Preparing Grain Corn for Cooking

By Anthony Boutard
Published on April 15, 2015
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At its center of origin in Mexico, corn is prepared by steeping it in an alkaline solution, then rinsing it and cooking the kernels until they are soft.
At its center of origin in Mexico, corn is prepared by steeping it in an alkaline solution, then rinsing it and cooking the kernels until they are soft.
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The rare and much-coveted Cherokee White Eagle corn.
The rare and much-coveted Cherokee White Eagle corn.
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Laser (miniature popcorn) variety has a high percentage of uniquely striped ears.
Laser (miniature popcorn) variety has a high percentage of uniquely striped ears.
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Lady Finger, popular for popcorn.
Lady Finger, popular for popcorn.
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McCormack’s Blue Giant dent corn kernels can be ground into a light blue flour, suited for blue tortillas and blue corn chips.
McCormack’s Blue Giant dent corn kernels can be ground into a light blue flour, suited for blue tortillas and blue corn chips.
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Alabama Coushatta (or Coschatta) comes in many colors.
Alabama Coushatta (or Coschatta) comes in many colors.
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Pink Beauty is a popular popcorn variety.
Pink Beauty is a popular popcorn variety.
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Black Aztec makes a delicious, sweet blue cornmeal.
Black Aztec makes a delicious, sweet blue cornmeal.
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Though it’s hidden by the shucks, Navajo Copper popcorn corn has small, copper-toned ears. It was originally collected from a Navajo farmer in New Mexico.
Though it’s hidden by the shucks, Navajo Copper popcorn corn has small, copper-toned ears. It was originally collected from a Navajo farmer in New Mexico.
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Nixtamal of Amish Butter, Roy’s Calais Flint and Oaxacan Green Dent corns.
Nixtamal of Amish Butter, Roy’s Calais Flint and Oaxacan Green Dent corns.
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A steel burr mill used to grind nixtamal for tamales.
A steel burr mill used to grind nixtamal for tamales.
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The saddle quern is a refinement of the mortar and pestle, and in Mexico and South and Central America, this tool is called the metate and the mano.
The saddle quern is a refinement of the mortar and pestle, and in Mexico and South and Central America, this tool is called the metate and the mano.
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Oftentimes sweet corn gets most of the attention in the homesteader garden, but flint corns unlock a wonderful world of both utility and beauty.
Oftentimes sweet corn gets most of the attention in the homesteader garden, but flint corns unlock a wonderful world of both utility and beauty.
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Oftentimes sweet corn gets most of the attention in the homesteader garden, but flint corns unlock a wonderful world of both utility and beauty.
Oftentimes sweet corn gets most of the attention in the homesteader garden, but flint corns unlock a wonderful world of both utility and beauty.
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"Beautiful Corn," by Anthony Boutard

The transformation of hard corn kernels into edible food follows three distinct pathways. Archeologists believe the most ancient method of preparing corn for eating was by popping. The hard, indigestible grain was made palatable and digestible by exploding the kernels over heat. In the Peruvian Andes, the Inca made partially covered clay vessels for the purpose of popping corn. At its center of origin in Mexico, corn is prepared by steeping it in an alkaline solution, then rinsing it and cooking the kernels until they are soft. The softened grain is consumed whole or ground. Popping and alkaline steeping are centuries-old, distinctly American traditions. In contrast, dry milling of corn with stone or steel has roots in the Indo-European tradition of preparing small grains for bread and gruel by using a millstone.

Preparing popcorn

Popcorn kernels explode best when they have exactly 13.5 percent moisture content by weight. When the kernel moisture strays from the optimum, popping expansion is impaired. Storing corn at 75 percent relative humidity achieves the perfect moisture content. If this precise instruction seems overly technical and leaves you with a sinking feeling that you will never have perfect popcorn, join the crowd.

Among the yellowing bulletins I received from Calendula Books was a reprint of a 1946 article, “Conditioning Popcorn to the Proper Moisture Content for Best Popping,” written by S. T. Dexter. At first I presumed this would have the same information given in every other publication on popcorn with some industrial-scale recommendations.

Dexter’s technique is simple. Prepare a saturated salt solution by adding salt to water until no more salt will dissolve. Place your popcorn in a dry mason jar with a paper towel or cloth wet with the salt solution; the paper or cloth should be soaked but not dripping. Seal the jar, and in a few days the kernels will be reconditioned. If you have a sack of old, stale popcorn, it is worth trying to recondition it with this technique before consigning it to the chicken coop.

When popping the corn, use oil with a high smoking point, such as coconut oil. Use enough oil to cover the base of the pan. Add two or three kernels and put the pan on the stove. When the kernels pop, the oil is hot enough to add about a quarter cup of kernels. Cover the pan and shake it to keep the kernels moving. A spatter screen instead of a lid will allow the moisture in the corn to escape from the pan, producing more tender popcorn. The moisture from popping toughens the flakes, so transfer the popcorn to a bowl or colander as soon as it has popped.

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