How to Can Corn: The Easiest Way to Do It at Home Without a Pressure Canner

Canning corn at home allows you to capture the freshness of corn and enjoy it all year round. While pressure canning is often recommended for vegetables, you can also can corn using the water bath method, which is simpler and doesn't require special equipment. Here’s how to do it step by step, along with tips to ensure your canned corn remains tasty and safe to eat.

Starting with Fresh Ingredients

When selecting corn for canning, choose ears with bright green husks and moist stems. The kernels should be plump and come in tight rows. Avoid any ears with dry, brown husks or slimy kernels, as these are signs of age or poor handling. Begin with fresh corn—preferably picked on the day of canning to ensure it retains all its sweetness and nutrients. For this recipe, you'll need 6 ears of corn, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. The sugar will help enhance the natural sweetness of the corn, which can diminish slightly during canning.

Shuck the corn and remove all the silk. Rinse the ears under cold water to clean them thoroughly. Next, cut the corn cobs into several slices, about 1 to 2 inches thick, depending on your preference. This size is ideal for both cooking evenly and fitting into your jars.

Do You Really Need to Blanch the Corn?

Blanching is a crucial step in the canning process. It stops enzyme actions which can cause loss of flavor, color, and texture. To blanch the corn, drop the slices into a large pot of boiling water. Let them cook for about 35 minutes. This extended blanching time also helps to fully sterilize the corn, which is important since we’re not using a pressure canner.

How to Jar the Corn

Once blanched, immediately remove the corn slices from the boiling water and drain them. Quickly fill your sterilized canning jars with the hot corn slices, leaving about an inch of headspace at the top of each jar. Add a tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of kosher salt to each jar to enhance flavor and aid in preservation. Then, pour boiling water into the jars, covering the corn while still respecting the headspace.

Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp towel to remove any corn kernels or residues that might prevent a good seal. Place the lids on the jars and tighten the bands. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. The jars should be covered by at least an inch of water. This process will help seal the jars and ensure that the corn is preserved safely.

How to Prevent the Corn From Turning Brown

To keep the corn from turning brown in the can, make sure it is fully submerged in the boiling water during blanching and in the jars during canning. Exposure to air can lead to oxidation, which causes browning. The sugar and salt in the jars also help maintain color by creating a hostile environment for bacteria and enzymes that cause spoilage and discoloration.

How to Store Canned Corn

Once processed, let the jars cool undisturbed for 24 hours. Check that the seals have formed properly—lids should not flex up and down when the center is pressed. Store the jars in a cool, dark place. Properly canned and sealed corn can be kept for up to a year. After opening a jar, refrigerate any unused corn and try to use it within a few days.