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Corn:  Corn season lasts long enough that I can process it a bit at a time.  I will usually buy a dozen ear each week and, if I can keep my husband from consuming them before I get to them, will blanch and  freeze about 4-5 of the ears.  The process involves blanching for about 4 min. then plunging into ice water to stop the cooking.  I then cut the kernels off the cob and freeze in pint sized bags.  When I used the quart bags I had more than what I needed without eating corn several days of the week. I learned a cool technique for cutting the kernels off without having corn all over the kitchen.  Place a smaller bowl upside down in a larger mixing bowl, place the ear on the smaller bowl as a pedestal and cut down; the corn is caught in the big bowl.   Some people after blanching will put the corn, ear and all in the bag to freeze.  This is not my favorite method, mostly I want to preserve eating corn from the cob for those lazy summer days when the sweetness is at its height and the juices roll down my chin.  –

Freezing was fine until I perused my cook books to find some other cool ways to preserve as much of that sweet taste as possible. I now find myself using about half a day to process, a dozen or a bit more ears hopefully on the same day I buy them.  What follows is what I do on that day.

• After blanching 3-4 ears I make some corn and black bean salsa which stays nicely in the fridge for quite some time, but I also freeze some.   I love it with meats or on sandwiches.  It is good on tacos and if before serving you add some feta cheese and tomatoes it makes a great salad. Though I might use cider vinegar, you can give the salsa a kick if you use chipotle balsamic vinegar.  I particularly like the vinegars from Narragansett Bay Olive Oil company. www.nboliveoil.com
• I take a few ears (2-3)  and roast them on the grill; these are frozen and used for things like corn soup where I want some extra flavor. I just saw a corn soup on THE CHEW today that blended roasted corn and garlic in a blender and then      served with feta and basil on top.  Go to www.thechew.com and search for grilled corn and basil soup. The roasted corn could also be used  for corn bread or fritters.
•  Not even thinking this was possible drying corn has become one of my favorite ways to put up corn.  With the oven at about 200 F, I remove the kernels from the cob and place them on sheet pans, which are then put in the oven.  Leave them there for about 12 hours and you will have dried corn. Be sure you have no other  need for your oven; this a  good over night project.  When the corn is dried and cooled  I put it  in a jar and have it on my pantry shelf.  During the winter when I make soups or stews I will throw in some  of this dried corn and it is heavenly. The kernels are amazingly sweet. I haven’t ventured into the world of making corn meal but it seems simple enough.
• Last but not least, the cob. On my short days of processing  the cobs are placed into the compost for the worms and other invitees to  feast upon, but on my one long day I take half of the cobs and boil them in water to make a yummy stock, you might want to add some onions and garlic as well as a bit of salt to the water.  I freeze it in small portions, i.e.  large muffin tins and then use them when making rice, risotto or any recipe that might need some stock.  You can go further as I did once and made corn syrup- a really nice taste but just didn’t know what to do with it.  I also boiled it down a bit more than I  should have and it was like molasses- another project to work on.

Some other corn tips:

• Not all corn is created  equal and you might like one type better than another.  If you are getting corn from a grower for the first time get a few to try and then decide. You might even want  to experiment with mixing types of corn.
• I try to buy my corn early  in the day and have learned when the new stuff is put out.  If you get there too early you might be getting what was left over from the day before.  When corn is at its best it might not be a problem but you want to try to get it as fresh as possible.

• Corn bought from a  sustainable farmer is good.  It annoys me when people go through the ears opening up the husks because it can cause the  corn to break down faster.   i equate this action with people pushing in the bottoms of chocolate in a candy box, then leaving what they don’t like. I am not sure why people feel this is necessary. It would be fun to do a      survey, I bet we would find out that they aren’t sure. Corn is mature when the silk is brown so no need to look to see if it is ripe, and  if it is to see if there is any type of worm or insect, well there might be but you can just cut off that part of the ear.  Food that is grown sustainably will have some imperfections, that’s why it is so good.  If you feel strongly about opening the ears at least ask the farmer.

• In my continuing efforts  to use as much of every plant I can I went in search of what to do with corn silk.  Who knew that it is used as an herbal remedy for water retention?  Check out this site, but as with anything medicinal be sure it is right for you.        http://wholelivingdaily.wholeliving.com/2011/08/what-to-do-with-corn-silk-make-tea.html

• And last but not least  those husks could be dried to use in crafts or used as wrappers for tamales.

Take home info on corn:

• It is easy to freeze but be realistic about how much you will really eat
• Besides freezing, relishes and dried corn are also possible.
• Don’t waste the ears, they make great stock.