Back When... Aw Shucks

It's corn season right now and not so many years ago these pictures would be a common scene in Grandma and Pappy's backyard as we pooled people resources together and the Kaysville krew set aside an afternoon or evening to "freeze corn" -- although there were plenty of steps necessary before it ever got to the freezer.  While Dad/Pappy's garden-grown corn was always delicious there was seldom enough ready at one time for the corn-blitz and so dozens were purchased at the local farm stand for quick processing here.

First the corn was husked and de-silked outside.  Grandkids were always readily available for this piece of the action.  Charlie apparently found the wheelbarrow a comfortable spot for the task while Jacob preferred being able to stretch out on the grass.  Looks like Dad was pulling husks while Janice cleaned up the silk.   Mom/Grandma/Grandma Great spent her time in the kitchen blanching the corn and then making sure it got into the ice bath (usually a large tin tub waiting outside) to cool down for the next step in our process.

After the corn had cooled it was cut from the cobs, the easiest way is with an electric knife as Christine is doing here.  Next it was scooped into bags as Janice demonstrates, followed by a lucky person who, using a straw, sucked the air out and tied up each bag.  Once all the bags were ready they were either taken down to the freezer for storage, or distributed among all the helpers to be frozen at their own homes.  Sometimes, as seen here, Stephanie and Marilynn were just along for the ride and waching others work!?!
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Okay, here's evidence that in another year Marilynn did contribute labor to the process and this time she's putting the cut corn into bags.  Janice is cutting the corn off the cob, using the tube of an angel food cake pan to hold the cob while the cut corn falls into the pan.  Clever.  Looks like Christine is the human vacuum-packer (sucking air out of the bags).  Pappy? he's getting a well deserved rest.

Over the years we got our harvest-and-freeze-corn-process down to a science and were like a well-oiled machine.  Really!!  It was a fun family night that I think even the grandkids enjoyed.  Today it's cheaper to buy frozen corn, especially on a good sale, than to freeze it yourself but there's still nothing better than the flavor of the home or local grown stuff.  Yum Yum.