Corn

The hackneyed saying that the best way to cook corn is to have a pot of hot water in the cornfield is not just an old wives’ tale: the sugar really does start breaking down as soon as corn is picked. If you don’t live near a cornfield, you will be better off buying corn from chilled bins in your supermarket. I usually buy a bushel or 2 of corn, quickly blanch the ears, cut the kernels off, and freeze them in plastic bags—one of the few foods I put away in a fairly natural state for use later. I am especially fond of the sweet corn varieties such as Silver Queen and How Sweet It Is, which, when truly fresh, need only be warmed through. I might put up some corn relish as well, but most of the corn that I eat is in season and on the cob.