Nothing tastes more like summertime than corn on the cob. In Nebraska, we have around three months (June-August) to incorporate this sweet delight of a veggie into all our summer salads, grill it, boil it and serve it up with butter and salt. My kids eat it like it’s candy. They don’t call us the “Cornhusker State” for no reason. This is the secret behind ideal picnics and fuel for football teams. However, this summer will be a struggle for my oldest daughter who is loosing teeth left and right!

We are lucky that my dad and brothers farm; which allows us to make it a tradition every August to get together, husk the corn and “put up” all the golden nuggets so we can extend this side dish through Thanksgiving, Christmas–and almost make it last until the next summer.

It’s important to blanch (boil and then cool it down fast) in order to kill any bacteria before freezing. After boiling 3-4 minutes, we just fill up a sink with ice cold water. That way, it’s easy to drain it and refill a new, cold bath for the next batch.

Once the corn cools, you can use your corn cutter (or a knife) to strip the kernels. Once you cut the corn vertically off the cob, it’s important to take the knife and scrape the remaining kernels out (my grandma claims this is the secret sauce, and it’s just not good to waste food!) My parents have a cutting board with an upward pointing nail in the center that the cob is secured on before stripping the corn with a circular corn cutter. I prefer slicing it off with a serenaded knife because you end up with more of the connected, larger group pieces of corn, which I love.

When it comes time to add the brine, you can scoop the corn into ziplock baggies or containers. It’s important to fill the mixture right above the line of the corn, and to make it air-tight when closing it to avoid freezer burn. The brine mixture is really easy: it’s a combination of sugar, salt and water. We date the bags with month and year and stack them, laying flat in the freezer so they stack well and reduce space.

And, of course the grand finale of putting up and freezing the corn wouldn’t be complete without a last she-bang of grilling out and the experience of eating the corn straight of the cob!