There is always the element of risk in any crop and early sweet corn can be frustrating, especially when yo get a reasonable crop only to dislike the eating quality. For my part I am content with a slightly later crop but others have had limited success with transplanting or using modified planting techniques to protect from early planting losses. Timing is critical when transplanting. I've heard that a 3 day delay in a 21day seedling can be disastrous. Even planting and covering with plastic is no gaurantee that a late hard freeze won't wipeout your crop. I have developed a liking for the synergistic varieties and was recently saddened to see that "Polka" an early bicolored syn. variety was replaced with "Pay Dirt". I'm giving the replacement a try this year in hopes that it will be as good as "Polka" was. Its a 65 day bicolor but if it is like other early varieties the raccoons need to get on their knees to eat the ears off the stalks. Don't expect tall plants or big ears from early varieties.

Here are some instructions by Randy Person at the Washington State University Extension Office on how how to build a nest block and roll your own paper tubes: http://snohomish.wsu.edu/mg/ombblock/paper%20liners%20that%20work.pdf In it, he comments on the best material for paper straws. Sounds like plain white Reynolds Parchment Paper wins out. "IÂve tested many types of paper over several years, including grocery bag stock, typing paper, freezer wrap, cooking parchment, and wax paper. Only the cooking parchment works every time. The wax paper is usually OK. In fact, you may want to line a few holes with it just to watch the bees chew it. ItÂs very strange to see long strings of wax paper hanging down from the holes! The other papers seem to either absorb moisture from the air or trap it inside the tube. Both lead to mold and mortality  do not use them. The cooking parchment IÂve used is Reynolds Parchment Paper. ItÂs light and translucent white. IÂve seen other thatÂs heavier and tan, but havenÂt used it. If you do, let me know how it works."

You can leave the cobs on, but they do take 300%-500% more freezer space. Also corn loses a LOT of its flavor back into the cobs even if blanched and frozen whole. Cobs don't taste good, nore does any corn thats been lying around a few days.. If not shucked, cooked, and eaten within 20 hours you loose almost 50% of the true fresh flavor. My brothers mother inlaw was a farmers wife they had 60 acres and a farm stand in Salem NH (Hawkins Farm) We would go up in winter and be served frozen corn OFF the cob. It was as if it was from the garden a few minutes before, but that garden was all snow fields by then. The frozen ears are usually an SA, SH or SH2 type. These, I find have WAY more sweet, but lack that characteristic corn taste. They are hybrids and are genetically engineered for the higher shrunken gene that is adjusted for the higher sugar content. Its like eating bland corn with a big dump of sugar on it, yuk! If these hybrids are grwn nearby each other, they will produce toally unusable corn suitable for feed only. Happened to me already way back when.. I now stick to a good high quality no hybrid sweet yellow ears, no white, or milk and sugar, butter and cream ,or what ever the bicolor stuff is called. Good luck..

How kind and thoughtful of you, Claire. I have two and a half freezers full of (mostly healthy) frozen single portions for DH :) I typically freeze a hearty vegetarian, low-carb small dish or a soup, then give him rotisserie chicken breast or a piece of fish with the side, but I also have more hearty ideas for you. Please feel free to email me for any of the recipes for the meals mentioned in this post. They've all been time-tested and are really delicious (and most are healthy). I'm not sure how your parents like to eat, so I'm not sure if these will appeal to you... More hearty (but not necessarily healthy) meals include chili (I usually freeze some cornbread or rosemary and olive oil cake along with it), lasagna in smaller dishes, and shepherd's pie in smaller portions. Stews like chicken stew, osso bucco and beef bourguignon or beef stew freeze really well. My mom's Stromboli is a great one. It's made with store-bought pizza dough, and has pepperoni, provolone and mozzarella cheese, and black forest ham and freezes really well. I live near New Orleans, and down here we have a jarred sauce called Cajun Power. The chicken stew one is delicious, easy to make (follow the instructions on the jar), and freezes really well. Now for the healthy/lighter ideas: Pretty much every soup I've ever made freezes beautifully. Some of my favorites are cream of tomato, cream of mushroom, split pea and ham, white bean and rosemary, vegetable, mushroom barley, french onion soup (with cheesy croutons frozen separately in a plastic bag) and spinach with garlic and white beans. Vegetarian side dishes that they could pair with something like a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store include sauteed slow-roasted cabbage, roasted red peppers, roasted red pepper salsa, stewed lentils, and mushrooms sauteed with zucchini, onions, and celery. I have an eggplant caponata recipe that freezes really well, and can be served over pasta. Although I don't have an eggplant parmesan recipe, but I think that would freeze really well and you could easily get a good one online. Again, I'm happy to share any of these recipes, I have excellent recipes for all of these--feel free to email, and you're a blessing to your parents at this difficult time :)