A Bushel of Ideas for Preserving Sweet Corn

Introduction

Fresh corn is typically harvested in Pennsylvania between July and early October. But why limit your enjoyment of such a tasty, nutritious, and relatively inexpensive locally grown vegetable to just four months of the year? Penn State Extension’s Let's Preserve: Sweet Corn (n.d) offers many suggestions for how to preserve your bushel(s) of corn, including how to can and freeze it. The goal of this article is to allow you to get a bit more creative by providing information on selecting high-quality fresh corn, and then combining it with other vegetables you might find in your garden or at your farmer's market.

Selecting and Preserving Fresh Corn

According to Penn State Extension’s Preserving Food at Home Resource Guide (Hirneisen et al., 2022), you should select ears with fully formed rows or kernels. The husks should look fresh and bright green and be free of visible damage. Avoid corn that looks burnt, has any slime or indications of spoilage, or seems underdeveloped.

Once you have selected your ears of corn, store them (in their husks) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (If you remove the husk, store the cobs in a plastic bag or container before you place them in the refrigerator.) Now you are free to eat your corn on its own or use it in salads, casseroles, soups, or as a side dish.

To help extend that taste of summer all year long, here are two recipes from the National Center for Home Food Preservation (n.d., 2018)—the first is for pickled corn relish, and the second is for mixed vegetables.

Pickled Corn Relish

Yield: About 9 pints

When preparing this recipe, start with clean countertops and utensils. Wash hands with soap and water. Wash the whole, fresh corn, peppers, celery, and onions by gently rubbing them under cold, running water.

Ingredients

• 16 to 20 medium-sized ears of corn, or six 10-ounce packages of defrosted, frozen corn
• 2½ cups diced sweet red peppers
• 2½ cups diced sweet green peppers
• 2½ cups chopped celery
• 1¼ cups diced onions
• 1¾ cups sugar
• 5 cups vinegar (5 percent)
• 2½ Tablespoons canning or pickling salt
• 2½ teaspoons celery seed
• 2½ Tablespoons dry mustard
• 1¼ teaspoons ground turmeric

Directions

1. Boil ears of corn for five minutes. Dip in cold water. Cut whole kernels from cob, and measure out 10 cups, or use six 10-ounce packages of defrosted, frozen corn.
2. Combine peppers, celery, onions, sugar, vinegar, salt, and celery seed in a large saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Mix mustard and turmeric in ½ cup of the simmered mixture. Add this mixture and the corn to the hot mixture. Return to a boil, and then lower heat and simmer for another 5 minutes.
4. Fill jars with hot mixture, leaving ½-inch headspace.
5. Adjust lids and process half-pints or pints in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes at 0-1,000 feet in altitude, 20 minutes for 1,001-6,000 feet, or 25 minutes at above 6,000 feet.

After the jars have sat undisturbed for 12–24 hours, they can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 12 months.

If you have a pressure canner, another great idea would be to can the corn and possibly other vegetables from your garden into mixed vegetables. This next recipe makes for an easy meal or soup during the colder months. It involves pressure canning, though, so if you are new to pressure canning, please refer to Penn State Extension’s Let's Preserve: Basics of Home Canning (n.d.) for instructions before you begin.

Mixed Vegetables

Yield: 7 quarts

When preparing this recipe, start with clean countertops and utensils. Wash hands with soap and water. Wash the whole, fresh produce under cold, running water by gently rubbing the corn, green beans or Italian beans, lima beans, tomatoes, and zucchini and scrubbing the carrots with a clean vegetable brush.

In this recipe, you have the option to change the suggested proportions or substitute other favorite vegetables (except leafy greens, dried beans, cream-style corn, winter squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, or cabbage).

Ingredients

• 6 cups sliced carrots
• 6 cups cut, whole kernel sweet corn
• 6 cups cut green beans or Italian beans
• 6 cups shelled lima beans
• 4 cups chopped or crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups diced zucchini
• 7 teaspoons canning salt (if desired)

Directions

1. Combine all vegetables in a large pot or kettle and add enough water to cover pieces.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of canning salt per quart to the jar, if desired.
3. Boil for 5 minutes and fill jars with hot pieces and liquid, leaving 1-inch headspace.
4. Adjust lids and process the quarts for 90 minutes, following these recommendations:
   1. In a dial gauge pressure canner at 11 pounds of pressure at 0–2,000 feet in altitude, at 12 pounds of pressure at 2,001–4,000 feet in altitude, at 13 pounds of pressure at 4,001–6,000 feet in altitude, or at 14 pounds of pressure at 6,001–8,000 feet in altitude
   2. In a weighted gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds of pressure at 0–1,000 feet in altitude and at 15 pounds of pressure above 1,000 feet in altitude

Penn State Extension's Preserving Food at Home Resource Guide also includes methods for preserving many other types of produce, including information about nutrition and storage tips. For specific questions about preserving fruits, vegetables, and meats, contact your local Extension office to speak with a food safety educator.

References

Hirneisen, A. L., LaBorde, L., McDonald, S., McGeehan, N., Reed, S., & Zepp, M. (2022). Preserving food at home resource guide. Penn State Extension.

National Center for Home Food Preservation. (2018).  Preparing and canning relishes.

National Center for Home Food Preservation. (n.d.). Selecting, preparing and canning vegetables.

Penn State Extension. (n.d.). Let's preserve: Basics of home canning.

Penn State Extension. (n.d.). Let's preserve: Sweet corn.