Freezing Corn and Home Canned Cream Style Corn

Friday I froze niblet corn and canned cream style corn so the kitchen was a buzz of activity. Ontario sweet corn is available from July to October. By far the most popular sweet corn available is the hybrid varieties of peaches and cream aptly named for the tender yellow and white kernels of quite sweet corn. While this is lovely fresh eating corn I don't find it the best for canning or freezing. I previously posted the method for freezing and canning sweet corn as well as the recipe for making corn relish. When choosing corn for canning or freezing look for yellow sweet corn mid-season that has tender, large kernels. Late season corn can be used but the kernels won't be as tender.

Yellow Sweet Corn

I haven't grown corn since my earlier gardens mainly because I use the square foot gardening method and corn takes up too much space for the yield. Instead, I buy local sweet corn in season. For years I bought a variety known as Libby's yellow sweet corn. The cobs were quite large with densely packed even rows of plump, bright golden yellow kernels. When peaches and cream sweet corn became popular the old fashioned yellow sweet corn became virtually impossible to find for a few years. Finally a couple of years ago a few local farmers began growing yellow sweet corn.

We have had a rather poor growing season this year so the price of corn has not come down much. Gone are the days of being able to buy corn for 99¢ per dozen but I can usually find it for $1.75 per dozen from the farmers. My husband paid $3.50 per dozen for this lovely yellow corn Thursday afternoon. He bought 5 dozen; 4½ of that was slated for freezing and canning. That night we had some with dinner. The kernels were full, tender and sweet with a wonderful flavour. Friday morning I husked the corn then set aside 1 dozen ears for canning. I had already decided instead of canning niblet corn, I would can cream style corn. The ears were a nice size with dense rows of good sized, golden yellow kernels not quite a large as Libby's but still large enough for my needs.

Freezing Prep

This was my first preserving session since the kitchen renovation was completed. I had to establish a new work pattern as we had moved the sink. I stacked the 3½ ears of husked corn (2) ready for blanching (1). Working in batches of 6 - 7 ears of corn I blanched them then transferred to ice water in the sink (3). When the batch was cooled I moved them to a glass baking dish (4) ready for cutting. This sequences was repeated several times. I used another glass baking dish (5) to catch the kernels as I cut them from the cobs. This dish was emptied into my large stainless steel bowl. By the time I was finished this bowl was filled almost to the top. The bowl was covered and placed in the refrigerator to ensure the kernels were cooled before packing. The last dozen (7) was set aside for the cream style corn.

Weighing In

Niblet corn is one of the very few things that I prefer zipper style bags to vacuum sealing. Instead I press out as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. I generally leave the vacuum sealing for corn that has had butter or seasonings added for boil-in the bag pouches. Zipper style bags allows me to use what I want and reseal the rest.

The yield of the 3½ dozen ears of corn was 12.5 lb (200 oz) at a cost of $12.25, so just shy of $1 per lb. This is comparable if not slightly less than brand name frozen corn. Sorry I don't have a price per lb for store bought but the next time we stop I will check and post a comparison.

This brings me to the kitchen scale. The number one question when it comes to canning and freezing is "Is it cheaper?". The only way to answer this is to figure out your yield, convert it into comparison units then calculate the cost per unit. Now you can easily see if your product is cheaper than store bought. Some home frozen or home canned foods will be very close in price so then it depends on uniqueness and quality rather than price. For calculating costs of foods prepared for freezing a kitchen scale is a must. It need not be a fancy or expensive scale but it should be accurate.

Cream Style Corn Prep

Cream style corn despite its name has no cream in it rather the cream comes from the preparation method. This takes a bit of practice to master the technique so expect a bit of a mess. If you hit the kernels the wrong way the milk and/or bits of corn will fly everywhere. One thing about any large amount of white in a kitchen is it keeps you honest. There is no hiding or overlooking splatters like those created while prepping cream style corn. Keep a wet washcloth handy to wipe up those splatters as they happen.

Method: Blanch corn 4 minutes. Hold the cob at a 45º angle. Working from the centre of the cob cut mid way through the kernels with blade of knife facing away from you. Work around the cob. Turn you knife so the blade faces you and place your thumb on the mid portion of the blade for pressure. Scape the knife across the the remainder of the cut kernels to extract the pulp and milk. The cob will be clean. Turn the cob and working from the center repeat. Once you have all of the corn prepped measure the kernels, pulp and milk together. For each 2 cups (500 ml) add 1 c (250 ml) water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently 3 minutes. Ladle corn and liquid into 500 ml (pints) jars. [Do not use 1 L (quart) jars!] Wipe rims. Adjust 2 piece lids. Process 85 minutes at 10 lb pressure in weighted gauge pressure canner.*

*Altitude adjustment chart here.

In The Canner

With the cream style corn safely processing away in the All American 921 and 81 minutes to go according to the timer, it was time to reflect on how the changes to the kitchen were working. If you recall, the original sink was in the corner less than an inch from the corner of the stove. That meant there was no work space beside the stove on the right and a very small of about 18 - inches work space on the left occupied by the KitchenAid® stand mixer. So that meant there really wasn't much work space on the left. The grill cover can serve as a small work space but most times when I'm canning I have the other burner cartridge in instead of the grill. Removing jars from the canner meant having to lift hot jars from the canner over the sink to the waiting cork board. This was not an ideal set-up! Moving the sink created a large, deep work area with the stand mixer out of the main work area. Removing jars from the canner would now mean the jars would go right to the waiting cork board beside the stove. This is important because unlike jars coming out of a boiling water bath canner, the contents of the jars coming out of a pressure canner are still boiling. The less movement when taking them out the better to prevent breakage or seal failure.

Cream Style Corn

The first time I tried cream style corn it was a disaster! The recipe I used did not say to add water so the contents were too thick. This is really a product I wanted in my pantry. For this attempt I added a little extra water to be on the safe side figuring I could easily thicken later. This batch of cream style corn was just slightly thinner when first out of the canner but has thicken a bit after cooling.

One dozen ears of yellow sweet corn gave a yield of 5 - 500 ml (pint) jars. Total cost including lids and electricity was $4.20 for a cost per ounce of 5¢. In comparison Del Monte cream style corn with no salt added ($1.09/14 oz US) is 8¢ per ounce. This is not a huge savings but given the rising food costs every penny counts. In perspective it is a 48¢ savings per jar. I was surprised at any savings with paying $3.50 per dozen ears corn. While not totally free, if you grow your own or can buy corn at a lower price, you will realize a greater savings.

Camp Style Scallop Potatoes

During the kitchen renovations I was determined to prepare as many home cooked meals as possible. For the most part the weather co-operated so I could use the grill as an oven much the same as I do during the hot summer months. What was a bit different from our normal and lighter summer fare was cooking a bit heavier comfort foods. The day following the renovation was hot and humid so instead of cooking indoors I cooked the meal on the grill.

Camp Style Scallop Potatoes

It was a really tasty comfort meal! On the dinner menu was bone-in ham, camp style scallop potatoes, niblet corn and tossed salad. I wrapped the ham well in tin foil then put it on the grill on direct low heat to cook. Recall that direct heat is over the heat source whereas indirect heat is not over the heat source. The camp style scallop potatoes were cooked in covered tin foil pans on indirect heat. The corn was heated on the side burner of the grill. This was a quick and easy to prepare meal with minimal prep work and very little clean-up. More importantly the heat was kept out of the house!

Camp Style Scallop Potatoes
6 - 8 potatoes, unpeeled
¼ large red onion
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
unbleached flour
fresh chives
butter
scalded milk

Wash the potatoes. Cut into thin slices using a mandolin. Place in lightly salted water until ready to use. Cut the chives with scissors to form small pieces. Chop the red onion. Lightly butter the bottom of a foil pan. Spread a single layer of the potato slices over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle lightly with flour, salt and fresh ground pepper. Sprinkle on a few onion and chive pieces. Add two or three small pieces of butter. Continue adding layers in this fashion ending with a onion, chive layer. Scald about 2 cups of milk. Pour over the potatoes until milk is coming just slightly over the top layer. Cover with tin foil. Place on indirect heat in medium grill. Allow to cook about 40 minutes or until potatoes are soft and sauce is creamy.

Note: These can be cooked on indirect heat using a charcoal grill or wood heat by moving coals to one side and placing the foil pan over the area cleared.

Maple Glazed Pork Roast

Have you ever been looking through your pantry when something catches your eye? It's likely something you haven't had in awhile or and ingredient that would be just perfect for what you were planning on making. I had thawed a small pork shoulder roast for last night's dinner that I was going to do on the grill but it was threatening rain all day so I decided to use the countertop roaster. Glancing around the pantry I spotted maple syrup and ideas for dinner began dancing about in my mind.

French Bread

I make a fair amount of French bread with simple ingredients yet tasty. Usually shaped in elongated loaves, the diameter is determined by what I want to use the loaves for. This is the first bread I've baked in the kitchen since it has been back to being fully functional. Despite the loaves being a bit misshaped the flavour and texture was fine.

My husband had one of the loaves cut literally within seconds of them coming out of the oven. He could barely hold the chunk to spread butter on it. Heavens you would have thought I never bake bread! We went through almost the entire smaller, still hot loaf at dinner.

Maple Glazed Pork Roast

I often pair pork roasts with barbeque or sweet and sour type sauces. These tend to be heavier and thicker textured than a glaze. I decided to make a maple glaze for the pork shoulder roast for a different flavour. Maple syrup goes nicely with pork.

Maple Glazed Pork Roast

2-3 lb pork shoulder roast
⅔ c pure maple syrup
3 tbsp Dijon or honey mustard
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce

Place the ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk together. Pour over the pork roast. Cook in countertop roaster or roasting pan in oven at 275ºF for 1½ hours. Increase temperature to 350ºF and cook another 15 to 20 minutes, basting glaze over the roast occasionally. Remove from roaster. Allow to rest. Pour glaze over the roast before serving.

Thursday's Dinner

Thursday's dinner was the first real full course meal I had cooked in the kitchen since the renovations were finished. The weather had stayed very hot and muggy so I continued cooking on the grill. Thursday the weather turned cooler with threatening clouds yet remained muggy. I decided to cook indoors instead.

The maple glazed pork roast was served with extra glaze in a dipping bowl. Sides were corn on the cob, brussel sprouts and thick slices of beefsteak tomato (not shown). The corn was brought to a boil in water with about 1 tbsp of butter added. This is a method used at various outdoor food functions and on buffets to keep corn on the cob hot for serving. The brussel sprouts were steamed until just tender and a vivid green.

Maple Baked Apples

Autumn is just around the corner so I'm already thinking of new ways to use the abundant harvest. Paula Red apples are available now until mid-October. This is nice, tart apple that is especially nice for making applesauce as little or no sugar is needed.

I thought I would try baking a couple of Paula Red apples for dessert. Paired with maple syrup and fresh whipped cream it was a lovely taste of autumn.

Maple Baked Apples

½ large, tart cooking apple (eg. Paula Red) per person
pure maple syrup
fresh whipped cream
lemon juice

Wash the apples. Core and cut into wedges. Dip in water with a little lemon juice in. Place in individual baking dishes. Pour a generous amount of maple syrup over the apples. Bake at 350ºF until syrup is bubbly and apples are soft. Remove from oven. Place each baking dish on heat proof covet for serving. Just before serving top with fresh whipped cream. [The cream will begin to melt with the heat of the apples.]

Fresh Whipped Cream

1 c heavy whipping cream (35% MF)
1½ tsp vanilla sugar
½ tsp pure vanilla

Pour the whipping cream into a mixing bowl. Using the whisk attachment whisk until cream forms soft peaks. Do not over whisk or the cream will separate. Whisk in the sugar then stir in the vanilla. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Boat Fare

What I really like about eating out is trying new foods or new ways foods are prepared. We did an impromtu boat ride a few nights ago. The weather hasn't been very good this year for boating. We've either been plagued with cold weather or hot humid weather resulting in horrid thunderstorms in the afternoon or early evening. Anywho, the weather co-operated a bit so we decided to go out for dinner via the boat figuring it would make a nice change from the at that time non-functional kitchen.

Bosco Sticks

We normally order an appetizer and drink before a meal when eating out. Cheesesticks are a popular appetizer even though we don't order them often. Well, we have ordered cheesesticks before but not like these cheesesticks! Cheesesticks usually come about 4" long coated with a crispy, crunchy coating. They are pretty much generic both in visual appeal and taste regardless of where you order them.

We asked about cheeesticks and the very pleasant water said "oh you want the bosco sticks!" Ok then so we ordered them based on his recommendation. The cheesesticks were about 8 inches long. Unlike the other cheesesticks we have had they had a thick, soft breaded coating almost like a coney dog. They were served with fresh salsa and sprinkled with fresh grated parmesan cheese. Now, I seriously do not like any food heavily breaded but I have to tell you these were the best cheese sticks I've tasted in a very long time!

Pizza Quesadilla

Pub grub always follows the same lines with pretty much the same kinds of food presented slightly differently. If you are lucky you will find a pub you will go back to for the food over and over. This is one such pub. We arrived by boat then had to walk to the pub but is was a lovely night for walking.

We browsed the menu and my husband decided on a pizza quesadilla. This was actually a safe choice for him given it didn't have beans on it and it was high on the spicey heat level. This quesadilla came filled with pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni with a side of salsa. According to my husband it was very much like a pizza with a thin crust. Now this is a bit of a spin on a quesadilla by using Italian flavours in a new way.

Nachos

I ordered the nachos that came with sides of hot peppers, salsa and sour cream. The platter was a large portion well over the amount I could eat. The nachos were topped with seasoned ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, cheese and black olives. When I saw the black olives I was very pleased. They add a lovely mellowed flavour that melds nicely with the heat of salsa. This is not often found with pub nachos.

My two main complaints with pub nachos is they us some kind of processed melted yellow plastic stuff they call cheese. What the heck is that all about? Processed cheese does not add any flavour whereas a lesser amount of shredded cheddar cheese packs a huge amount of flavour! The second major complaint is they never give you enough salsa even though it might as well be ketchup for all the flavour it has. I guess that is a third complaint with the lack of flavour in the salsa. Seriously, salsa needs not only flavour but a bit of kick. Even mild salsa needs a kick whether it has any heat or not. Generally lime juice and corriander gives the kick for fresh or mild salsa. From there you add the heat. You can pack a lot of flavour into pub grub nachos while saving money something many pubs simply don't get :( As pub grub nachos I do have to say these were a cut above the rest but with a couple of changes they really could be spectacular.