Where and how to store boiled corn correctly: various methods and periods of freshness preservation

There is no need to talk about the benefits of fresh vegetables. However, there are many ways to preserve the valuable properties of freshly prepared dishes. So, during the corn ripening season, many housewives leave the cobs cooked for future use in a pan of water. Find out in our article whether the finished product should be stored this way.

Features of corn

Corn is a healthy cereal, the grains of which contain many vitamins such as A, C, E and group B. Its composition includes fatty acids, fiber and minerals: zinc, iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium.

In total, there are 26 elements of the periodic table on the cob. Thanks to such a rich content of nutrients, corn is used to strengthen the immune system and prevent various diseases. However, essential microelements and vitamins will be valuable only with the correct methods of processing and storing cereal.

Cooking corn is a simple process. The cobs are cleared of leaves and soaked in cold water for about an hour. After this, the cereal is boiled until soft in boiling water (the exact time cannot be determined, since it all depends on its variety and size). It is not recommended to salt corn during cooking: salt water makes it hard. It's better to do this at the very end of cooking.

Important! Cobs of the same size will cook at the same time - you won’t have to finish cooking them or take them out one at a time.

Can it be left in water?

How to store boiled corn and should I leave it in the water or not?

If you plan to store the finished product for a short time, then leave the still hot cereal in the same water in which it was boiled and cover the pan with a warm blanket.

In another option, the cobs are taken out of the water so that they do not become saturated with excess moisture. After this, the corn is packed into bags and wrapped in a blanket. Instead of bags, they also use foil, wrapping each cob in several layers.

The shelf life of corn harvested using these methods is no more than 10 hours. Long-term storage is not recommended.

How to preserve boiled cereal

To do this, the cobs are placed in the refrigerator, where they can remain from three days to three months.

On the cob

To preserve the finished cereal on the cob, two methods are used:

1. The boiled one is left in the pan until it cools completely, after which it is placed in the refrigerator.
2. Take the finished cereal out of the hot water and leave it until it cools completely. They are then packaged in plastic containers or plastic bags and stored in the refrigerator.

In beans

Storing boiled corn in this way is a convenient and proven method. To do this, the cooled cobs are cleaned, the grains are packed into bags and sent to the refrigerator. The preparations are useful in preparing vegetable salads, stews, soups and pizza.

Corn grains can be stored for a long time in salt water. To do this, they are placed in jars and filled with brine prepared at the rate of 1 teaspoon of salt per 1 liter of water. The blanks are closed and after complete cooling they are sent to the refrigerator.

After some time, the amount of brine in the jars will decrease due to the absorption of liquid into the cereal - the shortage is filled with the remaining brine. Corn can be stored in this form in the refrigerator for up to three months.

Preparation for the winter

To preserve corn for a long time at home, use:

• freezing;
• conservation;
• drying

Freezing

Freezing corn for the winter is easy. The process does not take much time, and on cold winter evenings the preparation will delight you with its taste and add brightness to any dish.

Corn kernels and whole cobs are frozen.

In the first case, the grains are removed from the boiled cobs and dried well on a paper or cotton towel. Place in bags or plastic containers and store in the freezer for long-term storage. Excess air must be removed from the bags.

To freeze whole cobs, after cooking, they are cooled, thoroughly dried and wrapped individually in cling film. Cereals are well wrapped in film, otherwise they will become weathered and lose their juiciness and taste. This corn is consumed after pre-cooking the cobs in boiling water for 3-5 minutes.

Conservation

Canning corn will eliminate the need to buy store-bought grains in cans. This is an easy process with a pleasant result.

Sequence of preparation of cereal preparation:

1. Fill sterilized jars up to the waist with boiled corn kernels.
2. Add 1 tbsp to each jar. spoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/3 teaspoon of citric acid.
3. Bring the broth in which the cereal was cooked to a boil and pour the preparations to the edges of the jar.
4. Cover the jars with boiled lids and sterilize the preparations for 15-20 minutes over low heat.
5. After sterilization, roll up the jars with lids, turn them upside down and wrap them in a warm blanket until they cool completely.
6. Store cooled cans of canned corn in the basement or pantry.

One half-liter jar will take about five cobs.

Drying

Another way to store cereal for a long time is drying. At home, the process looks like this:

1. Whole, undamaged cobs are selected.
2. The leaves of the cob open, and the stigmas are first removed.
3. Cereals are hung in a dry and well-ventilated place (for example, in an attic) until completely dry.

The readiness of the product is determined by lightly shaking the cob. If the grains fall out, drying is complete. If they remain in place, the process continues until complete readiness. After drying, the cereal is stored in plastic containers, cardboard boxes or cloth bags.

Interesting! When drying corn for later making popcorn, store it in plastic bags in the freezer.

Shelf life

The table below shows possible periods for various methods of storing cereal:

Tips and tricks

The following rules will help you get the most out of your cereal:

1. It is better to buy young corn before autumn. When choosing, pay attention to the color of the cereal and the presence of leaves (they must be dry).
2. Milky-light or yellowish cobs are especially good for cooking. On the contrary, it is better to avoid bright shades of grains: such grains can be tough.
3. Corn is rich in vitamins and valuable microelements. Therefore, even the water in which the cereal was boiled is used in various dishes (for example, stews and vegetable soups).
4. When stored by canning All utensils used must be well sterilized, as a poorly prepared product will explode.
5. If corn is frozen, keep it in the refrigerator for several hours before using it. If you take cereal out of the freezer and immediately put it in hot water, it will taste hard and rubbery.

Read also:

Is it possible or not to eat corn for type 2 diabetes: harm and benefit.

Is it possible to eat boiled corn while losing weight?

Is it possible to eat raw corn?

Conclusion

Methods of preparing cereal, such as storing in salt water, freezing, preserving and drying, will provide you with vitamins, microelements and fatty acids for a long time. Corn should not be kept in water at room temperature for more than 10 hours: fermented (sour) grains will appeal only to fish.

With other storage methods, it will be useful for a long time. Despite the fact that some elements will still be lost, in the cold season the cereal will complement various dishes, and the valuable compounds in its composition will strengthen health and immunity.