Corn for Winter

One of the best summer tastes is fresh corn on the cob.  Now is the time to out it away for the winter.
This weekend, I struck it big.  My husband overestimated the corn serving for a party and we have it coming out our ears.
No worries,  I cut it off the cob, spread it on a cookie sheet, then pop it in the freezer.  I used to use a knife, but I bought a cool tool last summer, a Kuhn Rikon Corn Zipper which was more efficient about removing the kernels from the cobs.  Once frozen, it gets vacuum sealed in portion sized bags to go back in the freezer for meals later.  I use it in enchilladas, puddings, and chowders.  When I'm really missing summer, it makes a good side dish.
Frozen corn holds lots of moisture, so I'll defrost it in a sieve to drain some of the water from the kernels.  It's not such a big deal in enchilladas, but that extra moisture can make a corn pudding runny.
Usually, the cobs go out to the chickens.  They LOVE them.  But recently, I saw an interesting article about corn "stock".  I can't find it anymore, but the author recommended boiling cleaned cobs with a little fresh thyme in a pot of water.  The resulting "stock" will serve as a rich addition to chowders that call for a liquid.  Sounds good to me!