Drying meats, fruits and vegetables has been done for centuries to provide nutrition during times of scarcity. The process of drying corn can best be done on the cob in a modern oven. Dried corn can then be rehydrated for soups, popped on the cob, and laid out as decoration.
Instructions
1. Peel the corn husk back off of the cob and discard. Remove the silk strands around the cob, or as much as possible. Rinse the corn off in clean water to ensure that all insects and traces of dirt are removed. Trim any long ends off of the cob where it grew on the stalk; discard the ends.
2. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees F. Bring one large pot of water to boil on the stove top. Drop each ear of corn into the boiling water to blanch for 4 minutes. Remove each ear of corn with tongs and place them into a large bowl of ice water for 4 minutes to stop the cooking process.
3. Fill baking racks with single layer of ears of corn. Do not stack layers of corn because this will inhibit an process. Place as many trays as will fit in the oven.
4. Prop open the oven door with a pot holder if you are using an electric oven to allow the steam to escape. If you are using a gas oven the door will remain closed. Rotate trays every 2 hours to ensure even drying. Move the top trays to the bottom rack of the oven, and vice versa. While rotating the trays also turn each tray 180 degrees so that what was once at the front of the oven, is now near the back.
5. Check the corn as the drying process comes to a close. Each ear should feel brittle to the touch. Ears vary in size and water content so cooking time varies; 8 hours is an average. Drying can take longer with larger batches and larger ears of corn.
6. Allow to cool outside of the oven for 3 days prior to storing in a dry container.
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