cobs in the freezer for storage, you should do the following:

Prepare two small saucepans, one of which is filled with cold water, and the second is boiled. At the same time, in the first saucepan, the water should be as cold as possible, and therefore ice is sometimes added to it.
Peeled corn heads are soaked alternately in each saucepan. First, they are placed in a container of hot water for 2-4 minutes, after which they are dipped in cold water. The procedure is repeated at least three times.
All soaked vegetables are laid out on a dry towel and dried.

When the preparation of the heads for freezing is completed, they are wrapped in cling film, distributed in food containers and placed in the freezer.

Dried

The second most popular storage method for harvested corn is dry storage.You can store dried corn for only 10-12 months, until the next harvest. Before proceeding to drying the heads of cabbage, they are cleaned of half of the leaves and fibers. If you get rid of all the leaves, the ears will quickly deteriorate.

In the first half of autumn, to dry the corn, its heads are hung on the street. When the air temperature outside is less than 10-15 degrees, they are hung indoors. For drying, choose well-ventilated rooms that receive sunlight. A porch or attic is best suited for this. Particular attention is paid to the placement of heads of cabbage in the room.

If the room is large, then the collected vegetables are hung piece by piece at a distance of 50-70 cm from each other. In small rooms, you will have to weave the cobs into braids and hang them out more compactly.

This method of storing fruits is perfect for lovers of corn porridge, as it is best made from dried heads of cabbage. Only from them will you get a dish whose taste will be as similar as possible to porridge made from fresh corn.

Preservation

Another way to preserve corn on the cob for the winter is to preserve the crop. This method differs from the rest in the duration of storage of canned fruits. Canned foods are stored in cellars or refrigerators for 2-3 years. However, in order for the canned corn kernels to be stored for such a long time, you will have to follow all the rules of sterile preservation.

Before rolling corn in jars, it is pre-boiled. After cooking, the heads of cabbage are taken out of the water, wrapped in cling film and placed in the refrigerator for three days. Cooking corn kernels in this way preserves their juiciness and taste.

Canning corn kernels is like spinning canned olives. First, the corn grains separated from the heads are placed in a sterilized jar and filled with warm, boiled water.If desired, add a little s alt to each jar. Then all the blanks are covered with nylon lids and placed in the cellar. After 2-3 days, the jars are taken out, water is added to them and again placed in the cellar for 3-5 months.

New ways to extend shelf life

Many store not just cooked corn, but also fresh heads of cabbage in winter. At the same time, some have problems with storage, as the harvested crop quickly deteriorates. Therefore, you should learn how to keep fresh corn on the cob longer in winter.

To keep the harvest longer, all harvested cobs are cleaned of dirt and leaves. Then a special solution is prepared, consisting of s alt and lemon juice. If necessary, 2-3 ice cubes are added to the mixture so that the liquid is not hot. After preparing the mixture, prepared cobs are added to the container and infused in it for about half an hour.

Then all the grains are separated from the heads and placed in a colander, through which the liquid will drain.To speed up the drying of the grains, they are placed in an electric dryer or oven. After that, the corn is laid out in bags with fasteners and placed in the refrigerator. Corn prepared in this way can be canned, frozen, dried and boiled.

Conclusion

Many vegetable growers grow corn on their plots. To use the harvest at any time of the year, you should familiarize yourself with the features of long-term storage of corn cobs.