The Harvest Right Freeze Dryer makes it possible to make freeze dried sweet corn at home.
Now this is really cool because it sure beats canning the corn not to mention the corn looks nicer and tastes better than dehydrated corn.
When you freeze dry sweet corn you are not taking up room in your freezer so you don't have to worry about your corn going bad if there is a power outage.
Or worse, freezer burn if the corn remains in the freezer too long!
Not to mention that freeze drying helps lock in those nutrients faster. which is so important!
What this means is the freeze dried food is just as nutritious as the fresh food was.
There is no loss of nutrients during the preservation process.
This Freeze Dried Sweet Corn Recipe Is Ideal For Long Term Food Storage
Being able to preserve the food you grow is important.
Being able to preserve that food as part of your long term food storage plan is even more important.
Let's face it, it makes absolutely no sense to grow your food, do the work to preserve the food and then have to buy other food for long term storage.
By sealing the sweet corn in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers you have now managed to turn the sweet corn you grew into food that you can store long term.
For those who do not have a mylar bag system in place yet, another option is to place oxygen absorbers in the bottom of canning jars, put the freeze dried food into the canning jars and vacuum seal the lids.
Why Freeze Dried Food Is A Better Option Than Traditional Food Preservation Methods
Back in the day, the canning jar lids held the seal for several years, but things have changed.
Some of the lids today unseal on their own after a certain amount of time.
I have lost more food to lids unsealing over the past couple of years than I ever did in the past.
It is definitely an issue.
Not to mention canning jars are heavy and take up a lot of storage space!
If you have to bug out, taking canning jars with you is not really an option.
Freeze dried food is lightweight, easy to put into your emergency evacuation bag if you store it in mylar bags and can be eaten as it is or rehydrated!
This is why I love and recommend the Harvest Right freeze dryer!
How To Store The Freeze Dried Sweet Corn Recipe
For pantry storage, go ahead and use canning jars or other glass jars if you wish.
You can put the sealed mylar bags into them if you are worried about mice or other critters chewing through the bags.
The most important thing is to make sure you use oxygen absorbers inside of whatever container you use.
Freeze dried sweet corn stored in mylar bags has a twenty-five year shelf life, so it is important to eventually get set up with a mylar bag storage system.
Once you open a mylar bag, it is important to either reseal it right away or put the contents into a glass jar with the oxygen absorbers in it.
Vacuum sealing that jar extends the life of the food.
Remember that once the food is exposed it begins to absorb moisture from the air.
This is why properly sealing and storing freeze dried food is so important.
Here is how to make this freeze dried sweet corn recipe.
How To Make Freeze Dried Sweet Corn At Home
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 40 hours
- Total Time: 42 hours
- Category: Vegetables
- Method: Freeze Drying
Ingredients
- 10 pounds sweet corn
Instructions
- Pick the sweet corn the morning you intend to freeze dry it.
- Shuck the corn.
- Cut the corn off the cob,
- Blanch the corn for three minutes.
- Put the blanched corn in an ice water bath. It's a good idea to drain the water off the corn from time to time and put the corn in a new batch of ice water to keep it cool while you are working.
- Once all of the corn is blanched, drain the water off.
- Cover the freeze dryer trays with parchment paper.
- Spread the corn out in a single layer on the freeze dryer trays.
- Put the trays in the freeze dryer.
- Start the freeze dryer on the normal cycle, which is the freeze cycle.
- It will automatically cycle to the mid-drying cycle, which is the cycle that takes the longest amount of time.
- When the sensors detect that the food is ready, the freeze dryer will automatically cycle to the final fry cycle.
- On rare occasion when the freeze dryer shuts off, the food still needs additional drying time. Simply put the food back into the freeze dryer and follow the instructions in your manual to add additional drying time.
- Once the food is dry it is important to immediately put it in a mylar bag or jar for storage and be sure to use an oxygen absorber!
Final Thoughts About This Freeze Dried Sweet Corn Recipe
Freeze dried sweet corn tastes like candy because all of the sweetness is concentrated.
It is good to eat right out of the bag or you can rehydrate it to eat just like regular canned corn or to use in recipes.
While it is true that each batch of freeze dried sweet corn takes anywhere between 20 to 40 hours to completely freeze dry, the end result is worth the wait.
If you have more than 10 pounds of corn that is ready to pick, you can freeze it until you can get it into the freeze dryer or preserve it using another preservation method.
However, once you start using a freeze dryer and get a taste of how good freeze dried sweet corn is, you won't want to go back to traditional food preservation methods!
If you have questions or comments, leave them below.
If you would like to learn more about freeze drying, I invite you to join the Facebook Group Harvest Right Freeze Dryers - Freeze Drying Adventures.
Where To Buy Freeze Dried Corn
Of course I do realize some people just want to know where to buy freeze dried corn instead of making their own.
Amazon has you covered!
They sell a large selection of freeze dried corn.
Of course, they are not the only place where you can buy freeze dried corn though, Legacy Food Storage also sells freeze dried vegetables.
How To Freeze Dry Food
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Four Factors That Affect Food Storage
Understanding the four factors that affect food storage is essential for keeping your food safe, especially if you intend to store it long term.
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Naketa Stanley
Sunday 4th of July 2021
Is freeze dried corn already cooked? I want to blend it up into a fine powder and use it as a thickener in my baby's pureed food instead of the baby cereal.
Sheri Ann Richerson
Friday 16th of July 2021
That depends on if you are freeze drying cooked corn or raw corn right off the cob.
Carmen
Thursday 10th of January 2019
Do the freeze dryers use a lot of electricity? We live off the grid and rely on solar and generator for our power. My husband said that it would drain our power supply to use one. I really want one bad. Can you tell me how much power is used on overage drying?
Sheri Ann Richerson
Saturday 12th of January 2019
Hi, we are not off-grid right now although that is a hope of mine, so I want to refer you to this article - https://harvestright.com/blog/2016/how-much-energy-does-freeze-drying-use/
The freeze dryers do have to run for a day or longer at each time and I can understand where that might be an issue for people living off grid. I have friend who lives off grid and she says its a matter of choice on what they keep and what they give up. I have heard some people complain about how much electricity they take, but I feel like it is worth it for the extra storage time, especially since the Ball canning lids are not holding a seal as well as they used to.
Stephanie
Saturday 5th of January 2019
I am saving up for a freeze dryer. I love the idea of freeze drying the produce we grow and it having an incredibly long shelf life and retaining the flavor and nutrients of when it was first picked.
Sheri Ann Richerson
Monday 7th of January 2019
That was my thoughts too! Also, it makes the preserving a larger harvest easier since I am the only one doing the canning and dehydrating in our home.
Kathi
Friday 4th of January 2019
Hubby and I would love to get a freeze-dryer... maybe some day. Thank you for this glimpse into the process!
Sheri Ann Richerson
Monday 7th of January 2019
You are welcome! I hope you get one!
Kristi
Thursday 3rd of January 2019
I've never tried freeze-drying food before, but I hear good things. Thanks for sharing!
Sheri Ann Richerson
Thursday 3rd of January 2019
You are very welcome! Freeze dried food is really tasty when it is done right!