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Thursday, July 8, 2010

A Golden Time of Year

The sunshine isn't only in the sky these days. It's blessing the gardens too, with yellow tomatoes, yellow squash and that favored veggie, sweet corn. Our first planting of Early Sunglow is maturing now, and it's coming on quickly because of the high temperatures we've been experiencing the past two weeks. 100 degrees is not fun, and it's a wonder the corn isn't popping in the fields.

Larry has brought in one and a half bushels in the past two days and that's probably the end of this planting. The chickens will get the nubbin ears that are left on the stalks, and the turkeys will get some too, of course. Larry shucked it all for me; what a sweetheart.

We're struggling to keep the cucumbers and cooler weather crops going, but corn loves heat apparently because it's thriving, at least for the time being. We have two more plantings to come in later, so the fact that we got covered up quickly with this planting means most of it has to go in the freezer or be canned. Since it's so hot, and since I prefer the taste of frozen corn, into the freezer it's going.

My job was to wash the corn in cold water,


Cut it off the cob, then blanche it in boiling water for about a minute or so--I like using my crab boiler (I think that's what this pot with it's sieve is called) because I can blanche large amounts of veggies at one time and strain and rinse them under cold water easily when they're finished blanching);




and bag it up for the freezer.

We ended up with 12 and a half quart bags. Honestly, I wish they still made pint freezer bags because a quart is a lot for two people to eat, and even if we just use part of a bag we still need to use the rest quickly so it doesn't freezer-burn or spoil.

Ball Complete Book of Home PreservingIf you're a newbie to gardens and preserving food, the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving is a good guide. Even if you're an old hand, you're likely to find something new to try. Don't forget the old standards, either, like

You might also want to visit Tipper, who is doing the step-by-step process of making sauerkraut the old-fashioned way--in a stone crock. And over at Warren's, he is up to his ears in blackberries and mushrooms. 

To be sure, it's summer! Now if we can just get through this heat wave without losing our gardens entirely, we'll be fine.

Just for fun, here's a couple of stories about heat and popcorn. I'm telling this Paul Bunyan tale this year as part of my summer library programs. And well-loved storyteller Chuck Larkin used to tell this tale about corn popping in the field. Enjoy--maybe with a big bowl of popcorn?

10 comments:

  1. My garden got off to a late start. And now I'm afraid it will burn up. High temps and no rain are taking it's toll. This is the first time I've been able to get corn to grow past my waist and now I'm worried it will dry up before it gets a chance to produce. **sniff**

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  2. Hey Granny Sue!

    Your corn looks wonderful! I'm glad you posted how you freeze yours because it never crossed my mind to cut the corn off the cob first! I blanched it on the cob last year! That is a lot easier to do it your way than my way! Thanks for that tip! I need all the help I can get! lol

    I have a wonderful squash casserole recipe that I'll send you for all of your squash. We love it and the kids love it too! It is a crowd pleaser when I take it to pot luck dinners also.

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  3. Please tell me you made pickled corn with some of that stuff. Mmmm.

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  4. Your corn looks great! I also prefer the taste of frozen corn over canned, any day.

    Thanks for the links. I've been following Tipper's site for a little while now - I enjoy it.

    I have been wanting to make my own kraut or some time now and I think this weekend might be the perfect time.

    Warren's berries look delicious. I love a good blackberry pie!

    Thanks for the story links. I think I'll print them out and enjoy them a little later in the evening in the front porch rocker with a cold Mason jar of sweet tea.

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  5. Rain predicted today, Becky so I hope some of it comes your way and saves the corn :)

    angela, I froze some on the cob last year too, but just don't like it as well as I do when it's cut off the cob. A friend adds butter,a little sugar and salt and pepper while the corn is still hot, before she freezes it. I've done that too but I like to use the corn in other recipes (soups, etc) so I just freeze it plain and add things later.

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  6. Umm, Brad, no...no pickled corn. Next crop though, I will make some. A neighbor told me how next year and gave me a jar to taste. I'd never had it before, can you believe that? My husband loves it though and he was in heaven when he tasted it. So that will be another project this summer.

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  7. Staci, your blog on corn meal mush got me inspired! I'm going to make some this weekend.

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  9. Enjoy! I have a taste for this morning...

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  10. We froze a bunch of corn last year and loved eating it especially during the holidays. We didn't get any this year. Not sure why. Yours is sure pretty.

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