How to store corn for the winter: on the cob, grain, drying, shelf life

Pests and diseases of corn

Like all crops, corn is susceptible to many diseases and pests. Therefore, it is worth familiarizing yourself with its most common problems in order to respond in time and take the necessary measures (use fungicides and insecticides).

Diseases of corn:

• moldy seeds;
• bubble smut (Mexican truffle);
• flying smut;
• helminthosporium leaf spot;
• root and stem rot;
• fusarium;
• gray rot.

Maize pests:

• aphids (common cereal, corn);
• wireworm;
• sludge (sandy, steppe and corn);
• weevil (southern gray);
• scoop (winter and others);
• corn (stem) butterfly;
• Swedish (miner) fly.

Will freezing help?

It's a common misconception that corn is a seasonal treat. In fact, when stored frozen, you can enjoy the vegetable cereal all year round. Moreover, this storage method is well suited for both boiled and fresh corn.

Boiled ears can be stored in the freezer for 8 months to a year. To do this, you need to:

1. cool;
2. dry on a towel;
3. pack in bags;
4. removing excess air;
5. to freeze.

If you do not have enough space in the freezer, then it is better to store corn in grains in it:

1. separate them from the boiled ears;
2. spread out in one layer on a flat surface;
3. place in the freezer for an hour or two;
4. then pour the frozen grains into bags, tie them tightly and place in the freezer.

ADVICE! Fresh corn can also be frozen on the cob and whole.

If you chose the first option, then it is worth taking measures so that the corn does not become "rubbery":

1. Before freezing, it is advisable to blanch the ears, having previously cleaned them from coarse leaves.
2. When only young foliage remains on the corn, it must be alternately dipped in boiling water, then in ice water. Small ears blanch for about 10 minutes, larger ones for 15 minutes.
3. Then they are dried, wrapped with cling film and placed in the freezer.

The shelf life of corn with such a freeze will be up to six months.

If you are going to freeze the beans, the ears must also be blanched. Then, after separating the grains, freeze them in one layer, pack them in bags and send them for storage in the freezer.

We watch a video about freezing corn for the winter in 2 ways:

Frozen corn for the winter. How to freeze corn on the cob at home: storage options and tips from experienced housewives

Corn is a seasonal plant, after harvest it can be bought mainly in dried form. Experienced housewives recommend freezing it on the cob, as this method retains most of its useful qualities. Frozen cereals, like fresh ones, have a caloric content of about 90 kcal per 100 g. The overwhelming part of the composition is water - 70–75%. Carbohydrates make up 20-23%, proteins 3-3.5%, and fats up to 1% by weight. Dietary fiber also accounts for about 2% of the grain mass.

Due to the content of vitamins, macro- and microelements, the use of frozen corn helps to improve the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, digestive organs, nervous and endocrine systems. As part of a varied diet, it improves the appearance, health of the skin and hair, and stabilizes metabolic processes. Consider how to freeze corn on the cob at home

Frozen corn on the cob is a simple preparation for the winter that will help preserve the product for a long time. After defrosting and boiling, you can enjoy delicious and juicy cereal, just like in summer.

Will taste and beneficial properties be lost

Freezing corn on the cob helps to preserve not only the beneficial properties, but also the taste of the fresh plant. Cereal grains contain B vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, iodine, potassium and calcium. The use of the product has a positive effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and the immune system in general.

In frozen vegetables, fruits and berries, nutrients are preserved better than in their canned counterparts. In addition, it is very tempting to be able to feast on products in the winter, as if they had just been removed from the garden.

Maize preparation

Before freezing the cob, you need to properly prepare:

• remove integumentary leaves;
• remove stigmas (brown hairs);
• cut off the tip with unripe seeds by 2-3 cm;
• remove all damaged areas with a sharp knife.

Rinse each ear under running water, pat dry with a towel, or leave to dry at room temperature.

Correct selection of cobs

The main thing when harvesting corn is to choose high-quality specimens. Fresh ears should be frozen. If the crop has been stored for a long time, then the sugar contained in the cereal turns into a starchy substance, which spoils the taste.

Choose cobs of medium ripeness. Unripe and overripe varieties will not give the taste that children and adults like so much. The ears should be free of visible damage, dark spots and insect marks.

Which varieties are best for

Sugar varieties are excellent for freezing, ripeness should be milky-wax. When pressure is applied to the pale yellow soft corn grain, the sweet white juice emerges, the corn is ripe.

Reviews of housewives about the nutritional qualities of corn after freezing are controversial. But not always the reason for failure is associated with a violation of the procurement technology. Most sweet corn varieties are not designed to be stored by any means other than canning.

Only 5 varieties are capable of preserving the pleasant taste of grains after freezing:

• Merkur;
• Nika 353;
• Zukerka;
• Chell;
• Fun.

Nuances of freezing ears

You can freeze the ears in different ways. But in any case, more space is required in the freezer than when harvesting grains. However, the result is worth it.

Raw

When frozen raw, the benefits are:

• useful substances are preserved as much as possible;
• you can boil corn cobs in the cold season and feast on it directly from the head of cabbage.

The disadvantages include the fact that the cobs need to be fully cooked for 30–40 minutes after defrosting.

Boiled

If frozen, the product can be eaten immediately after defrosting. A kind of "hardening" of boiled corn before freezing will preserve all the useful properties, taste and appearance. But it will take more time to prepare the product.

Step-by-step instructions for processing, packaging and freezing

Dry and hardened will be different. Each of the methods has its own advantages and disadvantages, but nevertheless it allows you to preserve the beneficial substances and aroma of the vegetable.

Dry method

Pack the pre-prepared ears in bags of 2-4 pieces (by removing air from them and fastening them with a zip-fastener) or wrap each head of cabbage separately with cling film. As such, place the ears in the freezer. In winter, all you have to do is take the corn out of the refrigerator, put it in boiling water and cook for 20-30 minutes. We recommend putting in one bag as many ears as you use at one time. Re-freezing is undesirable.

Corn - benefits and harms

Before planting corn, it's worth figuring out - is it possible for you at all? After all, if a lot is known about the benefits of this cereal (yes, corn is not a vegetable at all!), Then contraindications are often forgotten, although there are some.

So, the benefit of corn is that its grains contain vitamins of group B, E, H, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, iron, iodine, etc.It has a beneficial effect on the work of the intestines, has a choleretic effect, and helps to normalize metabolic processes in the body.

But the disadvantages of corn boil down to the fact that during the period of exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases, it can aggravate the situation and is contraindicated for people with thrombosis, thrombophlebitis and increased blood clotting.

How to store fresh corn

The shelf life of fresh corn in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator is from 1 to 10 days, depending on the variety and quality of the original product. Sweet varieties are best kept. For short-term storage, corn is left in the leaves, wrapped in a plastic bag with holes for ventilation, and placed in the refrigerator. Peel the ears just before cooking.

You can extend the shelf life of fresh corn to 3 weeks if stored in whole grain. The grains are pre-prepared. All husks are removed from the cobs and the stigmas are removed. Then fill the pan with water, add ice cubes, as well as lemon juice and salt (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water). The peeled ears are dipped into the resulting solution for about 15-20 minutes, after which the grains are separated and the water is drained through a colander. Store fresh corn grains in the refrigerator, in hermetically sealed plastic containers or zip bags.

You can keep corn fresh for a longer time if you freeze it, for example, in the following ways.

Freeze fresh corn on the cob.
If there is room in the freezer, you can freeze the whole ears. To prevent the corn from becoming "rubbery", it is blanched before freezing (the cobs are preliminarily cleaned of coarse leaves and brushes, leaving only young green foliage). For blanching, prepare 2 containers: one with boiling water, the second with ice water. The cobs are alternately dipped in hot and cold water. Small ears blanch for about 10 minutes, large ones - 15 minutes. Then they are dried, tightly wrapped with cling film and sent to the freezer. The shelf life of corn will be around 4-6 months.

Freeze corn kernels.
To save space in the freezer, you can freeze fresh corn kernels. The ears are processed as described above, then the grains are separated, laid out on a tray in one layer and frozen for 1-2 hours. After the grains are frozen, they are packed in zip-bags with a fastener and sent for storage in the freezer.

You can store boiled corn whole or in whole grain. For each option, there are several affordable and effective ways.

If the space in the refrigerator allows you to store corn on the cob, you can use the following methods:

• in a saucepan with broth.
  Corn loves moisture very much, so after boiling the cobs are left in a saucepan with a decoction. After the broth cools down, put the pan in the refrigerator. Corn will remain fresh for 3-5 days. At room temperature, corn has a shelf life of about 10 hours;
• in cling film or in a container.
  The boiled corn is removed from the water, cooled, wrapped in cling film, or placed in a large plastic container with an airtight lid and stored in the refrigerator. Corn will keep freshness and juiciness for 3 days;
• in the freezer.
  The boiled ears are cooled, dried on a kitchen towel, and then packed in portioned bags. After removing excess air from the bags, they are tightly tied and placed in the freezer. The shelf life of frozen corn is 8-12 months.

You need to cook corn without salt, it hardens the grains.

If there is not too much free space in the refrigerator, but you still want to extend the freshness of boiled corn, you can try storing corn in grains:

• in the broth in the refrigerator.
  The grains are carefully separated from the cobs, put in sterilized glass jars, poured with salted boiling water (1 teaspoon of salt per 1 liter of water), tightly closed with ordinary plastic lids and placed in the refrigerator. In this way, boiled grains can be stored for up to 3 months. Please note that after a few weeks, you will need to add salted water to the jars, since some of the liquid will be absorbed by the corn;
• in the freezer.
  Freezing is a great way to preserve corn for the winter. The grains are carefully separated from the boiled ears, laid out on a tray in one layer and placed in the freezer for 1-2 hours. As soon as the grains are frozen, they are poured into portioned bags, which are tightly tied, and sent for storage in the freezer. The shelf life of frozen grains is 8-12 months.

If you have a rich harvest, the corn can be dried. Dried corn is used to make flour, porridge and popcorn.

Pickled corn quickly. How to pickle corn for the winter at home: choose the cobs correctly and cook according to the best recipes

Even after heat treatment, corn retains almost all nutrients in its composition. This is a variety of vitamins, minerals and essential oils. Because of this unique property, it is actively preserved all over the world for a longer period. And due to the low calorie content of 120 kcal per 100 g, cereal is also considered a dietary product.

Consider how to pickle corn for the winter using the example of simple and proven recipes.

For harvesting for the winter, it is better to choose young or medium-ripe sugar cobs. To determine the degree of ripeness of the grains, you need to run your fingernail over them. If milk is released, and no pulp remains on the nail, it means that it is ready for use.

If, in addition to milk, a little pulp is separated, then it is ideal for preservation. The absence of white juice indicates that the corn is overripe, which means that it has partially lost its beneficial properties and taste.

Advice

When choosing corn on the cob in the store, you should pay attention to the leaves and stigmas (hairs at the base). They shouldn't be wilted

The color of the leaves should be light green, and the hairs should be milky green.

How to pickle corn for the winter

Before proceeding directly with the recipes, it is necessary to do a number of preparatory procedures. The jars in which it is planned to store canned food, and the lids must be thoroughly washed and sterilized by any of the options:

• in the oven;
• for a couple;
• in boiling water;
• in the microwave.

Advice . For the pre-sterilization stage, it is better to stock up on special forceps so as not to burn yourself.

Corn also requires preparation. We clean the cobs from leaves and fibers, and then with a sharp knife cut off the grains as close to the cob as possible.

If the cereals are young, you can not cut off the grains, but cut the ear itself into several pieces across. Some recipes use whole small ears.

Pickled corn with bell pepper

The workpiece will look more beautiful if, instead of one red sweet pepper, you take half a yellow and a green one. You will need one liter jar.

Ingredients

• 2 ears of corn;
• 1 red bell pepper;
• 2 chili peppers
• 1 glass of vinegar;
• 160 g sugar;
• 2 tbsp. l. mustard seeds;
• 2 bay leaves;
• 2 tsp salt.

Preparation:

1. Boil the ears in boiling water for 5 minutes.
2. Take out and cut into several pieces.
3. Boil bell peppers in the same water for 2 minutes.
4. Place vegetables and chili peppers in a jar.
5. In a saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, salt and bay leaf.
6. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.
7. Pour the marinade over the vegetables.
8. Roll up.

Citric Acid Canned Corn Grains Recipe

This recipe is suitable for those who, for whatever reason, do not use vinegar, including children.

Ingredients:

• 4 cobs of corn;
• 2 tsp salt;
• 1 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 1 pinch of citric acid.

Preparation:

1. Place the corn in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes after boiling again.
2. Do not drain the cooking water.
3. Cut off the grains and rinse thoroughly.
4. Place them tightly in the prepared container.
5. Pour boiling water over and leave for 10 minutes.
6. Add sugar, salt and citric acid to the corn broth.
7. Bring the solution to a boil and cook until the crystals are completely dissolved.
8. Replace the water in the jar with the marinade.
9. Roll up.

Workpiece without sterilization

Cooking according to this recipe is characterized by a minimal set of ingredients and simplicity. The triple fill method is applied.

Ingredients:

• 20 medium ears;
• 1 liter of water;
• 30 g sugar;
• 15 g salt;
• 2 tbsp. l. table vinegar.

Preparation:

1. Dip the ears in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Separate the grains from the cobs.
3. Store them tightly in clean jars.
4. Pour boiling water over and leave for 15 minutes.
5. Drain the water into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
6. Pour the jars with it again, only now for 10 minutes.
7. At this time, prepare the marinade. To do this, mix water, salt and sugar in a saucepan.
8. Bring the solution to a boil.

Vinegar recipe

Optionally, you can put one Aspirin tablet in the jar. It will increase the shelf life of the workpiece.

Ingredients:

• 10 ears;
• vinegar;
• 1 tbsp. l. salt;
• 5 tbsp. l. Sahara.

Preparation:

1. Place the corncobs in a large saucepan. Add 4 tbsp. l. sugar and cover with water.
2. Cook for 25 minutes from the moment of boiling.

Features of preparation and storage

The main advantage of storing fresh corn on the cob is that the grains remain tastier and juicier than when they are separated from the core. Whether it will be possible to preserve the harvest for a long time depends largely on the initial data of the raw material.

Cereals are harvested from the garden in dry weather, the integumentary leaves and stigmas (brown hairs) are plucked from the cobs. Then cut off the tip with unripe grains at the top. If there is minor damage or, for example, darkened kernels, they can be removed with a sharp knife. Before laying raw cobs, dry them well in the sun.

If you need to preserve a large harvest, special wooden structures with lattice walls are created for it, which are blown by the wind, which prevents the cereal from rotting.

Usually, for setting the ears for long-term storage, the late varieties with a tougher grain cover are chosen. Such a product will lie without problems until spring and even until the next harvest, retaining all its qualities. Perhaps the grains will not be as sweet and soft as we would like, but no less useful than during the harvest period.

Both grains and whole ears can be stored in several ways:

• freeze fresh;
• place in the freezer after cooking;
• dry;
• canning.

Not all varieties of sweet corn are suitable for freezing, we list some suitable ones: "Merkur", "Zukerka", "Zabava", "Nika 353", "Chell". Others, under the influence of negative temperatures, almost completely lose their taste and aroma.

Most varieties are ideal for canning, and for drying they take cereals picked at the stage of milk maturity. Next, we will take a closer look at each of the methods.

Storage methods

For a short time, raw corn can remain fresh on the shelf in the refrigerator, but after 3 days the grains will lose their sweet taste and become tough. To slow down the breakdown of sugars in the pulp, it is advised to wrap the cob in cling film. You should not wash the raw materials before this.

The main ways of long-term storage of corn cobs:

1. Freezing. To a greater extent than all other methods, it allows you to preserve the taste, juiciness and useful properties of the grains. Frozen ears can be stored for up to 1.5 years.
2. Conservation. The method requires more labor than freezing; during processing, part of the nutrients is lost and the taste of the grains changes. But the shelf life of canned corn is longer - about 3 years.
3. Drying. Allows you to keep the cobs for 1-2 years. Drying leads to a partial loss of the sweetness and aroma of the grains, since during the drying process of the pulp, the sugar in it is converted into starch.

Freezing options

The easiest way to freeze corn is to trim off the tip of the undeveloped corn, wrap each ear separately from the others in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer. There is a risk that the texture of the beans will change after freezing. To keep them soft, it is recommended to pre-boil or blanch the ears.

Scalding before freezing is carried out according to the scheme:

1. Keep the ear in boiling water for 2 minutes.
2. Having taken out of boiling water, immerse at the same time in ice water.

1. After cold water, the corn cob must be placed in boiling water, repeating the entire procedure 4-5 times.
2. The prepared ears should be allowed to dry by spreading them out on a towel.
3. After drying, each fruit must be wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in the freezer.

Freezing of boiled corn is allowed. In this case, the cobs must be boiled as usual: young fruits - within 40 minutesthat have reached full ripeness - 2-3 hours. Upon reaching readiness, the cobs intended for storage should be dipped in ice water for a couple of minutes and left to drain on a towel. Next is the standard freezing procedure.

Preservation of whole ears

Corn selected for canning must be thoroughly cleaned of contamination. It is recommended to leave the raw materials soaked in cold water for 20 minutes, and then rinse with clean water.

Conservation procedure:

1. Place corn cobs in boiling water at the rate of 9-11 pieces per three-liter jar.
2. Boil for 5-7 minutes.
3. Take out, let cool.
4. Place in pre-processed jars.
5. Pour boiling water over, leave to infuse for 5 minutes.
6. Drain the water into a saucepan, boil again and refill the ears. Repeat the procedure 3-4 times.
7. After that, the can can be rolled up.

The storage temperature of cans with canned corn should not exceed + 25 ° C, higher temperatures reduce the shelf life of the harvest to six months. Humidity should not be allowed above 75%. You need to keep cans with preservation in a dark place.

Drying

The ears should be strung on a strong thread, piercing the base, and hung in a dry and dark room with good ventilation. The temperature in this case does not matter, but the air humidity should be no higher than 16%. As a rule, an attic or mezzanine is used for this purpose.

After drying, when the grains have hardened, you can leave the cobs hanging or put them in air-permeable containers - cardboard or wooden boxes, canvas bags.

Frequent mistakes

Even with proper storage, ignorance of the nuances of cooking or improper neighborhood in the refrigerator can spoil the taste and aroma of corn kernels.

Despite the ability to store the cobs for long periods of time, you should not delay eating the product.It is advisable to eat stocks before the next harvest: the longer the corn is stored, the less pronounced the taste and aroma of its grains, and the harder their structure.

The benefits of corn

Corn is a very useful product for the human body, which has many useful properties.

It is an excellent supplier of fiber, which is essential for the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as macronutrients such as potassium and magnesium, which improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

The carotenoids contained in it help to improve vision, the rich vitamin composition strengthens the immune and nervous systems, and also helps to fight many viral infections and colds.

The antioxidant properties of anise prevent the development of cancer and slow down skin aging.

Corn is a very high-calorie product: one hundred grams of raw grains contains about 100 kcal. As for energy value, 100 g of various corn products contain:

• in boiled corn - 97 kcal;
• in corn oil - 898 kcal;
• canned corn - 103 kcal;
• in bread - 261 kcal;
• in steam corn - 98 kcal;
• in croup - 336 kcal;
• in the dried product - 334 kcal;
• in flour - 336 kcal;
• in porridge - 98 kcal;
• in salted popcorn - 402 kcal;
• in sweet popcorn - 408;
• in flakes - 356 kcal.

Thus, despite all the advantages of a useful product, it must be consumed correctly and in moderation.

By the way!

The oil made from corn germ is widely used in cosmetology, namely in the creation of prophylactic agents to improve the condition of the skin, nails, hair, and even to eliminate serious dermatological problems.

Features of growing corn

Despite the fact that corn is an unpretentious crop, irrigation alone cannot be done, although the future harvest largely depends on it.

Most gardeners have the misconception that the plant can be grown especially in the southern regions of the country, but this is not the case. In regions with short summers, corn also grows successfully, although, as a rule, in such cases, initially planted for seedlings. This is due to the fact that when sowing seeds directly into the ground, the culture often simply does not have time to reach technical ripeness during the season (due to the short summer).

In general, when growing corn in the country, the following main points must be taken into account:

• the right choice of variety (always choose zoned varieties);
• compliance with the terms of planting in open ground or for seedlings;
• choice of location, taking into account the preferences of the plant;
• compliance with the rules of further care;
• timely harvest.

How to store corn on the cob for the winter at home

Corn is a fairly common plant that is often grown in summer cottages. 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 storing corn cobs. If the storage of the harvested crop is improperly organized, then the corn grains will eventually become rubbery and tasteless.

To prevent this from happening, you need to figure out how to store corn on the cob.

New ways to extend shelf life

Many people store not only freshly boiled corn in winter, but also fresh heads of cabbage. At the same time, some have problems with storage, since the harvested crop quickly deteriorates. Therefore, you should be familiar with how to keep fresh corn on the cob longer in winter.

To keep the harvest longer, all the harvested ears 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 ears 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 that, the corn is put into zip-lock bags 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 harvested crop at any time of the year, you should familiarize yourself with the features of long-term storage of corn cobs.