Maize / sweetcorn.

[peter]

For various reasons I have only just cleared out the sweetcorn bed. Found about ten cobs, well populated with shrivelling kernels.

Managed to strip the cobs satisfactorily.

However, without using specilised kit, what is the best way to get the kernels dried properly?

Last time I tried this I used the airing cupboard and a month or two later the "dried" kernels went mouldy.

Also what is the cooking advice?

I am assuming use as a stew addative.

[peter]

Dear OH helped herself to three handfuls for tonights chicken carcass and vegetable soup.

Hmm, I think the word "chewy" is best, still she did not wave the Braun at it.

Any drying tips though, please.

[Primrose]

Peter, I don't know whether drying them off in a slow oven over several hours would be an option. I've never tried it but I imagine they might end up like hard little pieces of gravel unless you could get the timing right..
Whenever I preserve sweet corn I've always frozen it on the cob, but is not a very effective space preserving method. I imagine that if you wanted to freeze the indidvual cobs you'd have to blanch them for about two minutes, plunge them into cold water, then dry them and bag them off. Sorry. Not a very helpful answer I'm afraid.

[peter]

While I was cogitating the maize was sprouting.

So I picked it over, removed the cooking spoons worth or sprouted kernels and consigned the rest to the oven just after tea some hours ago.

Just checked them and surprise surprise, the ones on the top tray were more akin to cornflakes than bullets. Quite crunchable.

The lower shelf were in shallow cake tins and were still quite damp, almost steam cooking in fact, so retrieved the second oven tray from the drying up, well streaky chinese style pork has to cook somewhere. Anyway, put the chrunchies in the deep tray and the dampies in the shallow tray.

[Colin_M]

I imagine that if you wanted to freeze the indidvual cobs you'd have to blanch them for about two minutes, plunge them into cold water...

Hi Primrose, I'm interested in your advice for freezing.

Many years ago, I used to help my Mum freeze runner beans. We always blanched them etc and it was a pain for any quantity. One year, we didn't have time and just froze them ...... and they were fine.

Ever since then, I've never blanched anything I put into the freezer. I can't claim any credit for this and am sure someone saw some benefit from blanching (otherwise no one would bother!). So what actually is the gain and is it needed more for some veg than others?

As far as this thread goes, I find the freezer ideal for sweetcorn, since we can never get through it fast enough when it is at it's optimum. Last year I made the mistake of picking it as we needed it, and the last 75% were a great disappointment after the first deliciously sweet lot. This year, I still have a nice lot to look forward to, into the Autumn months.


Colin

[Primrose]

Colin - On the topic of blanching, my freezer cookbook says "Vegetables must be blanced to arret the working of enzymes (types of protein in foods which speed up chemical reactions). Blanching at high heat stops the enzymes from affecting quality, flavour, colour and nutritive value during storage. Unblanched vegetables can be stored for up to 3 months in the freezer but the ffect of freezing will be the same as that of an early frost and they will lose their colour and texture. Unblanced vegetables also require the full cooking time, unlike blanced vegetables which are already partly cooked."

I have, when pressed for time, occasionally frozen beans without blancing but when they have been in the freezer for a long time they haven't been terribly nice. I blanch my sweet corn cobs whole in boiling water for 2 minutes and when cool,wrap them in clingfilm before freezing.. If I cook them from frozen I then put them in boiling water for about 7 -8 mins. I've never frozen the nibblets individually but guess they would only need blanching for one minute and then boiling for 2 or 3 when you cook them.

When I freeze beans now (and I mostly grow climbing French beans, and a few runners) I cut them into 2 inch chunks & blanch for 2 mins. If I really have the time, I dry them after blanching on a clean tea towel and freeze them on an open tray before bagging off. This means I can put them individually into a big bag and grab a handful when needed. Otherwise, if they're bagged up when still moist, they all stick together and you have to use the whole quantity in the bag (unless you hit them with a hammer to separate them, which is a rather drastic way of treating your food !).

[Colin_M]

Hi Primrose, yes I guess the blanching knocks out the enzymes. I suppose we'll just have to eat the stuff within a couple of months.

if they're bagged up when still moist, they all stick together and you have to use the whole quantity in the bag (unless you hit them with a hammer to separate them

An altenative that also works is to swing the plastic bag of frozen stuff at the kitchen table. The impact usually frees-up the solid lump of contents.....!

Colin