Corny, yep really corny...

It's that time of year again and with everything in the garden being a month ahead due to the heat, we weren't so sure about the bicolored corn we had planted. We had had a bumper crop last year and actually opted to not plant as much this year as we still had at least 8 packages in the freezer.

The saying around here is that if the corn isn't knee high by July 4th, you probably aren't going to have a good crop. Well as you can tell by this pic, it even surpassed my knees! So we thought we were good except with this heat, there was no rain. There was wind in the End of the Rainbow Valley and as I said lots of heat. There would be clouds and no reprieve. Natureman realized if we were going to save the garden, we had to do something we rarely do and that was to bring a hose up to the garden.

But not all farmers could irrigate and the fear was that with the drought, they would lose their crops. Thankfully our area was blessed with a good couple days of rain toward the end of July and beginning of August and we all needed it.

AND that welcomed line from Natureman came, "I think the corn is ready." Ah music to my ears as there's nothing better that corn straight from the garden straight into the pot of boiling water and onto one's plate. Sho' enuf it was!

This year still might have corn being ready at different times due to the weather but yesterday was the 'first' picking. Some folks asked about the process for freezing. This is our simple process.

1. Start boiling water.
2. Pick your corn that's ready.
(Check by pulling husk down a bit to check kernel size)
3. Remove husks and silks.
4. Place cobs in boiling water for four minutes.
5. Fill one side of the sink with cold water.
6. Pour off hot water in other side of side of sink.
7. Immerse cobs immediately in cold water sink. (This stops cooking)
8. Remove cobs's kernels with sharp knife, slicing from bigger end to smaller end.

9. Scoop 3 ladles into zip loc quart size bags
10. Remove excess air by leaving bag open enough for a straw at one end of bag.
11. Place straw in opening, sucking carefully to not suck up any kernels.:)
12. Close quickly.
13. Label with permanent marker with year and CORN.
14. Place in freezer.

Voila vacuum sealed 2-person servings of corn straight from the garden into the freezer to enjoy throughout the year.

BUT we are not the only ones happy that it's corn time as the goats are the recipients of the corn husks, silks and de-kernelled cobs. 





Nothing goes to waste here in the End of the Rainbow Valley ...