Husk the corn, pull away all silk, trim any damaged ends, and rinse the ears. Bring about 4 quarts of water to a full boil in a large pot.

For kernels, cut them from the cob only after blanching and blanch the kernels for 4 minutes. If freezing whole ears instead, blanch small ears for 7 minutes, medium ears for 9 minutes, or large ears for 11 minutes.

Immediately transfer the hot corn to about 4 quarts of ice water for approximately the same amount of time as the blanching period. Drain very thoroughly so excess water does not form large ice crystals or make the thawed corn watery.

For kernels, stand each ear upright and use a sharp knife to cut downward, removing about two-thirds of the kernel depth. Do not scrape the cob, because scraped cob material can make the corn starchy.

Pack the cooled kernels into freezer bags or rigid freezer containers, pressing out as much air as possible. Leave about 1/2 inch of headspace in rigid containers, label each package with the date, and freeze flat.