frustratedearthmother
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Is this anything like making hominy?
indian Corn
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wyoDreamer
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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."
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."
baymule
Sustainability Master
The kind ladies here have broken it down for you. Basically, corn is soaked in lime water overnight, then drained. Think metate and stone. Indians and Mexicans used them to grind their corn for tortillas.
Britesea
Sustainability Master
I found this on Mother Earth News
About 1,500 B.C., cooks in coastal Guatemala figured out that cooking dried corn in alkali water removed the kernels' skins and produced a softer dough than unprocessed ground corn.
More recently, food scientists have found that this process, called nixtamalization, increases the bioavailability of both protein and niacin, and radically reduces the toxins often found in moldy corn. The resulting dough, called masa, is the basis for corn tortillas, chips, tamales and other specialty corn foods. Whole corn that has been nixtamalized is called hominy or posole, while the ground form is called masa.
Whether ground or whole, nixtamalized corn "has a taste and aroma like no other food on Earth — a delicately nutty quality combined with something almost chalky and mineral-like," says Zarela Martinez, owner of Zarela restaurant in New York City and author of The Food and Life of Oaxaca. She shared the following recipe for nixtamalizing your own corn:
Nixtamalized Corn
2 pounds clean, dried flour-corn kernels (about 1 quart)
1/4 cup pickling lime (food-grade calcium hydroxide)
3 quarts water
Rinse the corn in a colander and set aside. In a large, stainless steel (nonreactive) pot, dissolve the lime in the water. Immediately wash off any lime that gets on your hands. Add the corn and discard any floating kernels. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, cool the pot and let it sit, uncovered, for 4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Pour the corn into a colander in the sink. With the cold water running, rub the kernels between your hands to rub away the softened hulls (they will have a gelatinous texture). Rinse thoroughly (some old recipes say to wash between 4 and 11 times). Drain well. Use the whole, moist kernels in soups or stews. Or, grind them through a food mill able to handle moist kernels to make masa, to which you can add enough water to make a slightly sticky dough for making tamales or, using a tortilla press, tortillas. Promptly refrigerate any unused masa, and use it within 3 days.
About 1,500 B.C., cooks in coastal Guatemala figured out that cooking dried corn in alkali water removed the kernels' skins and produced a softer dough than unprocessed ground corn.
More recently, food scientists have found that this process, called nixtamalization, increases the bioavailability of both protein and niacin, and radically reduces the toxins often found in moldy corn. The resulting dough, called masa, is the basis for corn tortillas, chips, tamales and other specialty corn foods. Whole corn that has been nixtamalized is called hominy or posole, while the ground form is called masa.
Whether ground or whole, nixtamalized corn "has a taste and aroma like no other food on Earth — a delicately nutty quality combined with something almost chalky and mineral-like," says Zarela Martinez, owner of Zarela restaurant in New York City and author of The Food and Life of Oaxaca. She shared the following recipe for nixtamalizing your own corn:
Nixtamalized Corn
2 pounds clean, dried flour-corn kernels (about 1 quart)
1/4 cup pickling lime (food-grade calcium hydroxide)
3 quarts water
Rinse the corn in a colander and set aside. In a large, stainless steel (nonreactive) pot, dissolve the lime in the water. Immediately wash off any lime that gets on your hands. Add the corn and discard any floating kernels. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, cool the pot and let it sit, uncovered, for 4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Pour the corn into a colander in the sink. With the cold water running, rub the kernels between your hands to rub away the softened hulls (they will have a gelatinous texture). Rinse thoroughly (some old recipes say to wash between 4 and 11 times). Drain well. Use the whole, moist kernels in soups or stews. Or, grind them through a food mill able to handle moist kernels to make masa, to which you can add enough water to make a slightly sticky dough for making tamales or, using a tortilla press, tortillas. Promptly refrigerate any unused masa, and use it within 3 days.
wyoDreamer
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Thanks for the directions. I will be trying that out.
baymule
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You have to wonder how the native people of Mexico figured that out and thrived, while early Texas settlers had malnutrition issues eating a corn based diet with out soaking the corn in lime water. 
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CrealCritter
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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.
baymule
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Mmmmm…….time for some hot water cornbread!
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CrealCritter
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That's the plan
been waiting a while Does this sheller look any good?
https://www.ebay.com/p/Rite-Farm-Pr...2%26rvr_ts%3Dc78fcdb51660aa489dd2f3a1fffa5cc4
wyoDreamer
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Last year I used thumbs, this year we bought a Corn Sheller. I got mine from Pleasant Hill Grains:
I like that yours has a stand, we will need to make a wooden frame to sit on a plastic tote to attach the corn shucker too. then just remove the wooden frame and put on the lid.
It works really slick. It can be hooked up to a motor if you want.
I like that yours has a stand, we will need to make a wooden frame to sit on a plastic tote to attach the corn shucker too. then just remove the wooden frame and put on the lid.
It works really slick. It can be hooked up to a motor if you want.
