It may seem late in the season to think about this but I read an article by Richard Jauron, Extension Specialist in horticulture today and thought you may be interested in this information.
It can be hard to know when to harvest sweet corn but using a simple test you will know when the corn is at just the right maturity to enjoy. Using your thumbnail, make a cut in a kernel of corn. The fluid that comes out should be milky in appearance. If the fluid is clear and the kernels seem under filled, the corn is not yet mature. If no liquid comes out or if the kernel has a dent in it, the ear is over mature.
We often have callers ask how to store corn that they cannot use the day they purchase it. Corn should be stored in the refrigerator as quickly as possible. Corn not stored in the refrigerator within 12 hours of harvest can lose up to 50 percent of the sugar in it. Store that unhusked corn for no more than eight days. Try to use it in the first four days if possible.
If you want to freeze corn on the cob, or cut off the ear, here are directions from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Enjoy that fresh or frozen corn.
