indian Corn

[Mini Horses]

Corn looks good! congrats.

Yep, we've had more rain than we need. It's like every day. Sometimes rains morning, clears, then back at rain in evening. Things just can't dry. May get a little surface stability but, overall the ground is saturated. Can't mow, plow, dig, enjoy much.....limits what you get done. Farmers here are pretty desperate. Crops are in, some damage & production loss from water--root crops may not sustain (peanuts are big business here) , pollination poor, sunshine time down, fields a muddy mess -- the corn will probably mold get fungus, Cotton & soybean should be flowering - not.

It's dismal.

So you are currently in a fairly low population area and you want to become a hermit? What would make you feel that would be a fun thing? I like being self-sufficient but, still feel it is nice to have a human that can be contacted reasonably soon if needed. There are 3 or 4 houses I can see from my porch -- they could not hear me yell but, a car horn, etc. they could hear. We wave in passing, have a 5 min chit-chat every 3-4 months with at least one. I'm good with that. We do watch for "oddities" in neighborhood.

Now I have lived off grid and know it can be done well and with planning isn't a huge effort. There is some work involved. Just not thinking I want to hibernate.

So - any ideas to share as to your "dream life"? I mean, you all raise produce, some meats, can foods, etc. -- if you want to go without electric, etc. -- can't you do it there? Just cut the power. OR plant tress and you will soon be in the woods.

 

[wyoDreamer]

What's your thoughts on this one?

https://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Com...ocphy=9022741&hvtargid=pla-273628271256&psc=1

Looking at the comments, it looks like it would do very well with corn. Some complaints that it will not grind wheat into a fine flour for baking though. Some said they had to grind wheat berries twice to get a fine enough flour.
For the price, it looks good. I have a big Country Living Grains mill with a motor, absolutely love it but it is pricy ($400+). I would hate it if I had to use it without the motor though. A friend has almost the same mill that I have, but they don't have a motor for it, just 4 boys to help out. Takes them about an hour of grinding to get enough flour for a batch of bread - but that is with child labor.

Last year I planted a handful of blue corn kernels that were given to me by a friend from Wyoming. His family has grown that variety of corn for over 100 years. He told me they would grow about 5 feet tall. I planted them in the garden area here in Wisconsin and those 2-15 foot rows of corn produced 2-1 gallon freezer bags of hand-shucked corn kernels. The plants were over 8 feet tall. This year, DH took one of the gallon bags of kernels and planted them in his "deer plot" out in the old pasture area. WE planted late, the soil out there is really poor, and it was dryer this year than last so the plants are only about 4-5 feet tall. But they are averaging 2 cobs per plant.

I finally bought the auger for my mill so I can grind corn in it. I bought a corn shucker and a tortilla press at the same time, lol. Can't wait to give them all a try. I found one cob of blue corn that I didn't shuck last fall so I will get to try the shucker on that one right away.

 

[CrealCritter]

Pulled a ear to see what it looked like. It's still pretty soft (moist) and has a nutty flavor.

 

[CrealCritter]

Picked trough 2 rows of indian flour corn, 4 more rows to go. I think I might have enough for a pan of corn bread.

 

[CrealCritter]

The nixtamalization process uses an alkali solution and the soaking liquid is drained off and disposed of. It also removes 75-95% of toxins produced by a common corn mold. Milk is acidic, so it wouldn't have the same effect as Nixtamalization, but it probably does soften the kernal so it is easier to grind.

I'm lost... Remember I'm a guy here.

 

[wyoDreamer]

It is how Masa is made. The corn kernels are cooked and then soaked in an alkali solution to remove the husk from the kernels, make it easier to digest and easier to grind.

From Wikipedia: "Nixtamalized maize has several benefits over unprocessed grain: it is more easily ground; its nutritional value is increased; flavor and aromaare improved; and mycotoxins are reduced. Lime and ash are highly alkaline: the alkalinity helps the dissolution of hemicellulose, the major glue-like component of the maize cell walls, and loosens the hulls from the kernels and softens the maize. Some of the corn oil is broken down into emulsifying agents (monoglycerides and diglycerides), while bonding of the maize proteins to each other is also facilitated. The divalent calcium in lime acts as a cross-linking agent for protein and polysaccharide acidic side chains.[3] As a result, while cornmeal made from untreated ground maize is unable by itself to form a dough on addition of water, the chemical changes in masa allow dough formation. These benefits make nixtamalization a crucial preliminary step for further processing of maize into food products, and the process is employed using both traditional and industrial methods, in the production of tortillas and tortilla chips (but not corn chips), tamales, hominy, and many other items."

 

[CrealCritter]

Well the corn is now pretty dry. My fingers start hurting just looking at all those cobs that need to be shelled. Guess I need to shop for a sheller now - any recommendations? I don't have a lot to shell but to many to do with my fingers.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I just bought a bag of Pickling Lime so I can try treating some of the indian corn to make tortillas. Wish me luck, Hope I don't poison us.

 

[baymule]

I just bought a bag of Pickling Lime so I can try treating some of the indian corn to make tortillas. Wish me luck, Hope I don't poison us.

We want step by step pictures and details!

 

[CrealCritter]

Ok my review of Rite Farm Products Corn Sheller Model #HCS

The bad
It's made in China, all cast iron that has absolutely zero deburring, watch for cuts and scratches it's really rough! It's your typical piece of Chinese crap. The paint was not sprayed, the parts were dipped so the finish is full of runs and looks like crap also. I hardly got it together because the holes for the legs are misaligned.

Given about an hour or two and a set of files, some sand paper, drill bits, and spray paint I could make the fit and finish a lot better. Wife has a saying around here "Made in China Fixed by American" her saying rigs true again...

Ok now the good points...
1) surprisingly it has real bearings although don't expect top shelf bearings, remember it's made in China. But at least it's not bushings.

2) it actually works pretty well. I put a cob of corn in, turned the handle a few times and kernels flew all over the place. I need to figure out some kind of catcher.

3) Once the cob is clean it is discharged out the side, so at least it doesnt drop into your kernels.

The machine itself does what its supposed to and seems like it would last a while. So I give the machine a B grade but the fit and finish receives a F. So all in all I would say this is an overall grade of C-.

Is it worth $65.00 the way it stands? Nah not really, well maybe... but it has a 30 day free return and refund that I probably will take advantage of after I use it to shell all my indian corn. Then again I might keep it and fix the fit and finish this winter when I'm bored - who knows?

Pics...