daraeats

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Food Finds
  • Growing Things
  • About
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Food Finds
  • Growing Things
  • About
×
Home

Corn Zipper

September 18, 2024 - Leave a Comment

The Corn Zipper is a handy little gadget, dare I say a must-have Food Find, if you like to eat and use fresh corn kernels in your cooking, and, if you are powerless over specialized kitchen tools, which I just may be.

An image of a corn zipper against a shadowy white background.

There are a number of brands to choose from when selecting a corn zipper; this just happens to be the one that works for me.

After spying this tool in one too many kitchen supply stores, and asking myself “Do I really need this?” I stumbled across my current version in a discount store; the same corn zipper I had seen before but at an undeniable price. So of course, I snapped it up, and have made regular use of it ever since. I have to report, it is truly worth adding to your collection if you are a corn lover, so the answer to the question, “Do I really need this?” is a definite “yes!”

Jump to:
  • Zipping your way to more corn!
  • Preserving corn kernels
  • Using up the leftover corn cobs
  • Looking for more corn recipes to enjoy?

Zipping your way to more corn!

For many years past, I used the age old method of running a knife down the length of the cob to release the kernels, and while this is effective, I find it is easy to get the knife in too deep to the cob, making the cutting more difficult and also releasing too much of the chewy cob into each corn kernel. Enter - the corn zipper!

Similar to a vegetable peeler, but with the right spacing for corn kernels and with a row of sharp micro teeth instead of a single blade, the corn zipper efficiently strips the corn off the cob complete with a pleasing unzipping-like noise. Unlike using a knife, the released kernels are cut from the cob at just the right point, meaning no more chewy ends to the kernels, and no more awkward knife work. 

A corn zipper like mine or other similar versions can be found in any well stocked kitchen supply store or from online vendors. If you live in Toronto, I’ll happily tell you where I found my discount version!

Preserving corn kernels

Every late summer I make a point of buying dozens of cobs of local organic corn to unzip and freeze in silicone pouches for fall and winter eating, and this useful tool has made this happy ritual even easier. I can’t attest to the corn zipper being any less messy to use than the traditional knife method - sweet corn juice still splatters happily on the counter in either case - but as an added bonus, every time I think of the term ‘corn zipper’ it puts a smile on my face. 

An image of a bowl of corn kernels, a measuring cup, and a partially filled silicone pouch filled with corn kernels ready for the freezer.

Using up the leftover corn cobs

After all the corn zipping is done and plump pouches of bejewelled yellow kernels stocked in the freezer, the cobs can also be used to make homemade corn broth. This deeply flavoured corn broth, which can be used in the place of vegetable stock or bouillon, can be used right away, or frozen in glass jars to make delicious corn soups like Corn and Miso Soup and Corn Soup with Dill and Ginger.

An image of the ingredients for Corn Broth inside the inner pot of an Instant Pot.
An image of four glass jars, as seen from above, filled with strained Corn Broth.

Looking for more corn recipes to enjoy?

  • An image of plated potato salad in a ceramic bowl.
    Potato, Corn, and Green Bean Salad with Feta Cream and Herbs
  • An image of two hands holding a small bowl of Corn and Miso soup against a light background.
    Corn and Miso Soup (Instant Pot Friendly)
  • A white ceramic bowl of Corn Soup with Ginger and Dill.
    Corn Soup with Ginger and Dill
  • An image of the dish Street Corn Salad in a white ceramic bowl.
    Street Corn Salad

More to explore on daraeats

  • A collage of images of different kinds of camping meal helpers featured in the article.
    Camping Meal Helpers
  • An image of frozen strawberries on a tray, that are going to be packed into silicone pouches to put into the freezer.
    An easy way to preserve summer's bounty
  • An image of ground dried sumac on a small spoon and scattered in the background.
    Sumac
  • An image of date syrup being drizzled off a spoon over a full jar.
    Date Syrup

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Hi, I'm Dara! I’m a lifelong food explorer. I’m passionate about creating plant-forward recipes, discovering ingredients, gardening edible plants, and connecting with local food cultures. I approach life and eating with gusto, and I deeply believe in the magic of food to bring people together.

More about me →

Subscribe to the daraeats newsletter

* indicates required
/* real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups */

Intuit Mailchimp

Recent Favourites

  • Salted Peanut, Chocolate, and Date Bars
  • Warm Date, Ginger, and Orange Cake with Salted Vanilla Toffee Sauce
  • Leek, Potato, and Fennel Soup with Lemon (Instant Pot Friendly)
  • Grilled Mushroom and Burrata Toast with Red Onions, Garlic, Thyme, and Chili
  • Date and Tahini Delight
  • A close up image of Smoky Gnocchi.
    Smoky Gnocchi with Spinach and Goat Cheese

Footer

↑ back to top

All content on this site is created
by an actual human - me !

Copyright © 2025 daraeats