Recession Recipes .Net

     In order to make corn more digestible, and to release its protein and niacin properly, it must be converted to hominy.  Doing it the old way with lye and whole kernels is time consuming, messy, and dangerous.  It also means that you’ll have to make large batches for it to be worth the time.

     Fortunately now there is a much easier way that is very inexpensive.  You can use cracked corn and baking soda.  Cracked corn is corn that has been pounded into rough chunks, and had most of the hull and germ removed.

How To Make Homemade Hominy

1. Soak about 1/2 kg. or a bit over 1 lb. of cracked corn in a pot of clear water overnight.
2. Drain the water, and rinse the corn.  It should be a little more puffed than it was the previous night.
3. Add about 2 liters or a bit more than 2 quarts of water to the pot of cracked corn.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda, and stir until it is dissolved.
5. Cover the pot, and bring it to a boil on high heat.
6. Then stir it again, and turn the heat down to a very slow boil.  Let it boil for another hour or two, until it is somewhat soft.
7. Turn off the heat, take off the cover, and allow it to cool completely.
8. Once it has cooled, most of what was left of the hulls and germ will form a kind of gel or “skin” at the top.  Skim this off.
9. Then pour the hominy into a strainer, and rinse it.
10. Put the hominy back in the pot, and fill it with fresh water.  Let this sit for another half hour or so, and then rinse it again.

Now your home made hominy is ready for use.  You can now either dry it or freeze it.  Use it whenever you would normally add corn to a recipe.  It’s great in soups, stews, and beans.