# 180 ears of corn?  No problem!



## ScotO (Aug 15, 2013)

Dad and I did our annual corn blanch yesterday evening.  Ended up blanching over 16 dozen ears, and we got 22qt. bags each for the freezer.  Nothing like having good, local corn in the middle of winter!

Any excuse to get the big kettle on the fire is good for me!!

Anyone else doing any food freezin' out there?


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## Ashful (Aug 15, 2013)

Scotty, you never cease to amaze me, buddy. Corn, maple syrup, custom wheelbarrows, wood flooring, masonry...


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## save$ (Aug 15, 2013)

Looks really good.  I don't know where you get all your energy!   Warm, safe and well fed = happy family.


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## Bret Hart (Aug 15, 2013)

I'm jealous. Our garden spent too much time under water. If we actually get any corn it's going to look like those miniature ears that you find in Chinese food.


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## ScotO (Aug 15, 2013)

Thanks for.the compliments, guys!  I was born and raised to work hard for what I have, I guess its just out of habit that I stay busy.......
Bret, this has been the best year for corn in many years in our area, we're literally SWIMMING in it.  Amish over the.mountain said as long as we don't get frost early, we should have sweet corn right up til October.......

I'll be freezing some Silver Queen when it comes on here in a couple weeks, as well as some beans, brocolli, cauliflower,  and tomatoes........

We'll be doing a big kettle of ham and mean soup too, once the weather gets cold.   It'll be a party where everyone I know around here can bring their clean mason jars, a 12 pack of their favorite brew, and come jar up some soup for.their.own use......


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## Swedishchef (Aug 15, 2013)

Wow Scotty. That is really impressive! I am jealous. Something tells me I may start doing the same....


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## Jack Straw (Aug 15, 2013)

We froze a bushel of local grown sweet corn. It's great to have in the dead of winter!


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## Ashful (Aug 15, 2013)

Scotty Overkill said:


> Thanks for.the compliments, guys! I was born and raised to work hard for what I have, I guess its just out of habit that I stay busy.......


 
Yeah... but you get cooler stuff done.

My yesterday, but typical of any day:

6:30am - 7:30am:  getting myself and kid ready for school / work
8am - 5pm:  work (and surfing hearth.com while waiting on computer simulations)
5:30pm - 6pm:  dinner
6pm - 8pm:  mowing lawn
8pm - 8:30pm:  getting kid ready for bed while mom cleans up from dinner
8:30pm - 10:30pm:  sanding and re-staining a 240 year old floor
10:30 - 11:30pm:  shower, check email, download photos from recent mini-cation to beach with kid

lather, rinse, repeat...


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## lukem (Aug 15, 2013)

We blanched and froze 80 bags last week.  Picked 36 more ears last night.


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## PapaDave (Aug 15, 2013)

Awesome Scotty.
I wanna' know where you got that kettle.
We won't get enough of anything from the garden this year to do any blanching/freezing/canning.
We'll have to suffer with cooking it as it comes out of the garden.
Did that with some green beans a couple days ago. Stir fried in a pan with some garlic/butter/olive oil.
Mmmm, mmmm, good.


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## ScotO (Aug 15, 2013)

PapaDave said:


> Awesome Scotty.
> I wanna' know where you got that kettle.
> We won't get enough of anything from the garden this year to do any blanching/freezing/canning.
> We'll have to suffer with cooking it as it comes out of the garden.
> ...




Dave, I built that kettle out of a 1950's Speed Queen wringer washer tub!!
We used it for maple syrup for several years.  It holds over 20 gallons!


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## Jack Straw (Aug 15, 2013)

Scotty Overkill said:


> Dave, I built that kettle out of a 1950's Speed Queen wringer washer tub!!
> We used it for maple syrup for several years.  It holds over 20 gallons!




Scotty, you should have your own reality show!


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## PapaDave (Aug 15, 2013)

Scotty Overkill said:


> Dave, I built that kettle out of a 1950's Speed Queen wringer washer tub!!


I seem to vaguely remember you mentioning that at some time or another.
Excellent repurpose.


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## mywaynow (Aug 15, 2013)

How you removing the kernels?  I used a knife last year and found the corn a little soggy as a result of cutting kernels in pieces, releasing the fluids.  Someone has got to make a de-kerneling tool.  I vac packed the stuff, and it was tasty.  Just need to find the last piece of the puzzle to make it perrrrfeccttttt.


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## Jack Straw (Aug 15, 2013)

We use a knife, maybe you over cooked it?


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## mywaynow (Aug 15, 2013)

Blanched for 2 minutes.  Some kernels were plump and fresh, some not so much.


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## firebroad (Aug 15, 2013)

lukem said:


> We blanched and froze 80 bags last week. Picked 36 more ears last night.


 
You must have a monster of a freezer, or several!!


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## Jack Straw (Aug 15, 2013)

mywaynow said:


> Blanched for 2 minutes.  Some kernels were plump and fresh, some not so much.


 That's how long we cook it.


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## DevilsBrew (Aug 15, 2013)

Now all you need are the potatoes, shrimp, and crab!


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## lukem (Aug 15, 2013)

firebroad said:


> You must have a monster of a freezer, or several!!


Two big chest freezers.  This wasn't all for us...it was a family event.

Need to make some room....cider day is right around the corner.  Hoping to freeze 60 gallons this year.


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## ScotO (Aug 15, 2013)

I bought one of those cheesy 'corn cutters' a couple years ago and tried it.....proved to be worthless unless you want to make creamed corn (which I don't like at all).   I simply use a razor sharp filet knife, and I hone it once or twice during the cutting festivities...
I try and keep the knife at the "happy place".....that area right near the base of the kernel, but not in the cob.  Either way you slice it (pun intended), the homegrown corn tastes far and above better than the store bought stuff.  Nothing like sweet corn for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and also for dinner once a week when the snow's flying......


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## lukem (Aug 15, 2013)

Scotty Overkill said:


> I bought one of those cheesy 'corn cutters' a couple years ago and tried it.....proved to be worthless unless you want to make creamed corn (which I don't like at all).   I simply use a razor sharp filet knife, and I hone it once or twice during the cutting festivities...
> I try and keep the knife at the "happy place".....that area right near the base of the kernel, but not in the cob.  Either way you slice it (pun intended), the homegrown corn tastes far and above better than the store bought stuff.  Nothing like sweet corn for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and also for dinner once a week when the snow's flying......


We make something for Thanksgiving with sweet corn, sweet taters, onions, and bacon.  It is way good.


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## ScotO (Aug 15, 2013)

lukem said:


> We make something for Thanksgiving with sweet corn, sweet taters, onions, and bacon. It is way good.


I may have to coax that recipe from you.....sounds like something I'd be all about...especially the bacon part....


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## WellSeasoned (Aug 15, 2013)

Its all in the name- overkill


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## firefighterjake (Aug 15, 2013)

He builds a classic wheelbarrow out of a rusty hoop of metal.
He can build a stone chimney with rocks found in his driveway.
He blanches enough corn to feed a small village in Bolivia for eight months.
When he makes maple syrup the trees practically weep in delight.

Scotty Overkill . . . the world's most interesting man.


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## jeff_t (Aug 15, 2013)

I don't have much left after the coons had their feast. I'll have a bunch more ready next week, if I can beat them to it. Never had a problem before, but they're getting zapped next year.


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## ScotO (Aug 15, 2013)

firefighterjake said:


> He builds a classic wheelbarrow out of a rusty hoop of metal.
> He can build a stone chimney with rocks found in his driveway.
> He blanches enough corn to feed a small village in Bolivia for eight months.
> When he makes maple syrup the trees practically weep in delight.
> ...


LMFAO.....
That's funny Jake!!

"I don't always go on the internet......... but when I do, I prefer Hearth.com"


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## ScotO (Aug 15, 2013)

jeff_t said:


> I don't have much left after the coons had their feast. I'll have a bunch more ready next week, if I can beat them to it. Never had a problem before, but they're getting zapped next year.


That is EXACTLY why this boy right here did NOT do a garden AT ALL this year. Man the coons have exploded around here. My uncle killed 9 last summer, this summer he's killed over 11 groundhogs....I killed one just last week.

Those damm coons will tear down a stalk of corn, take two bites out of each ear on the stalk, move to the next stalk and repeat.....till the whole corn patch is toast.

I can't stand those masked basturdz.....


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## jeff_t (Aug 15, 2013)

Oh no. They pulled the ears off the stalk, peeled the husk back, and ate every kernel. Looked like a human stood out there and did it. At least they weren't wasting it.


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## WellSeasoned (Aug 15, 2013)

Scotty Overkill said:


> LMFAO.....
> That's funny Jake!!
> 
> "I don't always go on the internet......... but when I do, I prefer Hearth.com"



I love it!:D


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## jharkin (Aug 16, 2013)

Joful said:


> Yeah... but you get cooler stuff done.
> 
> My yesterday, but typical of any day:
> 
> ...


 
Sounds very familiar 

5:50 am - get up for work
6:50 am - arrive at work, on conference calls with India by 7:30am
rest of the day - work punctuated by conference calls with various other offices here and abroad
4:30~5 pm - home from work, spend an hour playing with the twins 
6pm dinner
6:30pm bath time for the kids
7:30pm bed time for the kids
8:30pm if the kids are acting up we just finished putting them back into their cribs for the 4th time
8:30-9pm - spend a half hour in the garage grinding old gasket cement off the Encore interior panels so I can hope to put it back together before October
9pm - listen to the Mrs remind me we never spend any quality time without the kids
9pm-10pm get back on the phone for work to do conference calls with China
10pm think about all the old house projects I haven't even started on, including the front windows where the glass is about to fall out
10:30pm fall asleep exhausted having done nothing on said house projects


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## ScotO (Aug 16, 2013)

jharkin said:


> Sounds very familiar
> 
> 5:50 am - get up for work
> 6:50 am - arrive at work, on conference calls with India by 7:30am
> ...


You deserve a beer or two in there somewhere, Jeremy!!

sounds like my life (no conference calls, but workin' on the railroad instead).......Been there, bro.  Get some rest and make some time for yourself and Mrs. Harkin.....


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## NortheastAl (Aug 16, 2013)

firefighterjake said:


> He builds a classic wheelbarrow out of a rusty hoop of metal.
> He can build a stone chimney with rocks found in his driveway.
> He blanches enough corn to feed a small village in Bolivia for eight months.
> When he makes maple syrup the trees practically weep in delight.
> ...


And, he can leap tall buildings in a single bound!


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## jharkin (Aug 17, 2013)

Scotty Overkill said:


> You deserve a beer or two in there somewhere, Jeremy!!
> 
> sounds like my life (no conference calls, but workin' on the railroad instead).......Been there, bro. Get some rest and make some time for yourself and Mrs. Harkin.....


 

But your job sounds more fun my friend, and I mean that seriously, not sarcasticly.  If get asked to move to management just say no. I didn't and now I'm stuck. I miss technical work... 

I just happened to be enjoying a couple nice hooegartens while I wrote that ( really need them right now, trying to potty train 2 kids at once right now!!) And this weekend my MIL is coming to give us a hand and I'll get a day pass to go to the airfield Sunday. So life isn't that bad.


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## ScotO (Aug 17, 2013)

jharkin said:


> But your job sounds more fun my friend, and I mean that seriously, not sarcasticly.  If get asked to move to management just say no. I didn't and now I'm stuck. I miss technical work...
> 
> I just happened to be enjoying a couple nice hooegartens while I wrote that ( really need them right now, trying to potty train 2 kids at once right now!!) And this weekend my MIL is coming to give us a hand and I'll get a day pass to go to the airfield Sunday. So life isn't that bad.


I've had the opportunity to advance over the years several times.....I say no way....I enjoy wrenching and troubleshooting those big locomotives.  Also love the comraderie of the guys working the shops...we have a good group of guys.


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## Backwoods Savage (Aug 17, 2013)

It was a busy week here too with the sweet corn. However, we do things a bit different. We quit blanching corn many, many years ago and think the corn tastes better this way. Faster to put up too. I love sitting down and watching my wife do it all.....


As for the critters, we've killed 25 or 26 coon so far this year and they still made a mess of our corn patch. However, I think some was done by possom and we've got rid of several of them this year too. Trouble with those critters is they don't have just one offspring at a time so they multiply fast. Then if we count all the coon that city dwellers bring out here in the country where "they won't do any harm" and it is a mess.

As for those corn cobs that were stripped clean, that is usually the work of possom rather than coon.

Here are a couple looks at our corn patch. Even got the ornery one in the second picture. She was picking raspberries at the time. There were 17 rows with 90' per row of corn there. Yes, we've eaten a lot but so have the critters:


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## jeff_t (Aug 17, 2013)

Backwoods Savage said:


> As for those corn cobs that were stripped clean, that is usually the work of possom rather than coon.



Never thought about that. I was trying to think of what would have the dexterity, and raccoon came to mind first. Didn't see any tracks. I should have taken a picture of the aftermath.


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