How to Select & Store Corn
A Page from the Produce Prep eBook
Hi everyone! It has been a surreal few weeks hearing from so many of you using the Produce Prep eBook in your home. Every time a message comes in telling me so I can’t help but smile super big, thank you :). It felt like a real treat to create this resource for you, seeing as I know a huge hurdle for bringing more produce into your home can be simply knowing how to make sure it keeps!
Since summer is winding down and many of you might be wondering how to preserve some of it’s lingering bounty, I thought a post on how to select and store fresh corn would be a nice share to do from the book.
Below are my methods for selecting and storing corn, with a few nutrition and preparation tidbits. As I explain in my eBook, I’m simply sharing with you my approach for doing these things—not necessarily the only way or universally accepted way to select and store produce items. If something is working for you, by all means, stick with it!
If you are interested in learning more about my produce prep methods, you can click over here to view my eBook page and see if this information might be helpful for you or someone you know.
I’m planning on tiring myself thoroughly of summer’s harvest before moving on to fall foods. As I mentioned to Scott recently, I don’t like things to be rushed, but I do like them to be on time ;).
So I will be here with my corn till September 22nd, and my freezer will hold a few jars for winter cravings too.
I hope you feel empowered to bring home more fruit and veg to enjoy each season—and am wishing you all an abundant last few weeks of summer!
x Jessie
How to select:
Look for corn husks that are bright green and look fresh. Avoid husks that appear dry, or that are peeling away from the cob.
Give the cob a squeeze, and pick ones with the least amount of air gap between the husks and the kernels. It is preferable for them to be tightly packed.
You can peel back a piece of the husk to check to make sure the kernels are plump and tightly packed together. But once you find a stand/store where you can trust their corn, try not to do this and leave them tightly sealed until ready to use.
Nutrition & Enjoyment:
The high amount of insoluble fiber in corn is food for our gut microbes, which are the bacteria that make up our incredibly important internal ecosystem.
Corn is also rich in phytonutrients, which are retained best when the kernels are eaten raw or lightly steamed.
We will either steam whole cobs, or shuck the kernels first before steaming. A few minutes, maybe 5 or 6, is all they seem to need to plump up.
I love making a cherry tomato and shucked corn salsa with lemon and cilantro. (Recipe here.) We pile this on top of burrito bowls, enchiladas, or lunchtime salads.
How to store:
Keep whole cobs in their husks in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Alternatively, slice the kernels off the cobs and store in an airtight container to use throughout the week.
Both methods will keep corn fresh longer than the flavor will last.
Try to eat within one week for the sweetest tasting corn.
(Extra jars of shucked corn can be kept in the freezer for months.)