This is my first year growing corn.
Have you ever frozen it on the cob? I really don't want to go through the hassle of cutting it off! I like it on the cob better anyway.
I was going to blanch it then vacuum seal them and freeze. Nancy

Anney, I wish I could offer you a suggestion to make the work go faster. Frankly, I think you're doing it the best way possible. I haven't ever found any type of "gadget" that was much good. The "corn cutters" are fine if all of your ears are EXACTLY the same size, and JUST the right size for the cutter. If one was somehow adjustable, it might work better. The best thing is a sharp knife.

Yes, I have a suggestion for making the job go faster. Do what I do, call the family and tell them EVERYBODY is picking, husking, and cutting off corn, whether they want to or not!

As for desilking, a piece of sponge rubber/foam rubber/styrofoam matting, the thin kind (1/2 inch thick or less) used in upholstery and for packaging often "grips" the silks really well, but it must be the right kind of foam -- try experimenting with the kind they call "microfoarm" -- it does a good job desilking, but you need quite a bit of it, since it gets used up and full of silk fast, then you need a fresh piece.

I have always used an electric fillet knife, the same one I use for cleaning fish. I also use a toilet cleaning brush for the silks. It's curved and works good.

Anney, one of our local churches sells a Rada peeler that works real well for cutting the corn off the cob. We have one and only use it for cutting corn. My wife has an additional peeler for the kitchen. I have tried different methods and this one works best for me.
Link below to item on ebay.

Shot

Here is a link that might be useful: Rada Vegetable peeler

ninjabut

Yes, I've frozen a lot of it unhusked, but there's so much more that if I don't take it off the cob, there won't be room in the freezer for it all!

paulc_gardener

An electric filleting knife -- that sounds like a great idea! I have an ancient electric meat knife that has two blades, so I'm going to see if it works with just one as a makeshift!

shot

Does that veggie peeler have enough depth to take corn off the cob? I know you said you use it, but I can't picture it. The info. says it's larger than the usual ones, but it still looks like it would peel a flat strip rather than allowing enough depth for the kernels.

Well, the rest of my family would have to drive here to help and they're too far away! So things are very busy. I cut up and froze 3 gallons of tomatoes this morning and am now headed for the corn. Still have more tomatoes to pick and freeze as well as some more cowpeas and green beans.

I do not cut off the little end of the ear until after I am done silking the ear. I find that if I grip all of the husks and silks for about half of the ear and pull them, most of them come off together in one fell swoop. Then you just have to do the finer picking of the few silks that don't come off. Saves lots of time.

paulc_gardener

I'm in your debt! I found my old electric knife and put in one of the blades. It works like a dream and made the task of cutting the corn off the cob very fast.

Anney, I make two passes with it then strip the juice out, if any, but it sounds like you have already found what you like with the electric knife.

Enjoy the corn :)

Shot

Shot

You must make creamed corn, then. The electric knife, which I'd forgotten about, works great! At least compared to the two other methods I tried.

Yes, we'll enjoy the corn, about 300 ears of it processed one way or another. I love to see the freezer packed with summer goodies to eat later. Besides the corn, we have lots of green beans, blueberries, tomatoes, canteloupe, watermelon, some eggplant, okra, and later on, garden peas if they grow okay in the fall. I regret not planting more cowpeas, which are just now harvestable. They're my favorite bean, and we had a mess of them for dinner tonight.

Now, if we can just fill the freezer the rest of the way in the fall with venison, we'll be all set!

Wow Anney! You must have a large freezer to accomodate all that. We have three, 2 chest in the garage and a side by side in the kitchen for quick use items.

My cowpeas did very well even in the drought which took most of my sweet corn. The cowpeas have already come and gone as I mowed the vines down the other day. We did manage to cream some Peaches & Cream and Silver Queen. We still have some on the cob from last year which was a good year for the corn.

One year I got real 'smart' and loaded up the back of my truck with corn and spent the day... of course, cleaning and creaming. My wife was up until after midnight blanching it for the freezer, this after working her regular job all day. She promised me bodily harm if I ever pulled this again. :(

It is really nice to have company coming over for dinner and being able to open up the freezer and trying to decide the menu.

Enjoy all that good stuff, Anney.

Shot

The only tip I can add is one I stole from Alton Brown of "Good Eats" -- put the bottom of the corn cob (the end opposite the one that you hold while cutting) down on an upside down paper plate. That allows you to go all the way to the end yet protects your knife from hitting your work surface.

Man, y'all make me want some corn!

Shot

I'm SURE your wife got the frying pan ready! A truckload is a lot of corn to have to do all at once...

Wonderpets

I'd think a paper plate would get soggy pretty soon and lose its lift, but the principle is a good one. I first used a bundt pan (one that has a column up the middle) and propped the cob on the middle part to cut the corn, but getting all the way down didn't work too well since the middle rises only as far as the sides. So this afternoon I'm going to place my old corn cutter, which is mostly wood and about a half-inch thick, across a deep pot and prop the corn on that to cut the kernels off. Maybe that will give enough lift to cut right to the bottom.

By the time I have a system that really works, I'll run out of corn!

Here's one. It's a make shift corn cob holder that an old farmer taught me. Hammer a large nail through a scrap board - I use a 16 penny in a 2x8 board that is about 16 inches long. Turn the board over so the nail is facing upward. Put plastic wrap over the board/nail and surrounding area. Now put your cob on & into the nail. Then cut off the kernals. If you have alot of corn, this is a big timesaver. If you are a klutz, have someone else put the cob on the nail...