Find three ways to freeze corn, the pros and cons of each, and which may work best for you: unblanched (or uncooked) on the cob, unblanched cut kernels and blanched cut kernels - plus get ideas on the best ways to cook with them.
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Whether you grow your own corn or you find a deal at a farm or store, there probably comes a time when you've eaten all you can - either on the cob or in recipes like zucchini, corn & tomato sauté with feta or lick-the-plate creamy fresh baked corn - and you want to preserve the rest.
The easiest way to put up a good amount of corn is to freeze it. It's also the way I find it to be most versatile - frozen corn makes a fresh-tasting sauté with peppers and onions, a sausage-corn chowder, and even a delicious roasted corn salsa.
Since publishing how to freeze green beans without blanching and then freezing snap peas without blanching, many AOC readers asked about freezing corn without blanching, too. So I experimented for a year to see how we liked our corn when frozen, trying three different ways to freeze corn.
And the results?
Well, you can freeze corn without blanching first, but it's not as clear-cut as green beans or snap peas. I actually found I like to have corn on hand that's been frozen three different ways:
- Cut off the cob raw.
- Cooked and then cut off the cob.
- Whole ears of unblanched corn.
Any way you decide to do it, having corn in the freezer that's been frozen at the height of flavor is a wonderful thing!
Three Ways to Freeze Corn
1. Unblanched Whole Cobs
This is the easiest and quickest method:
- Shuck, add to freezer bags, extract air, and toss in the freezer.
Pro: It takes literally minutes, which is why there's always a few corn cobs in our freezer.
Cons: The cobs aren't as easy to use as cut kernels in recipes or to sauté. And the cooked corn on the cob, while picture-perfect (right photo above) and fun to have in the depths of winter, is a little chewy and watery.
Best way to cook frozen whole cobs*:
- Bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Drop frozen ears of corn into boiling water.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes or until done to your liking.
*A reader suggested this cooking method as a way to keep the cobs from getting soggy, and though we still found they were a bit watery, it is the best way to cook them I think.
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The other two methods require you to remove the kernels from the corn cobs.
Here are some tips I've learned when freezing kernels:
- I use quart-size freezer baggies rather than jars or containers, since I can get a lot of air out of them with a straw and they stack with little waste of space in the freezer.
- I've tried a lot of ways to minimize the mess when cutting the kernels off the cobs - regular cutting board, tube cake pan method, special corn cob cutters, etc. - but in the end I always return to my trusty over-the-sink cutting board with a drain/hole in one side. I can place a large bowl under the hole and simply slide the kernels into the bowl as I cut and since it's over the sink, most of the mess is contained. Here are a few examples from Amazon that are similar to mine:
- Best reviewed plastic over-the-sink cutting board.
- A less expensive, but still good reviewed plastic over-the-sink cutting board.
- For those who'd like a wood option (there aren't many), this pretty over-the-sink cutting board has the best reviews (you need to keep this maintained with oil).
2. Uncooked Corn Kernels
This is the second easiest method, since you don't need to cook the corn first:
- Shuck and cut the kernels off the cob into a large bowl.
- Spoon kernels into freezer baggies (or containers), remove as much air as possible (I use my handy straw), seal and freeze.
Pros: No need to cook first, just cut and package. The corn is then ready for any recipe calling for uncooked corn with no danger of overcooking.
Cons: Corn that has been frozen this way definitely has a different texture than blanched corn and we found that it needs to be cooked to use - this isn't the way to freeze corn that you'd like to use in salads or fresh bean & corn salsas.
TIP: The package of corn pictured above is a year-old baggie of frozen corn and you can see that it looks great still and the straw sealer worked well!
Best ways to use unblanched or uncooked cut corn:
- Sauté in a bit of butter with additions of chopped onions or peppers if desired.
- Bacon and Corn Saute: cook 3-4 strips of bacon until crisp, remove to a towel-lined plate to drain and cook 2-3 cups of corn kernels in the hot bacon grease until done, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve with reserved bacon crumbled on top.
- Add to soups and stews like this black bean soup or any recipe where the corn will cook with other ingredients, like this sausage-corn tart or this bacon-corn tart or these delicious stuffed zucchinis.
- Roast it! Just add it to a lined sheet pan -frozen - and roast at 400 degrees until browned. Season how you like, or make a delicious corn salsa.
3. Blanched Corn Kernels
The third way is the most traditional way to freeze fresh corn:
- Bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Drop shucked ears into boiling water and cook 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from water to a large bowl and let cool a few minutes until you can handle them.
- Cut kernels off of cobs, spoon into freezer baggies, remove as much air as possible (again using a straw), seal and freeze.
Pros: It's nice to have baggies of cooked corn in the freezer for eating fresh in salads and salsas without having to cook first. It doesn't taste as 'raw' to me as the unblanched. Plus, I often cook a pot of corn cobs for dinner during the corn season and have leftovers which are easy to just bag up after dinner.
Con: Takes the most time, needing more steps.
Best ways to use blanched cut corn:
- In any fresh salads like this quick chopped salad.
- Make black bean and corn salsa by adding a can of homemade rotel to the corn and beans along with garlic, lime juice and seasonings.
- You can also use this frozen corn in any recipe that calls for corn, just like the unblanched method, so it's pretty versatile.
- The roasting method mentioned also works well with cooked corn.
Which Way to Freeze Corn is Best?
Because there are lots of different ways our family likes to eat corn (which you can see more of in AOC's recipe index), I preserve the season's fresh corn each of these ways - one way just isn't enough for corn!
It is nice to have the options, though, especially if time is short or you've got an abundance to freeze all at once, which often happens when you grow your own or find a deal at a farmer's market.
So, tell me - how do you freeze corn? How do you like to use the frozen corn?
3 Ways to Freeze Corn
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Chef's Knife
- Freezer baggies
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 corn cobs depending on size of ears
Instructions
- Unblanched Whole Cobs - the easiest and quickest method: -Shuck, add to freezer bags, extract air, and toss in the freezer. (See Note* for cooking method.)
- Uncooked Corn Kernels - the second easiest method, since you don't need to cook the corn first:-Shuck and cut the kernels off the cob into a large bowl.-Spoon kernels into freezer baggies (or containers), remove as much air as possible (I use my handy straw), seal and freeze.
- Blanched or Cooked Corn Kernels - This third way is the most traditional way to freeze fresh corn:-Bring a large pot of water to boil.-Drop shucked ears into boiling water and cook 2-3 minutes.-Remove from water to a large bowl and let cool a few minutes until you can handle them.-Cut kernels off of cobs, spoon into freezer baggies, remove as much air as possible (again using a straw), seal and freeze.
Video
Notes
- Bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Drop frozen ears of corn into boiling water.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes or until done to your liking.
Nutrition
Looking for recipes to use up your corn?
- Find more about corn in The Ultimate Corn Guide that includes how to grow and harvest plus a TON of recipe ideas.
- Zucchini, Corn, and Tomato Sauté with Feta
- 5-Minute Foolproof Fermented Corn Relish Recipe
- Quick & Easy Roasted Corn Salsa
- Quick Corn and Sausage Chowder
- Creamy Fresh Baked Corn
- Simple Sausage and Corn Tart
- Simple Corn, Pepper and Onion Saute
- 5 Minute Fool Proof Fermented Corn Relish
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links and by clicking on them you help support AOC at no extra cost to you – thanks so much! (Read our entire disclosure page here.)
LauraLee says
Thanks so much for posting this information! I knew I could freeze corn, but was unsure as to the best way. I went crazy during fresh corn season and wanted serving sized bags I could bring out whenever I wanted that worked for just a corn side, or for recipes calling for raw corn. This was a lifesaver! I’ve even bookmarked this page and will continue to use these methods.
Jami says
Wonderful - so glad to know this was useful to you, Lauralee!
Dianna says
I use an electric knife to get my corn off the cob and not so much mess
Jami says
What a great idea, Dianna!! I will have to try that.
BJMurr says
Thank you for posting this information. My family always cut corn off the cob, and froze it unblanched. I asked this question on Instagram and got an earful of how that was wrong to do, and that they hoped we weren't farmers. LOL, 4 generations in the Midwest on 600 acres.
Jami says
Oh, gosh - people are free with opinions on social media, aren't they? 🙂
Freeze away!!
Jean M. Jeske says
I do not shuck. I cut off bottom stem and freeze whole. In plastic bags or freezer bags. When needed I micro wave.Not watery, tastes fresh!
Jami says
I've heard from quite a few people who do this - thanks, Jean!
Shelley Vermeersch says
Hi Jami, Love your site! I found the easiest way to get the kernels off the cob is to use an Angel food cake pan. The hole in the middle is perfect for putting the tip of the corn cob into. Then I use my electric knife to cut the kernels off. They fall into the cake pan, nice and contained. Thanks so much for this wonderful website!
Jami says
This is a great tip - thanks Shelley!
Joyce curtician says
I just found your site this morning and so glad I did. , I want to freeze corn off the cob and and now I don't have to blanch first. Thank you so much for this information..
Jami says
You're welcome - I'm glad this was helpful!
Michael Lahmon says
Wife and I have been canning all day today and i've run out of time, got to get to bed soon for work in the morning, but we still had 23 ears left to process. So we are searching the net as to which way to freeze it when we run across your site and thought "huh...these are great ideas", so we're trying all 3 with our vacuum sealer.
Thank you for a great set of ideas, you saved a working man some valuable sleeping time.
Jami says
Glad to have helped, Michael!
Renee says
Hi Jami
You have a very interesting website I just did your cut off freezer corn that is Blanched. how do I cook it when I take it out of the freezer?
Jami says
Since it's already cooked, you can use it any way you want! Add it to salads, taco bowls, etc. You can also cook it in other recipes or heat it in a pot with a little butter and salt. 🙂
Mikki Burgess says
For many years I have frozen corn whole, in the husk. Chop off the top and bottom ends, slide into freezer bags, and voila! Done! Then when you take it out, the silks come right off when you shuck the corn. No need to thaw. Just drop it right into your boiling water or place on the grill. When I serve this in January, no one believes it's frozen corn. The texture is exactly as fresh. I hope you will try and add this as a 4th way to freeze.
Jami says
Sounds great, I will try it!
L says
Thank you so much for such a wonderful detailed site and information of exactly what to do with the fresh corn
that has been given to us during the pandemic! You are a blessing to our kitchen! 🙂
Your site is beautifully done and very helpful. Thanks for all your hard work and for sharing!
Jami says
Thank you so much for your sweet words, I'm glad it's been helpful to you!
Mark G Smith says
please please try STEAMING EARS OF CORN... (And then take that stuff about a big boiling pot of water OFF of your recipes!)
So easy and so much better for energy efficiency and not heating up the kitchen, to just get half an inch (or a little bit more) of water Boiling in the pot and then plop the raw shucked corn in on top, set a timer for five minutes and… You are done! You don't have a bunch of water soaking into the corn sucking the goodness out of it and making it mushy later, etc. My favorite way to do it is in my big electric wok, in the outdoor kitchen on the carport that we use to avoid heating up the house in the summertime here in North Carolina…Nice electric woks come with a steaming rack, so you boil water and just plop the corn on the rack for five minutes!
(And… A little nasty secret… Microwaves, which we don't have one of, do a pretty nice thing with corn… I found that out when I was on the road for weeks at a time, buying corn at roadside stands and then slapping in the microwave at the motel… IN THE SHUCK, it steams itself! And a little extra radiation!)
OK, it's time to call my corn connection, the brother-in-law of the farmer down the road…
so, feel free to mention that… The importance of developing a good corn source close to home! You could also note that almost all varieties of sweet corn or non-GMO… somewhere there is a reference that talks about the specific types that are definitely non-GMO! Happy googling!(Holler if you can't find it…)
Jami says
Thanks Mark - that sounds like a great way to cook it!
Kalmia says
This is my go to blog for corn season and how it has made life easier!
But Mark what a great tip About the steaming, I’ve always been partial to steaming my veg never ever boiling, except for corn, as that seems to be the only way known, other than the BBQ . The microwave is interesting how long would that take I wonder. Thanks for sharing both of you!
Jami says
I'm so glad this has made your life easier! I've read 4 minutes in the microwave with husks and 2-3 minutes without husk, Kalmia.
Mark G Smith says
I definitely recommend microwaving IN THE HUSK. It really steams it up, keeps the flavor in!
Just crank it up until it gets good & hot, then let it sit to steam and cool before you go to shuck it (look out, it's HOT & steamy!).
It's been a while, but my recollection is that it's possible to do three medium-size ears at the same time, ya just have to run the microwave longer… If they are really massive ears, maybe two? Experiment!
While I'm at it - if you're STEAMING CORN, you can toss some herbs in there w the corn, I'm particular to the VARIOUS TYPES OF FRESH BASIL that's coming along at the same time as corn here!
Jami says
Good to know, Mark - thanks for the tips!
Deb says
3-3 1/2 minutes on high in the microwave in the husk. When it’s done, cut off the stem and squeeze the ear out. Perfectly cooked and it removes the silks. Just protect your hands because it will be HOT and if you wait until it cools it doesn’t remove the silks.
Jan says
3 minutes. Yum!
Sylvia Clifton says
Thank you Jami I was trying to find out if I could frieze fresh corn in there husks. I like to microwave them in there husks and I came across your emails. Thank you so much. I hope I can always get back to you. I got all my questions answers!
Jami says
Wonderful, Sylvia - I'm so glad this was helpful!
Pete Sommers says
Remove all but 2 or 3 layers of husk
Cut the bottom off at the first circle of kernels
Microwave ears 3-5 minutes, depending on the quantity, three ears appx 3 min.
Wrapping the silk end tightly in a towel (ears will be hot), wiggle the ear forcing the ear out the cut bottom
A clean, silkless ear should be the result. You will get better with practice
I use a mandolin to cut off the kernels, holding the large end, cutting from the small end back
Jami says
Thanks for the tip, Pete.
Sharon smith says
Whenever i freeze corn on the cob itself, the kernels taste like the cob. How can i fix this?
Jami says
Well, I'm not sure Sharon. Maybe it's just not the best way for you. 🙂
Monica says
Ty for your input on how to freeze corn 😊I'm going to try the blanched whole cob, but it doesn't say whether to cool before you freeze I'm assuming that you do can you e-mail me and let me know thanks.
Monica
Jami says
Yes, you should cool the cobs.
Janice Kelsey says
I'm getting back to preserving fresh foods. I am thrilled with your site.❤
Jami says
I'm so glad you found AOC then, Janice! Be sure to check out my preserving page with recipes and tips, too.
Diana Dillon (Di) says
I was wondering what the corn tastes like if you don't blanch it and freeze it on the cob!!?
Is there a reason you don't freeze it on the cob?
Jami says
I've read since this experiment that some people DO like to freeze it unblanched on the cob - and many leave it in the husk! I find that we just don't eat corn on the cob as much as cut. When it's cut I can use it in recipes easily all winter long. Each family will be different, though!
Tina says
First time I have looked at your site. Love it so far. Thank you for your time.
Jami says
Thank you, Tina!
melisa sherwin says
if I am going to steam or microwave corn in the winter could I freeze it unblanched?
Jami says
Sure!
Elise says
We like to freeze our corn on the cob by simply placing the cobs husks and all in paper grocery bags. Great to cook on the grill. Con, takes up a lot of freezer space.
Jami says
Interesting, Elise! They don't dry out in a paper bag?
Tabitha Oakley says
I'm also very curious about this! I stumbled upon your site trying to figure out if I can freeze fresh corn on the cob so that my kids (who love this stuff) can enjoy it all year around!
Jami says
Great, Tabitha - I hope they do enjoy it!
Ronda says
I also use the paper bag method if I don’t have time to do anything with our corn. It doesn’t dry out. To cook I take it out of the bag with husk on, put it in the microwave, and lay a damp paper towel on top of it. Microwaves vary but I cook about 3 minutes per ear. As soon as you can handle it cut the bottom off, hold the top and shake a bit. The husk will slide right off!
Jami says
Amazing!!