Sweetcorn Success: Harvesting and Preserving

After a rocky start with my sweetcorn season—thanks to some overly enthusiastic rabbits dining on my first crop—I’m thrilled to share that my second attempt turned out to be a bumper success. While it’s a little late in the season, the wait was worth it!

If you’re wondering when your sweetcorn is ready to harvest, assess the silks. Once they’ve turned brown and dried out, it’s time to pick your crop.

To make the most of this harvest throughout the year, I preserve my sweetcorn using two methods:

• Corn on the cob

• Corn kernels.

Corn on the cob

Start by stripping off the husks and cutting the corn into your preferred sizes. Next, blanch the pieces in boiling water for five minutes, then dunk them into an ice bath to cool. Dry the corn on a towel, vacuum-seal enough in bags for one or two meals, and voilà—your corn is ready for long-term storage. Once you get a system going, it does not take long. Two-thirds of the harvest yielded 25 bags of corn each with two meals for us. I made a few bigger bags for when family and friends come for meals.

Personal tip: Instead of ice cubes, I use ice packs in my ice bath. Ice cubes tend to melt too quickly, warming the water, but rotating multiple ice packs keeps things nice and cold.

Corn Kernels

Preserving kernels is simple and perfect. Skip the blanching step—kernels often don’t need it if incorporating into dishes later. With a serrated bread knife, carefully slice the kernels off the cob, letting them fall into a baking dish to catch every last one (well almost). Spread out on some paper towel or a clean tea towel and press out as much moisture without crushing the kernels.

Pack them into ziplock bags for easy access when cooking.

These three bags will not be enough for the year, so I may need to change my ratios next year or plant more (I can hear the rabbits smiling already).

Both methods ensure that you can enjoy your sweetcorn well beyond harvest time!

How do you like to preserve your sweetcorn harvest?