There’s nothing like fresh corn, so when it’s available from the farm or at the local market, you may want to preserve the taste by canning your own. Canned corn can be eaten as is or used in a variety of other dishes, such as soups, salads, and fritters.
To make the most of your fresh or frozen corn, you’ll need a canner and canning jars. If you’re canning a lot of corn, consider purchasing a pressure canner, which allows for the fastest processing time.
Choosing the Best Corn for Canning
The quality of your canned corn will depend on the type of corn you use. Generally, heirloom varieties have more flavor than modern hybrids, which tend to be overly sweet and sugary.
If you’re canning a large amount of corn, blanch it before packing to prevent browning and set the starches. It also ensures that the kernels remain intact during the canning process, which is important to keeping your jars safe and tasting good.
Hot Packing the Corn
To hot pack corn, measure it out into a large stainless steel saucepan, adding enough water to cover the corn in about 1 cup of liquid per pint jar or quart of corn. Bring the water to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes. Once the timer goes off, ladle the hot corn into jars leaving a 1-inch headspace in each jar. Add optional salt, if desired.
Raw-Packing the Corn
When canning a large amount of corn, it’s usually preferable to raw pack rather than hot pack. This is because a raw-packed jar will have a better seal, resulting in less waste and a longer shelf life.
Filling the jars with the corn is fairly easy, but be sure to leave at least an inch of headspace between the top of the jar and the bottom of the lid. This is because corn expands during the canning process, so the jar will not fit snugly.
Once the jars are filled, adjust the lids and place them in the canner. Be sure to heat the water in your canner to a high temperature before you begin.
The water should be at a rolling boil before you start canning. The canner should be on the stovetop, and you’ll need to stir the corn occasionally during the process so that it doesn’t burn.
After the corn has been processed, you can store it in your pantry for up to 12 months or freeze it. However, the jars will lose their ability to seal after that long, so you’ll want to check them periodically during storage.
To check whether the jars are sealed, press down on the lids of each jar and remove any air bubbles. If the jars have no give, they’re fully sealed and ready to use.
You’ll find that many canned corn recipes call for a mixture of seasonings, including salt and sugar. While canned corn is great on its own, it often needs a bit of a nudge to get the flavor you’re after.
