Comments on: Drying Corn, for Corn Meal https://gardern.co.za/2013/10/picking-and-drying-for-corn-meal/ Horticulturist Matt Mattus shares gardening expertise, research and science from his home garden and greenhouse. Tue, 08 Feb 2022 20:12:21 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 By: admin Matt https://gardern.co.za/2013/10/picking-and-drying-for-corn-meal/#comment-5663 Tue, 08 Feb 2022 20:12:21 +0000 #comment-5663 In reply to Bill.

THanks! I knew that using Lime to to create masa was a ‘thing’ to access more vitamins and minerals, but I’m not sure that corn was treated in such a way in the north (North America pre-columbian) or did they? Johnny cakes and other New England corn meal recipes in my oldest books (circa 1790’s) called for using just dry flint corn. But good point for anyone planning to use dry corn as their only source of carbs. For me, it was a one-time deal!

]]> By: Bill https://gardern.co.za/2013/10/picking-and-drying-for-corn-meal/#comment-5624 Tue, 23 Nov 2021 07:12:40 +0000 #comment-5624 In reply to Matt Mattus.

Matt, No. To make hominy is a bit more entailed. You need to boil the kernels in a lime solution in order to get the B vitamins accessible. You can use powdered lime or hardwood ash (not briquettes – they have chemicals and binders). Then you dry the kernels again and grind them. If Corn meal/flour is your main carb, there are heath issues that will come from not doing this. When corn was brought back to Europe, there was a town in Italy that seemed to grow corn well and not wheat, so they switch to using almost totally corn. They started to develop health problems that they never had and were not present in the “natives” who used it exclusively. When they brought the corn, they forgot to bring the fact that the natives boiled the corn with seashells before grinding.

]]> By: j https://gardern.co.za/2013/10/picking-and-drying-for-corn-meal/#comment-5342 Fri, 16 Apr 2021 21:08:37 +0000 #comment-5342 In reply to admin Matt.

Thanks. I ended up with Oaxacan. Hope it doesn’t lodge (blow over). Usually we have at least one 70+ mph windstorm per summer.

]]> By: admin Matt https://gardern.co.za/2013/10/picking-and-drying-for-corn-meal/#comment-5337 Fri, 16 Apr 2021 19:46:01 +0000 #comment-5337 In reply to j.

Good question. I’ve only grown Oaxacan and it’s pretty tall (10′?) I have seen taller varieties, and I believe many of the older varieties are taller, but you ay have to do some research first. Sorry!

]]> By: admin Matt https://gardern.co.za/2013/10/picking-and-drying-for-corn-meal/#comment-5335 Fri, 16 Apr 2021 19:43:41 +0000 #comment-5335 In reply to Jan.

Brilliant! I’ll try this next year!

]]> By: Jan https://gardern.co.za/2013/10/picking-and-drying-for-corn-meal/#comment-5329 Mon, 15 Mar 2021 04:47:22 +0000 #comment-5329 If you get some pvc pipe a little larger than your corn diameter and put some sheet metal screws in the sides (the kind with wings on the end) in a circle…if that makes sense? then you twist your cob in and out of the pipe, asd the screw ends pop off the kernels…
Here is a link to a video by Mark from Self Sufficient Me, on youtube. It describes and shows this tool! Saves your hands and a lot of trouble.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2c7PsaXTIs

]]> By: j https://gardern.co.za/2013/10/picking-and-drying-for-corn-meal/#comment-5327 Fri, 05 Mar 2021 10:34:32 +0000 #comment-5327 Which is the tastiest variety of corn you found to grow for cornmeal? Just asking as I’m deliberating between the Oaxacan, Floriani, and Bloody Butcher varieties. Also one called Double Red.

]]> By: admin Matt https://gardern.co.za/2013/10/picking-and-drying-for-corn-meal/#comment-5220 Mon, 31 Aug 2020 19:02:19 +0000 #comment-5220 In reply to Dave.

DAVE – What a fantastic tip and story! I’m sure that would work fine as a way to extract the kernels. I wonder if some dent varieties with longer kernels might be harder? I’ve never grown that many ears, just a bushel or two but the kernels seem to come out fine with some heavy hand work. I’m going to try your family method this fall! Thanks for sharing it, it sounds like you have a great childhood.

]]> By: Dave https://gardern.co.za/2013/10/picking-and-drying-for-corn-meal/#comment-5216 Wed, 26 Aug 2020 22:54:15 +0000 #comment-5216 I grew up raising corn and we would save some to dry. The best way to strip the kernels is to rub one dry ear against an dry ear The kernels rub off the each other and it goes really fast all the while saving the fingers. Sitting in a circle was a fun few minute of family time. There were never age requirement for the corn strippers too. Family! We did this for Thanksgiving corn bread and for stuffing our home grown turkeys. Had one Tom weighing in at 54 pounds and needed to be stood on so as to fit the oven. Still do corn each year and I’m 70.

]]> By: Matt Mattus https://gardern.co.za/2013/10/picking-and-drying-for-corn-meal/#comment-2271 Wed, 26 Sep 2018 20:49:35 +0000 #comment-2271 In reply to cornpeople.

Oh right – as in 'liming' corn for posole or hominy, right?

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