Tonight is the annual Glummer party.
Picnic food
Bonfire
Family and friends
It's Glummer time.
(GLUM end of SummER party.)
That sack of corn held 77 ears. My mom said that up her way corn is going for 75 cents an ear...here in the beginning of corn country the stores are selling conventional corn 5/$2 (40 cents an ear.) The farmer's market was selling 13/$3.50 (fresher and more local...while they are not organic, they follow similar practices but can't afford to get certification...and cheaper at 26 cents an ear!) or my 77 ears for 25 cents an ear...not much of a discount from the regular price, but I'm glad to pay it to a local rather than having a middleman such as a large grocery store chain (even if it is a locally owned chain)...
What I did get?
15 pints of cream style corn
(I think it's gross out of the can...it smells and looks like something in a diaper, but homemade it's not so bad. Not to mention the brownie points I get since the husband would bathe in it if allowed he loves it so much.)
7 pints of whole kernel corn
16 ears frozen corn
8 ears eaten fresh.
So at grocery store prices it would have been about $1.50/can (organic on sale)
$4/4 pack for the frozen corn
$3.20 for the fresh
also known as $51.20 for the same corn processed.
Sure, canning companies must profit, employ, and keep the overhead...groceries must then have the same issues... but it is more than a 50% markup from the fresh from the farmer cost.
(note: cost does not include the price of the jars...I have them...so all I had to buy was water, gas for the stove, and lids ($1.25/12 pack))
So here is what I did...decide if it's worth the time or not...
Creamed corn
(Followed Bell's recipe)
Wash corn and then cut corn off the cob then scrape the pulp and milk from the cob
For every pint of corn/milk/pulp mixture add 1 and 1/4 cup boiling water and 1/2 tsp salt.
Boil for 3 minutes.
Put mixture in pint jars with an inch of head space and then wipe rims and adjust the lids fingertip tight.
Process at 10 lbs of pressure in a steam pressure canner for 1 hour 25 min.
Whole Kernel corn
(Bell's again)
Wash corn and cut off the cob (not scraping this time.)
For every pint add one cup boiling water and 1/2 tsp salt.
Boil for 5 minutes.
Put mixture in pint jars with an inch of head space and then wipe rims and adjust the lids fingertip tight.
Process at 10 lbs of pressure in a steam pressure canner for 55 minutes.
Frozen corn
Put corn on the cob in boiling water for 6-8 minutes depending on size.
Place in freezer bag with as little air as possible (I have a little hand pump, like a mini bike pump, that sucks air out.)
Freeze immediately.
In the end I gave the chickens all the leftovers...they can try the bits left on the cobs...they will peck at the husks, but most likely are using them to provide fun scratching material.
As for the corn products, it really is that easy...and rather reassuring (disclaimer...follow safe canning advice from trained professionals, this is provided as just an idea of what is done... disclaimer over.) that you know exactly what is in the corn...no yellow dye to make it pretty or unnameable chemicals for texture...just corn, water and salt...and don't forget the love,
Yes...
Lots of it.
Wow, Thanks for the lesson because I never knew the mark up of corn. I have always put my corn in the freeze since I didn't want to run the pressure cooker so long, but I think next year I will just have to do it after seeing your creamed corn. It all looks very nice. xx
ReplyDeleteThe way I see it is you can use a pressure canner for a little over an hour or use a freezer for a year...I freeze some just because you can't can it on the cob...It took a while, but I got over my fear of pressure canners.
ReplyDeleteLots of love! Corn that you process yourself really does taste better. Anything does. I swear I could pass any blindfold test. Bet you could too!
ReplyDeletehey baby! you're totally selling me on canning corn.. i've been a "freezer" this whole time.. hum. great way to think about it.
ReplyDeleteand
i'm behind in my comments so i wanted to pop by and say yes and no to your question about keeping ducks with chickens. ducks can be superduper wet and depending on the variety they can just making everything a big mess. so we usually dont keep the ducks with the hens - especially in the winter.
but
right now our few lady ducks are bunking with the hens at nite (everyone runs together during the day) - and its really working out. if you have the space i think you could have a coop just for the ducks - but it can be within in the same hen house. make sense?? it keeps the splashing down. and my ducks dont roost so they get really pooped of by the hens.
one thing - do not run your ducks with turkeys - they are just to susceptible to things like cocci. the wetness of the ducks will cause cocci to bloom in your soil - wont hurt the ducks but can take all your turks out fast.
hows that for a long winded answer? for more info here is my 'duck how to' post:
http://adventuresinthegoodland.blogspot.com/2010/06/dos-and-donts-for-ducks.html
LOVE your "holy bag of corn!" hee hee hee!
:-)
Great post. I would love to be able to get my hands on that amount of corn come the end of summer. BBq'd corn!
ReplyDeleteI know I responded to this earlier. Harumph! You reminded me, I have to go see if the farmer we buy corn from has his field side stand open yet this year. Your corn looks delicious!
ReplyDelete