Canning your own corn can be a rewarding experience. The benefits of cancorn done at home not only extends to taste but also to avoid some of the many preservatives many mass canners in the food industry utilise. Canning your own corn lets you enjoy this versatile vegetable out of its usual growing season as the crop does not do well in winter months.
Though it can be an expensive initial undertaking with the cost of equipment such as pressure canners costing between $100-$200; the equipment generally has a very long shelf life (generations in most cases). Therefore the skills and benefits can be passed down to younger generations. The process overall will take about a couple of hours from picking the corn and husking it to all the boiling and canning operations. Some knowledge or skill with pressure cookers is needed. It is best to set a side a day for the canning and a large batch made to save on time and fuel. After canning the corn is complete it is easily stored and when needed all that should be done is to warm it up in a microwave for a few minutes or in a sauce pan on a stove and your tasty corn will be ready to eat. It does not need to be 'cooked' a second time as this would have been taken care of in the pressure canning process.
Homemade vs Store bought
Asides from the rewarding experience of making your own food and knowing exactly what goes into your food; homemade cancorn simply tastes miles better if done right. Care should still be taken at home and the canning recipe carefully followed to avoid contamination. Commercial operations generally use higher temperatures which though may affect the flavour of the corn, will ensure that the final product is safe.
Safety Tips
Corn is a low acid food therefore is highly susceptible to bacterial and other pathogen attack. Proper care must taken to ensure pathogens are eliminated by using a pressure canner which kills these organisms in the canning process. A dash of lime/lemon juice or vinegar will bring up the acidity of the liquid and hence help to eliminate contamination (most germs do not like acids!). Never use aspirin or salicyclic acid as in older recipes as aspirin does not have the required level of acidity (from salicyclic acid) and salicyclic acid is harmful to your health!
Corn is one of the most common and versatile staples on earth. By canning your own corn you can eliminate many of the additives the food industry will put in your average can of corn.
