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How to can your own corn from corn-on-the-cob using the raw pack method (directions, recipe, with photos and free)
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How to Can Corn - From Corn on the Cob!
using the "Raw Pack" method

Click here for a PDF print version

If you don't have room in your freezer, but you want to be able to enjoy the corn from your garden this winter, then home-canning your corn is the easy way to do it. Here's how to do it, complete instructions in easy steps and completely illustrated. The corn will taste MUCH better than any canned corn you've ever had from a store.  Frozen corn, of course, retains flavor better. If you want directions for freezing corn, click here.  One other important note: you will need a pressure canner.  Corn is a low acid food, so you can not use a boiling water bath canner.  It must be a pressure canner. Pressure canners cost more than water bath canners, but they are more versatile and last a lifetime, and your children and grandchildren may be using it.  See this page for more information about pressure canners.

See this FAQ for more details: Can I use a water-bath canner instead of a pressure canner for low acid foods like corn?

Hot Pack v. Raw Pack? Raw pack means it is placed into the jars without heating, and then the jars are processed in the canner.  Which is better?  Not much difference.  Food safety experts prefer the hot pack method, because you can stir the corn the ensure it gets evenly and thoroughly heated. I usually use the "hot pack" method. Hot pack instructions are here, should you prefer them.


Directions for Canning Corn at Home

Ingredients and Equipment
  • fresh corn on the cob - any quantity.  I figure 1.5 ears per serving.
  • 1 Large pot of boiling water (to blanch the whole ears of corn)
  • 1 medium sized pot of boiling water (to pour over the corn in the jars)
  • Canning jars, lids and rings
  • 2 large bowls, one filled with cold water and ice.
  • 1 sharp knife
  • 1 Large spoon or ladle

Ideal ear - ripe but not bloated.  the kernels are still tender (easily punctured with your fingernail) and the juice is milky).  White, yellow or bicolor types are all fine!


Instructions

Step 1 - Get yer corn!

Start with fresh corn on the cob - as fresh as you can get.  If there is a delay between harvesting and canning, put it in the refrigerator or put ice on it. The sugars break down quickly at room temperature. According to the USDA, about 32 pounds (in husk) of sweet corn is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 20 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. Note that a bushel weighs 35 pounds and yields 6 to 11 quarts of canned corn, which is an average of 4½ pounds of corn in the husks per quart of finished canned corn.

Step 2 - Get the pots  ready

Get the large pot of boiling water ready (about 2/3 filled), the medium sized pot filled with water and heating and a LARGE bowl 2/3 filled with ice and cold water.  This is also a good time to get the canner filled (about 2/3 full)  with water and start it heating.

Step 3 - Husk the corn

Husk the corn and pick off as much of the silk as you can. A soft vegetable brush is the fastest and easiest way to get the remaining silk off - just don't be too rough with it.

 

 

 

Step 4 - Blanch the corn for 3 minutes  

All fruits and vegetables contain enzymes that, over time, break down the destroy nutrients and change the color, flavor, and texture of food during frozen storage. Corn requires a brief heat treatment, called blanching, in boiling water or steam, to destroy the enzymes before freezing. The duration should be just long enough to stop the action of the enzymes; for corn to be canned, that is 3 minutes

Begin counting the blanching time as soon as you place the corn in the boiling water. Cover the kettle and boil at a high temperature for the required length of time.

You may use the same blanching water several times (up to 5). Be sure to add more hot water from the tap from time to time to keep the water level at the required height.

Step 5 - Cool the corn

Cool corn immediately in ice water. Drain the corn thoroughly.

After vegetables are blanched, cool them quickly to prevent overcooking. Plunge the corn into a large quantity of ice-cold water (I keep adding more ice to it). A good rule of thumb: Cool for the same amount of time as the blanch step. For instance, if you blanch sweet corn for 4 minutes, then cool in ice water for at least 4 minutes. 

Drain thoroughly for a couple of minutes.

Step 6 - Cut the kernels from the cob

Obviously, if you are canning the corn on the cob, skip this step. 

Whole Kernel Corn – Cut kernels from cob about 2/3 to 3/4 the depth of the kernels. I hold the ear by the small end, and slide the knife down the ear. See the next photo.

Cream Style Corn – Cut kernel tips about 1/2 deep and scrape the cobs with the back of a knife to remove the juice and the heart of the kernel. 

Another way to prepare cream style corn for canning is to cut and scrape the corn from the cob without blanching. Place the cut corn in a double boiler, and heat with constant stirring for about 10 minutes or until it thickens; allow to cool by placing the pan in ice water. 

You don't need a special tool, just a very sharp knife!

  However, a number of people wrote in to point out that the prefer one of the two tools below, often because it is easier for them due to arthritis, or simply faster.  

Processing time for corn in a dial-gauge pressure canner

Raw Pack Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Jar Size Process Time 0 - 2,000 ft 2,001 - 4,000 ft 4,001 - 6,000 ft 6,001 - 8,000 ft
Pints 55 min 11 lb 12 lb 13 lb 14 lb
Quarts 85 min 11 12 13 14

Processing time for corn in a weighted-gauge pressure canner

Raw Pack Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Jar Size Process Time 0 - 1,000 ft Above 1,000 ft
Pints 55 min 10 lb 15 lb
Quarts 85 10 15

Step 11 - Done!

When the processing time is up, turn off the heat, and allow the pressure canner to cool and the pressure to drop to zero before opening the canner.  Let the jars cool without being jostled.

Later, when you are ready to serve the corn, it just takes about 3 or 4 minutes in the microwave (from frozen) or in the top of a double boiler.  The corn doesn't need to be "cooked", just heated up!

 

 

 


Tips:

  • Harvest early in the morning, especially if the weather is hot, to get peak flavor.
  • Harvest the corn at its peak maturity (milky fluid in the kernels, kernels tender, and not bloated). Immature corn is watery when cooked and over-ripe corn is chewy and doughy.
  • Process promptly after harvesting, or keep cooled in the fridge or with ice until then.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Aspirin / Salicylic Acid? My mother canned corn using salicylic acid. The only recipe I have is: 7 cups corn 1/2 cup salt 1 cup sugar 1t.salicylic acid 1 cup water Let boil several minutes. What do I need to know to can corn using this method?

    You may have heard of someone's grandmother canning corn by boiling the corn, adding aspirin or salicylic acid from the drugstore, then sealing the corn in jars with no further processing. According to the University of Illinois, a recipe circulated several years ago, using aspirin to acidify tomatoes and beans for canning. Aspirin is not recommended for canning. While it contains salicylic acid, it does not sufficiently acidify low acid foods like tomatoes or beans for safe hot water bath canning. Low acid foods (without added acids) should only be processed safely in a pressure canner. Lemon juice or vinegar is recommended to acidify tomato products for safe water bath processing. You can also see an article in JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 289 No. 13, April 2, 2003, titled "Is salicylic acid as a food preservative harmful?"; from which the abstract states: "salicylic acid, in the ways in which it is used in the preparation of food products, is not only not harmful, but is a preservative to health, inasmuch as the process of decomposition which it prevents would be far more dangerous."

Pressure canners!

Presto 01781 23-Quart Pressure Cooker/Canner

Amazon usually has this (through the links at left) for about $79.  (which is a GREAT price for a pressure canner).  Click on the links at left for more info and current pricing.

Features:

  • 17 by 15-1/2 inches; 12-year warranty
  • Heavy-duty 23-quart aluminum pressure canner and cooker
  • Comfortably ergonomic, stay-cool black plastic handles
  • Strong-lock lid with pressure regulator, dial gauge, and overpressure plug
  • Comes with canning rack to protect jars during canning
iconicon icon

 

Shown at left is the Presto 23 quart pressure canner. Features below and click here for more information or to purchase from Target.
Features:
  • The easy-to-read dial gauge automatically registers a complete range of processing pressures
  • Includes cooking/canning rack and complete instruction/recipe book and has a 22-quart liquid capacity
  • Aluminum construction
  • Holds seven 1-quart Mason jars

All American Pressure Canner and Cooker #921

Features:

  • Exclusive "metal-to-metal" sealing system
  • Automatic overpressure release and easy-to-read geared steam guage
  • Professional quality, extra heavy duty cast aluminum
  • Holds 19 pint jars and 7 quart jars
  • One-year warranty

Progressive 5-Piece Canning Kit

  • Five-piece set: funnel, jar lifter, lid lifter, jar wrench, and tongs
  • Vinyl coating improves grip and prevents heat transfer
  • Extra-wide funnel mouth
  • Ideal for home canning
  • Hand washable only

Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours   

Price:   $9.99

Remember to ALWAYS call the farm or orchard BEFORE you go - weather, heavy picking and business conditions can always affect their hours and crops!

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