Freeze Dried Corn vs Dehydrated Corn and How to Make Them
Corn makes an ideal meal that’s nutritious and sweet regardless of how you prepare it. Most people love it whether it’s boiled, pan fried, creamed or dried for a snack. The incredible advantage of corn is that you can also use it with other dishes, including casseroles and tortillas. If you intend to store corn by increasing its shelf life, you can deprive it of its moisture using these two methods. Ideally, these are the two ways you can achieve this, and it entails freeze-drying and dehydrating.
What is freeze-dried and dehydrated corn?
Freeze-dried corn is freezing the corn (below the freezing point of water) and removing the moisture. Corn in this form has a long shelf life, if stored correctly. People can eat it dry as a snack or with other dishes, such as topping it on salads or pancakes. This corn usually contains less than 2 percent moisture while maintaining its natural sweet taste and color even after prolonged storage.
On the other hand, dehydrated corn uses heat of 125°F or 52°C to remove moisture. You can take dehydrated corn as a snack or rehydrating it when ready to use by soaking it in boiling water for about 5 to 10 minutes. When stored correctly dehydrated corn has a shelf life of about 10 years and freeze dried corn has a shelf life of about 15 years. Though some expand these ranges 10-15 years for dehydrated corn and up to 25 years for freeze dried.
How to make freeze-dried corn and dehydrated corn at home
Making freeze-dried corn and dehydrated corn at home is simple, even if you don’t have commercial equipment. You only need fresh corn, some materials, patience and to follow the below steps to prepare perfect corn that guarantees quality. Here are a few ways of preparing freeze-dried and dehydrated corn at home.
Making freeze-dried corn at home: Two Methods and Procedures
Method 1: Using a Freezer
Ingredients: Fresh Corn
Materials:
• Tongs
• Ice water
• Cooling rack or Baking sheet
• Freezer
• Mylar bags
• Oxygen absorbers
• Mason Jar (optional)
Procedure:
• Pick or buy fresh corn. Remove the husk and silk, then blanch for about four minutes. Take out the corn with tongs and dunk in ice water.
• Remove the corn from the cob and pat dry with a paper towel.
• Place the blanched corn on a cooling rack or baking sheet and place in the freezer or a deep freezer, which works better. Corn, as most things, freeze within a couple of hours, but we are looking for frozen with as much moisture being removed as possible. This takes awhile, about a week or better.
• When you think it could be time, do a test. Take a piece out and let it defrost. If it changes color, such as gets dark or black, then it is not time and needs longer. Keep doing this test until it defrosts with no color change.
• When it truly is done put the corn in mylar bags. Before sealing it drop in an oxygen absorber. This will remove the oxygen from inside the bag and keep it out, making it last for years to come. Use a 300cc to 500cc (cubic centimeters) oxygen absorber for one gallon mylar bags. For 5 gallon mylar bags use 2000cc (4 x 500cc) oxygen absorbers.
• As a double measure you can store the mylar bags in jars. I would add another oxygen absorber in the jar and then seal it up tight.
Method 2: Using Dry Ice
Ingredients: Fresh Corn
Materials:
• A Large Cooler
• Protection for your hands
• Dry ice
• Mylar bags
• Oxygen absorbers
Procedure:
• Pick or buy fresh corn. Remove the husk and silk, then blanch for about four minutes. Take out the corn with tongs and dunk in ice water.
• Remove the corn from the cob and pat dry with a paper towel.
• Pack the blanched corn in a cooler.
• Cover the food with dry ice using hand protection and a 1 to 1 ratio. A pound of food to a pound of dry ice. Dry ice gives off gas as it evaporates so don’t close the lid.
• The dry ice will completely evaporate and that’s when your food should be ready. It should take around 24 hours. Do Not put your head down into or just above the cooler. The cooler is full off carbon dioxide. So you won’t be breathing in oxygen and could pass out.
• Put the corn into mylar bags and place an oxygen absorber inside before sealing it up. Remember use a 300cc to 500cc oxygen absorber for one gallon mylar bags. For 5 gallon mylar bags use 2000cc oxygen absorbers.
Making dehydrated corn at home
Just like freeze-drying, pick or buy fresh corn. Remove the husk and silk, then blanch for about four minutes. Take out the corn with tongs and dunk in ice water. Remove the corn from the cob and pat dry with a paper towel. Then follow these methods below to dehydrate the corn.
Method 1: Using a Dehydrator Tray
• Spread the blanched corn in a dehydrator tray as a single layer. You may need to use parchment paper.
• Dry the corn for 8 to 12 hours in a heat range of 125°F or 52°C.
• Once completely dehydrated, allow the corn to cool for about an hour. This prevents condensation.
• As with the freeze dried methods place them in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers.
Method 2: Using the Oven
Using the oven is also an incredible way to dehydrate corn at home. To achieve this:
• Take your blanched corn and spread evenly, about an inch in depth in a baking pan.
• Put your oven on its lowest temperature setting or to warm and place the corn inside.
• Every two hours take the corn out and stir. This evenly dries the corn. The whole process should take about 6 to 10 hours.
• Once the corn is dry and brittle it is done.
• Place them in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers and store.
Benefits of freeze-drying corn and dehydrated corn
• It preserves the corn’s pigmentation and natural taste and can be ate dry or rehydrated.
• Freeze drying corn removes between 98% and 99% of moisture while dehydration removes between 90% to 95%.
• Corn has a longer shelf-life, up to 25 years freeze dried and up to 15 years dehydrated.
• Freeze dried corn retain most of its nutrition, but the vitamins and minerals in dehydrated corn will break down a little more. Vitamin C seems to break down more rapidly than other vitamins in both storage preparations.
• Corn profits the body in a lot of ways being filled with dietary fiber, protein and antioxidants.
• You can use both corn preparations in various recipes as a crunchy topping or structural ingredients in foods such as tortillas.
• Neither freeze dried corn nor dehydrated corn require refrigeration. Freeze dried corn is lighter than dehydrated, so it is a lot more desirable to carry on camping trips or store in the bug out bag.
Best menu recipes for both corn forms
Cornbread muffins:
Ingredients –
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup of freeze dried or dehydrated corn
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 2 tablespoon of butter
• 1-1/4 cups of buttermilk
• 1 large egg
Instructions:
• Preheat your oven to 400F and grease your muffin pans.
• Combine the flour, cornmeal and the corn in a bowl.
• Add the sugar, salt, baking powder, and butter to the bowl and mix together.
• In a different bowl, mix the buttermilk and egg together.
• Add it to the dry ingredients and mix well.
• Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and bake them in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. You can enjoy these muffins straight from the oven or let them cool first.
Sweet Corn Panna Cotta:
Ingredients –
• 1/3 cup of freeze dried or dehydrated corn, ground to a powder
• 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
• 1-1/4 cup of heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons of honey
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 1 cup of berries for a topping (optional)
Instructions:
• Add the water to a small bowl and sprinkle in the gelatin powder. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes semi firm.
• In a saucepan add the corn powder, the heavy cream and the honey over medium heat.
• Take off the heat when small bubbles begin to form along the edge of the pan and add the gelatin. Mix until well incorporated.
• Strain the mixture through a fine strainer.
• Pour mixer into serving glasses and refrigerate covered.
• Should take about four hours to set.
• Top with fruit and serve.
Conclusion:
Corn is a favorite to many people, and that justifies the reasons for its widespread growth worldwide. Unfortunately, they don’t have a long shelf life in fresh forms as they are highly susceptible to pest or mold attacks. Ideal storage methods such as freeze-drying and dehydrating greatly elevates their shelf life. The choice between either way of storage depends on a person’s preference, as both offers great benefits.