About The Gee Family
Where It all Started
Farming seemed to be so easy when Tim and I were first married. We, along with his brother, farmed 10,000 acres of irrigated farmland in the Texas Panhandle. Every year a profit was made, our net worth grew, but it was at the expense of family.
In 2006, we felt God telling us to separate the partnership and make family a priority. We bought a farm and moved 100 miles away. As the years went by, though, we questioned our decision. From hail storms, to severe drought that lasted years and the devastation of sugar aphids, we had not seen a profit since 2009.
Our family sold off land and equipment to reduce debt, watched our expenses and planted diversified crops. The goal was to increase our income, while reducing the amount of acreage we owned and farmed. We knew that God would take care of us if we followed Him. We prayed over every decision that came upon us whether big or small.
Winter is a time of rest and crop planning for a farming family in the Texas Panhandle. While looking through our crop history, we knew the one crop that was the most profitable on the least amount of acreage was sweet corn. It had been planted years ago, picked by hand and sold at the local Farmers Market. Not only was it profitable but satisfying selling a product that people enjoyed! Yes, sweet corn would be on the list this year whether we picked it by hand with our four boys or found a used corn picker. Our farm had to break even this year. We had nothing left to sell.
“How are we going to do this God?” we asked as April came closer. Then a man’s name came to Tim one day – Willie Wieck. Would he help us, though? Willie Wieck was a competitor in the sweet corn market. Tim found his phone number and called. Willie was more than willing to help. He was retiring and wanted to sell his business, equipment and all the information we needed to make this venture a success.
The first year that Gee Family’s Gourmet Sweet Corn was open, the farm paid off the loan for the equipment. Even though sweet corn is the hardest and longest harvest on the farm, it is the sweetest.
Every good and perfect gift comes from above. Coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17
HARVESTING
Our sweet corn is very special. As it is being picked with our corn picker, the sweet corn is hand sorted for quality assurance. It is then loaded into a trailer that is equipped to cool your corn until it is in your hands!
GEE FAMILY’S GOURMET SWEET CORN PRICES
6 ears/$3.00
13 ears/$6.00
65 ears/$30.00
Bulk loads are available for pick-up only. Call Tim for details and rates. 806-346-5899
WHEN AND WHERE to find our sweet corn
Sweet Corn Season Starts Mid-July
Fridays
2 PM – 7 PM
Gee Family Farm Storefront, Amarillo, TX
7651 South Whitaker Road
Saturdays
7 AM until sold out
Golden Spread Farmers Market, Amarillo, TX
15th & Pecos, in the Sunset Center Parking Lot
Wednesday
6 PM until sold out
The Gee Family Home, Dimmitt, TX
1150 US Highway 86
Deliveries of Reserved Sweet Corn, Hereford
We are only delivering in the Hereford area on Wednesdays.
Call and order your sweet corn and we will deliver it to you!
Recipes
COOKING OUR GOURMET SWEET CORN
Boil It Up
Boiling is the classic way to prepare sweet corn. You can either use a wide, flat pan and lay the corn on its side, or use a taller stockpot to boil a big batch at once. Either way, fill the pan with enough water to cover the corn and bring it to a boil.
Shuck off the outer husk and silk from the corn. Dissolve a tablespoon of salt in the water and add the corn. If your corn is very fresh, cook it for three to five minutes. For corn that’s a few days old, go for six to eight minutes.
MICROWAVE IT
We like this microwave method if we’re just cooking a few ears of corn for dinner and don’t want to trouble with boiling a big pot of water. Leave the corn in their husks and microwave them two at a time on HIGH for four to six minutes, depending on the age of your corn. Let them cool enough to handle and then strip off the husks and silk. (As a bonus, we think shucking is easier after microwaving!)
GRILL ‘EM!
Roasting on the grill gives the corn a smoky flavor we absolutely love. Peel back the husks, but leave them attached at the stem. Remove all the silk and then brush the corn with olive oil (butter can sometimes burn). Cover the corn back up with the husks and secure them closed with a piece of string or aluminum foil.
Roast the ears of corn over a medium-hot grill, turning occasionally, until the outer husks are charred and toasted. This usually takes about 15 minutes. Let the corn cool enough to handle, then strip off the husks and eat.
FREEZING OUR GOURMET SWEET CORN
Unblanched Whole Cobbs
This is the Easiest and quickest method
- Shuck, add to freezer bags, extract air, and toss in the freezer.
(It takes literally minutes, which is why there’s always a few corn cobs in our freezer. The cons? The cobs aren’t as easy to use as cut kernels in recipes or to sauté).
Best way to cook frozen whole cobs:
- Bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Drop frozen ears of corn into boiling water.
- Cook 3-5 minutes or until done to your liking.
UNBLANCHED CORN KERNELS
This is the second easiest method, since you don’t need to cook the corn first.
- Shuck and cut the kernels off the cob into a large bowl.
- Spoon kernels into freezer baggies, remove as much air as possible, seal and freeze.
Corn that has been frozen this way definitely has different texture than blanched corn and we found it needs to be cooked to use – this isn’t the way to freeze corn that you’d like to use in salads or salsas.
Best ways to use unblanched cut corn:
- Sauté in a bit of butter with additions of chopped onions or peppers if desired.
- Bacon and Corn Sauté: cook 3-4 strips of bacon until crisp, remove to a towel-lined plate to drain and cook 2-3 cups of corn kernels in the hot bacon grease until done, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve with reserved bacon crumbled on top.
- Add to soups and stews where the corn will cook with other ingredients.
BLANCHED CORN KERNELS
The third way is the traditional way to freeze fresh corn.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Drop shucked ears into boiling water and cook 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from water to a large bowl and let cool a few minutes until you can handle them.
- Cut kernels off of cobs, spoon into freezer baggies, remove as much air as possible (again using a straw), seal and freeze.
Even though it takes the most time, I still like to have baggies of cooked corn in the freezer for eating fresh in salads and things without having to cook first. Plus, I often cook a pot of corn cobs for dinner during the corn season and have leftovers which are easy to just bag up after dinner.
Best ways to use blanched cut corn:
- In any fresh salads like this quick chopped salad.
- You can also use this frozen corn in any recipe that calls for corn, just like the unblanched method, so it’s pretty versatile.
Because there are lots of different ways the Gee Family likes to eat corn, you will find corn preserved in our freezer each of these ways – one way just isn’t enough for corn. It is nice to have the options, though, especially if time is short or you’ve got an abundance to freeze all at once.
“Special” Frozen Corn
INGREDIENTS
- 18 cups corn, cut off raw
- 1 pint half and half
- 1 lb. butter
Directions
Bake in roaster for 1 hour in 325 oven; stir every 15 minutes. Cool; Package and put in freezer.