Corn is a fairly common plant that is often grown in summer cottages. Some people want to enjoy this cereal not only in the summer, but also in the fall or winter. To do this, you will have to start storing corn cobs. If you do not properly organize the storage of the harvested crop, then the corn grains will become rubbery and tasteless over time. To prevent this from happening, you should figure out how to store corn on the cob.
Which cobs to choose?
Storing corn begins with choosing the most suitable cobs, which can definitely be stored for a long time without losing their 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 should not be rotten or have spoiled grains.
Having selected the cobs for further storage in the winter, you should start preparing them. To store corn on the cob at home for the winter, you will have to completely clean the heads of fiber and leaves. Then the unripe part of the cob and areas that begin to rot are cut out. If the heads of cabbage will be dried in the future, you cannot tear off all the leaves from them. It is better to leave a few leaves on one side so that air can flow to the grains. You can only get rid of the remaining leaves if the corn heads are already dried.
Storage methods
Not all gardeners know how to properly store corn and what to do to ensure it lasts for a long time. This is due to the fact that many people store it not as cobs, but as grains. However, experienced vegetable growers recommend storing it on the cob, since this method preserves most beneficial qualities of corn. There are three common methods for storing corn crops, which are best familiarized with in advance.
In the freezer
Many homemakers store corn on the cob in the freezer because 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, as then they gradually deteriorate. When storing the entire harvest 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 stored in the refrigerator.This will negatively affect the taste of corn.
Before storing, 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 of cabbage in the freezer. However, before you place 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 with boiled water. In this case, the water in the first saucepan should be as cold as possible and therefore sometimes ice is added to it.
- The peeled corn heads are soaked in each saucepan one by one. First, they are placed in a container with 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 of cabbage for freezing is completed, they are wrapped in cling film, distributed into food containers and placed in the freezer.
Dried
The second most popular method of storing the harvested corn crop is dry. Dried corn can be stored for only 10–12 months, until the next harvest. Before you start drying the heads of cabbage, they are cleared of half the leaves and fibers. If you get rid of all the leaves, the cobs will quickly spoil.
In the first half of autumn, to dry the corn, its heads are hung outside. 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 veranda or attic is best suited for this. Particular attention is paid to the placement of heads of cabbage indoors.
If the room is large, then the collected vegetables are hung individually 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 more compactly.
This method of storing fruits is perfect for lovers of corn porridge, since it is best made from dried heads of corn. Only from them will you get a dish whose taste will be as similar as possible to porridge prepared from fresh corn.
Conservation
Another way to preserve corn on the cob for the winter is to can the crop. This method differs from others in the duration of storage of canned fruits. Canned foods are stored in cellars or refrigerators for 2–3 years. However, in order for corn kernels rolled into jars to be stored for such a long time, you will have to follow all the rules of sterile canning.
Before you roll the corn into jars, it is first boiled. After cooking, the heads of cabbage are removed from the water, wrapped in cling film and placed in the refrigerator for three days. This method of preparing corn kernels preserves their juiciness and taste.
Canning corn kernels is similar to canning olives. First, corn kernels separated from the heads of cabbage are placed in a sterilized jar and filled with warm, boiled water. If desired, add a little salt to each jar. Then all the blanks are covered with nylon covers 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 people store not just boiled corn in winter, but also fresh heads of corn. At the same time, some have problems with storage, since the harvested crop quickly deteriorates.Therefore, you should familiarize yourself with how to store fresh corn on the cob longer in winter.
To keep the harvest longer, all collected cobs are cleaned of dirt and leaves. Then a special solution is prepared, consisting of salt and lemon juice. If necessary, add 2-3 ice cubes to the mixture so that the liquid is not hot. After preparing the mixture, the 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 of cabbage 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 this, the corn is placed in ziplock bags and placed in the refrigerator. Corn prepared using this method can be canned, frozen, dried and boiled.
Conclusion
Many vegetable growers are engaged growing corn in their areas. To use the harvested crop at any time of the year, you should familiarize yourself with the features of long-term storage of corn cobs.
