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Monday, July 28
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Each summer, our niece Karen and her husband Larry have at least one day when they harvest and process lots of corn so it can be given to friends, neighbors, and church members who went through a tough time in the past year.
If I remember correctly, Larry and Karen began their day at 5:30 am by picking 300 dozen ears of corn. Many of their family and friends came to help with the process – after the corn was placed on the floor of their garage. Some people arrived as early at 7 am. Cerwin and I got there a 9 am.
As husked corn was ready to have the silk removed, a few people operated the de-silking machine and placed it in containers where it would be cooked.
Putting an ear of corn into the machine.
Removing it after it had been de-silked.
My photo says it was 10:15 am when we finished husking the large stack of ears.
After cleanup and rearranging the process, we began cutting corn from the cobs.
This happened after the corn was desilked, cooked, cooled.
As some people left, new people arrived. That happened all day long. Some even came after work to help finish the evening jobs.
Just after starting the process of cutting the kernels from the cob, we were rewarded with iced hot chocolate drinks – made by nieces of Karen and Larry.
Cerwin went home after the husking but waited for this snack. 🙂 Later in the day we were rewarded with a similar drink. The second drink was pina colada flavored. Karen also supplied lunch and supper.
Yum!
Outside, corn was continually being cooked and cooled. I failed to get a photo of the cooling process – when the corn cobs were placed in a variety of cold/iced water containers.
Packaging the processed corn before placing the filled bags in the freezer.
There was a long list of families who were being blessed with this corn. Some came to pick it up when told theirs was finished, others were delivered.
Karen’s mom, Nancy, and sister Amy packaged corn until they finished.
I understand the last corn was cut off about 9 pm, then there was clean up. Nancy said they got home about 10:15 pm. Karen rarely stayed in one spot as she kept the day organized so I regret that I did not get a picture of her. (She would like it that way.) 🙂
Quite a bit of work, but looks like so much fun!
Inge
Yes to both. Work and fun.
What a great cooperative project! I am fascinated by the desilking process, and by the fact hat the kernels are all cut off with straight knives! It’s amazing how much was accomplished during one day!
It was a rewarding day.
That desilking machine is fascinating! What a super invention! How well I remember sitting in the back yard and cutting corn off the hot cobs for frozen “creamed” corn. Such a sticky process that Mom insisted it be done in the yard rather than inside the house. We have a neighbor who gets pick-up loads of corn every summer, usually weekly, and invites all the neighbors to come help themselves to however much they want – a blessing from him to his neighbors. 🙂
Yes, it is best to process sweet corn outside. What a nice neighbor you have.