How to Store Corn

General Corn Info

The sooner you use corn after picking, the sweeter it's going to taste. Corn's natural sugar turns to starch at an astonishing rate. Refrigerate corn immediately; do not leave corn sitting on the kitchen counter as the sugar turns to starch even faster during the heat of the day. However, corn is sensitive to chill-injury and should be placed in the front of the refrigerator where the temperatures tend to be higher.

Short Term Corn Storage

If storing, wrap the unshucked corn in a wet paper bag to slow down the conversion from sugar to starch. Place the wet paper bag in an old plastic shopping bag and refrigerate. Corn will hold for 5 to 10 days.

If husks have been removed, store corn on the cob in a perforated plastic bag.

Cooked corn kernels will keep for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Corn Long Term Storage

Freezing: Remove husks and silk. Timing from the point when the water returns to the boil, blanch 4 minutes for small ears, 6 minutes for medium ears, and 8 minutes for large ears. Immediately cool in ice water for the same length of time as it was blanched. Drain; pack whole in bags. You can also blanch, drain, cut off kernels, and freeze in freezer boxes. Frozen corn will last up to a year.

Canning: Corn cans well, but because it is a low acid vegetable, it's essential to process it for an adequate length of time. See a good preserving book for instructions.

Corn Side Notes

When possible, purchase corn with the husks still on; the convenience of shucked corn is not usually enough to offset the loss of quality.