summer sweet corn and the keepers

there is nothing like illinois sweet corn straight from the garden. oh, my! it is heaven. it is one of those things that you simply must have when the hot days of august roll around.

the keepers met on saturday to work on their food preservation badge. i really must take just a moment to tell you how truly thankful i am for this group. i have been so blessed by these moms and daughters (both past members and present). these women have been such an encouragement to me by their commitment to spending time with their girls, teaching and mentoring them in all areas of skill and service. at this meeting nancy taught the group how to preserve fresh corn by freezing it. she did a wonderful job of leading the girls through each step. and we enjoyed her stories of growing up on a farm where the whole family and a whole day was devoted to the process, freezing many times more than we attempted on this day. thank you, nancy, for sharing your expertise with us!

beforet the meeting, B and i stopped by the farmer's market to pick up some really fresh corn...

beacon woods market stand

this is my friend, chris at the farmer's market. her corn is incredible!

( you can check out her blog here. she writes about her adventures on the farm and her observations of God's grace and love. )

B choosing her corn for the keepers at home meeting this morning

first the corn is shucked and cleaned of silk.

then into the boiling pots go the cobs of corn

after 3 minutes at a rolling boil,

the piping hot, blanched corn is taken out the pot...

and plunged into ice water to stop the cooking process.

mrs. D is demonstrating the safe way to cut the kernels from the cob,

the girls give it a try.

filling the freezer bags with the corn kernels

nice team work!

the girls holding a bag of the finished product, ready for the freezer

they did a fantastic job!!!

everyday gift: sweet girls and sweet corn