Feeling Corny! (or, how to freeze corn for the winter)

Free corn, just picked that morning!

 
The father of a friend of mine works with an organization called Second Harvest to help secure food for local food banks.  He calls around to local farms to see about crop donations and occasionally winds up securing more than the food bank (or the local mission) can use and calls in the troops to come haul it away.  Which we are only too happy to do.  ahem.

My sister-in-law, Melissa, and I were able to put away enough corn for the winter on Monday, thanks to that farmer's generosity.  We had such a good time praising God together while we worked to see that our "lamps don't go out at night!" 

Everyone helped shuck the corn.  What a great opportunity to teach the concepts of working with a happy heart, finishing a task, and working together as a family to help take care of each other.  (This is also one way we teach our boys that they will someday be responsible for providing for their families.)

Roman and Jonah keeping at it

 

Lily, Annabelle, Jonah, Roman and Mary-Beth

Grandma (my mother) came to help with round two, after a lunch break

Blanch the corn for 3 or 4 minutes.

Cut corn off of cobs, then measure it into freezer bags.  Fill until just covered with water, then seal, doing your best to remove all the air.  The water will help combat freezer burn.

Even baby Ellie-Anne did her best to help.

I think this was my favorite part of the whole day!

Look at God's bounty!  Isn't that wonderful?  What a blessing it is to be able to put away this much corn.  We all had the sense that something more important than "free corn" was going on, and the children knew that they were a part of it.  And more importantly, they knew Who provided it and were more motivated to help, learning their first tangible lesson about giving God the glory.