Nothing beats the flavor of freshly picked corn. Preserve the season’s supply of crisp sweet corn so you may enjoy it during the colder months. Find out how to preserve corn in jars so you always have some on hand.
Canned corn can be used in a variety of ways, including salads, soups, stews, and chilis, or simply buttered and given as a side dish.
How To Can Sweet Corn
Sweet corn should only be used if it has been recently harvested. The syrupy sweetness of a freshly picked ear of corn can’t be replicated.
Prepare the Corn
Corn must be husked, the silk removed, and then washed thoroughly. Allow to dry on kitchen towels.
The corn kernels can be easily removed from the cob after being blanched. Bring a big pot of water to a boil over high heat, then fill a large bowl with ice water. When the water boils, put a few cobs in the pot and let them blanch for 3 minutes. Take the corn out and immediately submerge it in ice water to stop the cooking. Take the cob out of the ice water and set it on some clean paper towels. Keep doing this until all of the corn is blanched.
Remove the kernels from the cob without cutting too deeply. Scraping the cob will add a lot of starch to your canned corn, making it murky. Instead, use a sharp knife to cut around three-fourths of the depth of the kernel from the cob.
The simplest way to do this is to remove the corn’s pointed tip and place it on the bottom of a large bowl, slightly angled towards you. Carefully move the knife down the cob, slicing away from you towards the bowl while gripping tightly at the stem end. The kernels will naturally fall into the bowl. Twist the cob and continue slicing until all of the kernels have been removed.
Prepare the Canning Supplies
Gather your canning supplies, prepare the jars, assemble the canner, and clean up your work space.
- Pressure canner
- 9 pint or 7 quart canning jars
- Canning bands and lids
- Canning tools include a jar lifter, a canning ladle, a funnel, and a bubble popper.
- Plus a large pot, large bowls, tongs, a knife, a cutting board, & kitchen towels.
Wash and rinse the canning jars, lids, bands, and canning utensils in hot soapy water. Set aside the lids and bands to air dry until ready to use.
The pressure canner’s canning rack should be inserted before it is placed on the stove. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for adding water to your pressure canner: Presto measures 3 quarts, Mirro measures 2 quarts and All American measures 2 to 3 inches. Fill the clean jars halfway with boiling water and place them on the canner rack. Simmer the canner for 10 minutes at 180°F. You should keep them hot until it’s time to fill them.
In addition, heat a big saucepan of water over high heat. The jars will be filled with this water.
Can the Corn
Cover the counter with a kitchen towel. To take a jar out of the canner, use the jar lifter. Pour out the water and set the jar on the towel. The canner should be left on to keep the remaining jars hot.
Fill the jars with raw kernels, leaving about 1 1/4 inches of headspace, and seal with a canning funnel. Corn shouldn’t be shook, pressed, or compressed. Corn has a high starch content, therefore it expands when cooked. It’s important to allow some room for the kernels to move and grow inside the canner.
Add up to 1/2 teaspoon of canning salt per pint jar and up to 1 teaspoon per quart jar if using canning salt. To keep the same 1-inch headspace, pour in new hot water. The ideal amount of water to pour over the corn is around 14 of an inch. This appears to help stop the siphoning off of fluids. Remove any trapped air by running a bubble popper through the jars, and wipe the rim down with a damp paper towel.
Place a lid in the middle of the jar, cover it with the band, and tighten the screws until they’re barely touching. Immediately replace the jar on its rack inside the canner and continue processing the remaining jars in the same fashion.
Process the Jars
Cover the canner and secure the lid. Achieve a rolling boil in the canner over moderate heat. The jars should be put through the canner for the times specified below, as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
Wait for the canner to cool before removing the jars. Cans of maize should be washed in soapy water, dated and stored in a cool place. Use within 12 to 18 months.
To use, pour contents of jar into a saucepan and warm over low heat for 10 minutes. Season to taste and serve.
Enjoy!
