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Author Topic: Hominy?  (Read 3762 times)
eatabagel
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« on: June 11, 2008, 06:39:12 PM »

Does anybody know how to make hominy? Yes, there is canned hominy, ready-made, available, but I wish to make my own from scratch.

I recently bought a bag of dried white corn from a local Mexican market. I thought it was already hulled, with the hard germ removed already, but when I boiled it, it became apparent that it wasn't hulled and that my little kernels of white corn weren't about to explode into beautiful popped kernels of hominy. It seems that the process, called "nixtamalization" never took place, and that I have to nixtamalize it myself. The wiki page for hominy describes this process as the soaking and boiling of the dried corn in lime-water (lime as in the stuff you make grout with, not the stuff you squeeze into a gin and tonic). But I don't know where to start. Where does one get lime for the water and how do I not poison myself with the lime? Also, how does one finally remove the germ from the corn kernels? Anybody know?
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Dave
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« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2008, 10:34:25 AM »

Right now, I can only answer part of your question.

The lime you're looking for can be found with canning supplies because some people still make old-fashioned limed pickles.  You might not be able to get it at the grocery store, but many rural Wal-Marts carry it, and so do traditional hardware stores and Agways (the ones that have canning jars, kettles, etc.)

I'm not certain that a Home Depot lime for making grout is food grade.

As for the rest of it, I'm still researching it.  If no one posts an answer by the time I get back to this thread, I'll share what I've found.
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Dave
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« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2008, 11:35:46 AM »

http://www.free-recipes.co.uk/womans-institute-library-of-cookery-01/ebook-page-57.asp has a recipe for preparing hominy.

Also found this (which was part of a menudo recipe at http://www.recipesource.com/soups/soups/menudo5.html:

 PREPARING HOMINY
 
 The cooking and “flowering” of the corn is not complicated, but it's a
 little time-consuming until you are practiced in it. You can prepare a
 large batch up until the final cooking and freeze what you don't use.
 
 While the corn is usually cooked with nothing but water, there are some
 exceptions, where salt, onion, and garlic are added.
 
 Eight ounces of dried whole hominy, or large white corn kernels,
 measures about 1 1/2 cups and when cooked will yield between 3 1/2 and 4
 cups, depending on quality.
 
 1/2 pound whole dried hominy, with pedicel (con cabeza) 1 1/2 rounded
 teaspoons powdered lime (see below)
 
 Put the whole hominy into an enamel or stainless-steel pot and add
 enough cold water to come about 2 inches above the surface of the corn.
 Set over medium heat. Dilute the powdered lime with about 1/2 cup cold
 water and add to the pot through a fine strainer, pressing out the lumps
 with a wooden spoon. The water will become slightly milky. Cook the corn
 until it comes to a simmer (the skins of the kernels will now be bright
 yellow) and continue cooking, covered, until the skin can easily be
 slipped off the kernels-- about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and set
 aside to cool off. When the corn is cool enough to handle, drain and put
 into cold water, rubbing the kernels through your hands until the skins
 have been cleaned off. Skim off the skins and discard; rinse the corn
 once more. With the tip of a paring knife or a strong thumbnail, remove
 the pedicels.
 
 When all the corn has been cleaned, add enough fresh water to come about
 3 inches above the surface of the corn, cover, and bring to a fast
 simmer. Continue cooking until the corn is tender and has opened up like
 a cupped flower--about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, depending on how old the corn
 is. When cooked, always reserve the cooking water and add it with the
 corn to the soup.
 
 You may use a pressure cooker for this last step. Bring up to pressure,
 lower the heat, and cook slowly for about 30 minutes.
 
 LIME
 (Cal)
 
 This chemically pure lime, calcium oxide, is used in the preparation of
 dried corn for making tortilla and tamale dough. It is generally sold in
 rocklike lumps of varying sizes. To use it in this state, break off a
 piece about as large as a golf ball (once you have some experience you
 can estimate more accurately) and crush it down as much as possible.
 Sprinkle well with cold water. It will then start to slake, or burn as
 the Mexicans say, and it does just that. It starts to crumble with a
 slight sizzling noise, sending off a vapor. If you put your hand over
 the bowl you are using, you can feel the heat emanating from it. When
 the action has subsided, it is now slaked; stir again and pour the milky
 liquid through a strainer into the pot with the corn and water. Take a
 taste of the water; it should have a slightly acrid taste or, as the
 Mexican expression goes, “grab your tongue.” If the water is very strong
 and bitter, add more cold water to dilute the corn water. If it is too
 weak, pour more water through the strainer containing the lime residue
 and try again.
 
 Since one usually buys lime by the pound at the very least, it can be
 broken up into smaller pieces and stored in closed jars, but with time
 it will naturally slake on its own with the natural moisture in the air.
 It is still usable, although it will have broken down to a powder
 containing some small lumps. When you add water to it for the nixtamal,
 it will not burn.
 
 Note: When handling lime, be careful not to get any near your eyes and
 always use a non-corrodible container for diluting it.
 
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« Reply #3 on: June 12, 2008, 01:47:26 PM »

My goodness, I never knew it was so complicated...I have had hominy many times before, but I have never made it. I can't wait to see how this project goes - you are chartering new territory!
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eatabagel
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« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2008, 03:27:07 PM »

Wow. Thanks Dave! Reading the description you posted, I think it all seems pretty simple-- just takes a long time. I must reserve the weekend. Like I said on the first post, I tried making the hominy but I just went about it so wrong (and ended up almost burning my house down). That's what I get for late night long simmer production. I get too sleepy and careless.

I will have to look out for the cooking lime. Perhaps the Mexican market I went to would have it. I hope not to go to the hardware store to get something I'm putting in with my food.

Stuff to do with hominy--
There are a variety of pozoles I could make (pozole is a Mexican stew made from the hominy).
Also, hominy is used in a lot of Southern/Southwestern cooking.
There is a Filipino dish made from the same stuff but is more of a snack or a dessert.
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Trikki427
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« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2008, 08:38:56 PM »

Wow! It does seem complicated. I've never actually eaten hominy. I've seen it in the store in the can. I don't think I have the patience to let it flower. I'll take some masa, though...
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KristiB
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« Reply #6 on: June 18, 2008, 07:03:59 PM »

I've never cooked it with the lime. I bought my dried hominy from Rancho Gordo and cooked it with onion. It must have been hulled. I just soaked it overnight and cooked it for about three hours. It freezes well too.

It does taste better than canned.

There is an excellent pozole on my blog. I've made it several times to rave reviews.

http://theglobalkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/04/green-pozole-with-chicken-mexico.html

« Last Edit: June 18, 2008, 07:10:05 PM by KristiB » Logged

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