How To Freeze Entire Corn Cobs For Juicy Results

Whether you like to make this grilled corn on the cob recipe or enjoy adding a twist by brushing the corn with fish sauce, your love of corn is understood. After all, sinking your teeth into a sizzling hot, buttered, and highly seasoned cob is the corny experience most of us crave long after the season has passed. But, what if we told you there was a way to enjoy local, juicy cobs months after they went out of season? 

If you freeze corn cobs correctly, there should be no discernible drop in quality. The trick to safely and effectively freezing them starts with you removing the husk (the leaves) and the silk (the tussle of shiny fibers that grow at the end of the corn). Once this is done, it's time to blanch the corn. Do this by bringing a pot of salted water to the boil and carefully adding the corn cobs to it. Cobs that are about 1 inch in diameter should be blanched for around seven minutes. 1.5-inch cobs and 2-inch cobs should be blanched for nine and 11 minutes respectively. 

Once blanched, place the corn in an ice bath. (This abruptly stops the cooking process.) Keep them in the ice bath until they've completely cooled down. Next, you need to prepare them for freezing. Pat the cobs dry and wrap them with plastic wrap before putting them in a freezer-proof bag and into your freezer.

Corn cobs can be stored in the freezer for up to a year. However, their texture and flavor begins to degrade after about six months. While cobs older than this are still safe to eat, they won't taste very good. To make them last as well and as long as possible, it is important to press out any air when wrapping and bagging your corn; trapped air contributes to freezer burn. You should also label and date the corn to ensure that you keep tabs on which corn you should eat first.

When it's time to enjoy your corn cobs, there are a few thawing methods to choose from. For the best results, simply remove the cobs from the freezer and place them in the refrigerator to defrost overnight. If you're rushed for time (or are feeling impatient), leave the sealed bag of cobs in a bowl of cool water until they defrost. You can also speed up the process by unwrapping the cobs and placing them in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes (four minutes should do it) until they completely thaw. At this point, you are ready to grill your corn to perfection.