Drying Corn Husks

After a number of false starts, I eventually acquired the quantity of corn husks I was hoping for to shred and dry.  In past years I would get only what I could store in the fridge for a few weeks (husks last much better than lettuce).  But since my girls really like corn husks and I have access to a consistent quantity of organic corn, I wanted to see if preserving them is worthwhile.  It's a treat I'm sure they'll appreciate outside of corn season.  Besides, I would like to reclaim my veggie drawer.

I left a hamper at the Walpole farmer's market when it opened and picked it up after work.  Not as many husks as I had hoped, but much better than my attempt at the CSA the week before.  Bringing my own husk container helped out a lot.  I plan on returning several more times until they close down in October.

Ideally, I would have processed them as soon as I got home, but I didn't have time until Saturday morning.  I set myself up in the back yard with a comfy chair, the pile of husks, a pair of kitchen shears and an old bed sheet.  I went through the pile a handful  at a time, inspecting and cutting off any bad or questionable pieces.  I pulled out any silks I found and set them aside.  Then I shredded what I had into 1/4" to 1/2" strips, tossed them onto the sheet, grabbed another handful and continued until the pile was gone.

I ended up with a clean heap of shredded husks,
a small pile of silks and a bin of refuse

I wasn't terribly careful with the shredding.  If any piece looked too wide, I stripped it in half.  I didn't bother pulling apart the layers; I just tore through multiple leaves all at once.  I also clipped off the thick ends of husks, because it made them easier to shred.

It took me about an hour to work through the pile which originated from 2 to 3 dozen ears of corn.  I discarded more husks than I thought I would.  It was easier to throw out the questionable pieces than trying to keep the good parts.  I ended up with nearly a quart sized bag of silks that I refrigerated for Bertie and Pinni.  

All spread out, ready for a sunny spot

I dragged the sheet to a sunny spot on the lawn to let them dry.  I checked on the progress every hour or two, sifted through the husks and pulled apart any clumps.  I also moved the sheet back into the sun if it was in the shade.  The strips started curling quite rapidly and had shrunk a lot after just an hour in the sun. I left them out until the late afternoon.

I stored the dried husks in a large paper bag.  I figure, like Kleenmama's hay, husks should be allowed to continue drying, so I did not want to put them in a sealed plastic container.  I've seen notes from others that if they're sure the husks are completely dry, they will store them in Ziploc bags.  Husks should be stored in a cool dry place to keep them from molding. 

This isn't the only way to preserve corn husks.  I understand they can also be shredded and dried in the oven, at 135-150F for 4-8 hours.  I also read the other day about a person who froze her corn husks.  The husks should be inspected and shredded the same I did, but then put into freezer bags and frozen.  Husks can be taken out in batches and allowed to thaw and dry up a bit before they're eaten.  If I had more room in my freezer, I might be temped to give this a try.  I can say that husks are a lot more compact and lighter when they've been dried.  It will be interesting to see how well they'll last.