Better Way to Freeze Corn

Last month I wrote a blog entry about our corn harvest.  

http://windyacresnaturalfarm.blogspot.com/2013/07/corn-harvest.html

Tom planted several dates of corn and this was the first one to mature.  We ate a lot of it and gave some away.   Then, I froze the rest of it.  I used the standard zip lock bags you use for the freezer and tried to get as much of the air out of the bags as possible.  This is what it looked like when I put it in the freezer.

This is what this same bag looked like today.  Notice all the ice in the bag!  I was dismayed to say the least, but this is not the first time it has happened.

I am really tired of this happening to my frozen stuff, so I decided to do something about it.  I went to Walmart and purchased one of those vacuum sealers.  There were 2 different brands from which to choose and, being the frugal person that I am, I got the lower priced one.  I don't always go for the cheapest thing.  Usually, I try to go with a "middle of the road" item, but this Ziploc brand was so much cheaper that the other brand that I went ahead and got it.

You have to buy the bags to use with it   They come in rolls that you cut to fit whatever you are freezing.

There are 3 buttons on top.  Real simple!  

The top lifts up and you insert one end of the bag so that it lays across the "heating element".  Then, close the lid and press the "Seal" button. 

It only takes a few seconds for it to heat up and seal the end of the bag.

Next, you put the food you are going to freeze in the bag and insert the other end of the bag in the machine.  At this point, you press the "Vacuum & Seal" button and it will suck the air out of the bag and seal the end.  It stops automatically when it is finished.

This is certainly not an advertisement for the Ziploc brand of vacuum sealers.  I'm sure that the other brand works just as well.  But, this should allow me to keep frozen food longer and preserve the quality much better than regular freezer bags. 

I'll still use the regular bags for freezing some things, like chopped onions and peppers.  It is nice to be able to open a bag of frozen chopped onions and get a few out to use in a recipe, then close it back up. 

Having to buy the bags will be an extra expense.  But, I'm already scheming as to how I can reuse the bags once they are empty.  I can see how I could cut the end of the bag open with a pair of scissors and remove the food to cook.   Then, I'd have a heavy plastic bag that I should be able to use for some other purpose.  Hmmmm.