How to Freeze Fresh Corn

If you love fresh corn on the cob and wish you could have it year-round, I have great news! You can. Follow along for tips on how to cut corn off the cob and freeze it. You can freeze a lot or a little, depending on how much you want throughout the rest of the year.

Frozen sweet corn is a perfect, easy side dish on its own, or you can add it to other dishes that call for corn. I sometimes use it in place of canned corn when I make corn pudding, my Easy Black Bean recipe, salads, salsas, soups like Black Bean Taco Soup, and risotto. When I make Zucchini Corn Pasta, I often buy extra ears of corn for freezing corn kernels.

Boxes filled with fresh ears of corn, still in their husks, are stacked on top of each other. The corn is arranged neatly, showcasing the bright green colors and natural textures. The background includes some greenery, suggesting an outdoor setting.

Anna’s most recent post suggests low-pressure ways to introduce children to foods. It’s a great way to support picky eaters. One of those is cooking with kids.

Our family’s annual freezing corn fest provides just such an opportunity. It’s another family tradition and an opportunity to gather multiple generations. And it’s also FUN!

What a Job!

I won’t forget the time my father-in-law told us about one of his jobs as a child growing up in Eastern North Carolina. Because he was always so tall, he had a job walking through the rows of corn and opening the pods (anthers is the actual term) on top of the stalks to distribute the pollen they contain.

Who knew there was ever such a job?! And a little plant biology – the pollen fertilizes the silks. There has to be a fertilized corn silk for each kernel of corn to develop on the cob. Fascinating!

Freezing Fresh Corn is a Family Tradition

Since Caroline (14) was 4 months old, we’ve gone to Lancaster, PA to freeze fresh corn. Why Lancaster you’re wondering? My husband’s parents live there.

And the fresh, sweet corn we get each summer is out of this world. It’s incredibly tender and sweet. It’s well worth the trip!

Each year, my mother-in-law finds where to get the summer’s best-tasting corn. We find a weekend that works for both of us.

She orders the corn, and off we go—our empty cooler ready to fill with bags of frozen sweet corn.

Every year we get 10 – 11 dozen ears to freeze fresh corn to enjoy until the next summer, when we’ll do it all again. You don’t have to get this much!

The Simple Way to Freeze Fresh Corn

You can buy a few extra ears of corn next time you buy it to cook with dinner. I do this often when I make Zucchini Corn Pasta. After dinner, cut the kernels off the leftover ears, put it in a plastic ziplock bag, date it and stick it in the freezer.

Shuck the Corn on the Cob

My children sometimes grumble about all the shucking, but they have developed their own tradition within the tradition – setting aside all the ears of corn that contain random yellow kernels (Silver King corn has white kernels) to cook for dinner that night.

We gather around some large trash cans and shuck away while chatting and listening to music. This year we listened to Caroline’s Broadway playlist.

Lots of fun! Have some trays on hand to stack and transfer the shucked corn to the kitchen.

Three people shuck corn outside near a large paper bag. One person holds an ear of corn with husks partly removed, another person's hands grasp an ear mid-shuck, and a third person stands with their arms visible in a colorful, floral-patterned top.

How to Freeze Sweet Corn Off the Cobb

Once all the corn is shucked, we set up to blanch the corn, cut it off the cobs and fill the bags to freeze fresh corn.

A stack of fresh sweet corn cobs with the husks removed. The kernels are tightly packed and appear plump and ready for cooking. More corn cobs are visible in the background.

First, we place a couple of pots on the stove that are big enough to hold about 4-6 ears of corn each. We fill each about halfway with water and set the heat to high.

We also fill a tea kettle and keep that hot to add to the pots as water evaporates after we’ve blanched a couple rounds.

Expert Tip: Dampen a dish towel and lay it on the counter where to you want to cut the corn. Place your cutting board on top of the damp towel. The towel is there to keep the board from traveling around the counter while you’re cutting!

Ask one of the corn huskers to write the date on plastic quart-size Ziplock freezer bags with a Sharpie. Each bag will hold the corn kernels from 4-6 ears.

Close-up of several ears of fresh sweet corn on the cob being boiled in hot water, with bubbles forming around them. The corn's kernels are visible, and they are partially submerged in the bubbling water.

1. Place a couple of pots on the stove that are big enough to hold about 4-6 ears of corn each. We fill each about halfway with water and set the heat to high.

We also fill a tea kettle and keep that hot to add to the pots as water evaporates after we’ve blanched a couple rounds.

Several ears of sweet corn being washed under running water, placed in a white colander. The close-up shot focuses on the texture and details of the kernels.

2. Using the tongs, remove the blanched corn and place it in a colander in the sink under cold running water. This cools it off so it stops cooking, and you’ll be able to handle it.

A close-up of a person cutting corn off the cob. There are corn kernels scattered on the board, and a pile of cut corn in the background.

3. Stand the corn up on one end. Cut the kernels off from top to bottom. Be careful not to cut too close to the cob or you’ll end up with cob too.

Turn the cob ¼ turn and cut from top to bottom again. Repeat 2 more times for a total for 4 times.

A person uses a large knife to cut corn kernels off a cob. The kernels are falling onto a white cutting board. In the background, there are other corn cobs and a plastic bag filled with corn kernels.

4. Then, run the back of the knife from top to bottom along the cob to get any random kernels and corn juice. Discard the cob

A hand using a large spoon to scoop up fresh kernels from a cob of corn on a white cutting board. Several cobs have already been trimmed, and corn kernels are scattered around the board. In the background, there are plastic bags filled with corn kernels.

5. Once you’ve cut the kernels off 4-6 cobs, scoop up the kernels and place them in a quart-size ziplock bag.

Plastic bags for freezing corn are stacked on top of each other, filled with kernels of corn that have been cut from the cob.

6. Fill the bag ¾ of the way full. When you freeze food, it expands a little, so you want to leave some room in each bag.

Then, seal the bag, pressing the air out as you seal it. Stack the bags on top of one another.

Expert tips:

Use a damp paper towel or towel to wipe any corn or liquid from the corn off the bags to prevent them from sticking together once they’re frozen. Stack the filled bags on top of one another. And place them in the freezer.
Save the water you used for blanching the corn cobs. Allow it to cool, and then place it in freezer-safe containers. Remember to label and date it. You’ll have lots of delicious corn stock to use in place of veggie stock. I like to use it in place of water or veggie stock.

How to Cook Frozen Sweet Corn

Over the course of the year, once corn season has come and gone, we’re so thankful we took a weekend afternoon freezing corn. It takes only a couple minutes to defrost in the microwave. Then I place it in a saucepan with some salt and some water or milk.

Place a lid on the pan. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil gently for 5 minutes. You have corn that takes you back to summer and takes only a few minutes to cook.

A young child with curly hair is sitting in a high chair, wearing a bib, and holding a corn on the cob, appearing to take a bite. There is a green sippy cup placed on the tray in front of them.

Here’s Caroline eating fresh corn on the cob when she was around 14 months old. She has always loved it! I put the corn on the tray and she decided whether or not she was going to pick it up and try it.

She knew exactly what to do! She had seen us eat corn on the cob, and children have an innate sense of how to feed themselves.

I hope my children grow up to think about our annual freezing corn fest the way Anna reminisces about blackberry picking.