Planted beginning in mid April, our sweet corn is available around July until August.

TIPS:
1. Is there anything better than fresh sweet corn?! Best eaten the same day that it’s picked. Look for fresh, green leaves when purchasing. It will keep in the refrigerator, and will stay crisper in the husk if the leaves are sprinkled with a bit of water.
2. Try it grilled or wrap the corn, husk and all, in tin foil and place on a grill for 20 – 30 min.

When buying fresh corn, be sure to keep it cool, as temperatures rise, the natural sugar in corn turns to starch, and the corn loses some sweetness. Corn is best eaten within a day or two of picking. Corn husks should be green and have visible kernels that are plump and tightly packed on the cob. To test freshness, pop a kernel with your fingernail. The liquid that spurts out should be milky colored. If not, the corn is either immature or overripe. Once home, refrigerate corn immediately.

Tips for Preparing and Serving Corn
Boiling is the traditional method for preparing corn-on-the-cob, though grilling, steaming, and even microwaving will get the job done.
A couple of notes about boiling: Adding salt to the water toughens corn; adding sugar isn't necessary; overcooking toughens kernels. Cook for the shortest amount of time possible -- about 5 minutes.

About Corn
Corn, a tender annual that can grow 4 to 12 feet tall, is a member of the grass family. It produces one to three ears on a stalk. The kernels of sweet corn can be yellow, white, black, red, or a combination of colors. Corn is not the easiest crop to grow in a home vegetable garden, and it doesn't give a lot of return for the space it occupies.

Common Name: Corn
Scientific Name: Zea mays
Hardiness: Tender (will die at first frost)

Nothing tastes better than sweet corn you freeze yourself, if you do it right. Following are suggestions:

• Use a "standard" sweet corn variety, such as Jubilee, instead of a "supersweet" variety, which may discolor once frozen.
• Harvest early in the morning, especially if weather is hot, to get peak flavor.
• Harvest the corn at its peak maturity. Immature corn is watery when cooked and over-ripe corn is doughy.
• Process rapidly after harvesting.

Processing:
When blanching sweet corn, use a 12-15 quart kettle. Use one gallon of water for each two to three cobs of corn. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Immerse the sweet corn in the water. Begin counting the blanching time as soon as you place the corn in the boiling water. Cover the kettle and boil at a high temperature for the required length of time. You may use the same blanching water two or three times. Keep the water level at the required height. Change the water if it becomes cloudy. Cool corn immediately in ice water. Drain the corn thoroughly.

Blanching time varies depending on the diameter of the corncob. The long blanching time is necessary to inactivate enzymes. A longer cooling time is needed to chill the cob. Not following directions promotes cobby off-flavors.

The following times are for blanching in 12 quarts of water
Midget and small ears of corn, (which are less than 1-1/4 inches in diameter) for 7 minutes and cool in ice water for 16 minutes. Drain well. Package in meal-size amounts. Medium to large ears of corn - if 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 inches, blanch 9 minutes, and if over 1-1/2 inches for 11 minutes. Cool in ice water 22 minutes. Drain well. Package in meal-size amounts. To freeze whole kernel corn, blanch the ears for 4 minutes and cool thoroughly in ice water. Cut the corn from the cob and package in meal-size amounts

When packaging, use good quality containers. Use moisture-and vapor-resistant wraps such as heavy aluminum foil, "freeze-and-cook" bags, plastic freezer bags, or freezer containers. The storage time for frozen sweet corn is 12-18 months at 0∞ F or lower.
(Information from University of Minnesota, http://www.extension.umn.edu/info-u/nutrition/BJ647.html)

(Continue to freeze corn off the cob:)
Cut the corn off the cob once the corn has been blanched and cooled so that the ears are cool to the touch. This takes a little feel so that you get enough corn without getting too much of the cob. This one is probably the most highly skilled of positions in the process and takes some practice.

Chill the corn. Once the corn is off the cob, put it into cake pans for a good chilling. Cake pans work well because they spread out the corn and transfer the heat nicely. To do this right, you'll need about 6-8 cake pans and a completely empty refrigerator. Put the pans into the freezer of an old refrigerator, then move them from the freezer down on to the shelves of the refrigerator as you get new pans filled. The warmest ones go in the freezer, and the cooler ones get moved into the refrigerator until you're ready to bag it.

Bag the corn. Once the pans of corn are completely cooled, you're almost done - all that's left is to package the corn up for final freezing. Use quart and pint Ziploc baggies. You don't want them totally full, just enough so you can close them easily and then flatten them out so they store easily. A quart baggie is about enough for one meal for 4-5 people, and a pint baggie works well for 2 people.

• 1 cup fresh corn kernels, uncooked
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Clarified butter or vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
• Fresh chives, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Crème fraiche (optional garnish)

I was watching Cultivating Life on PBS last weekend, and this Corn Fritter recipe was on. Try it!

http://www.cultivatinglife.com/recipe.php?id=102

Jacquie Borden grew up on these fritters in her mother’s kitchen in Tasmania and has found a place for them in her own repertoire. They are great served as a light meal with a salad or topped with smoked salmon or caviar and crème fraiche as a wonderful passed appetizer.

1. Preheat grill to medium high. Place griddle pan on grill to heat. Brush pan with clarified butter.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine ingredients into a pancake-like batter: Ladle tablespoon size dollops of batter onto griddle pan: When small bubbles appear flip and cook other side, until fritters are colored golden brown. Serve as is or with a dollop of crème fraiche.

Serves 2