Homemade corn meal

[Kassaundra]

I am wanting to grind my own corn meal this year, and am wondering can I do that w/ regular sweet corn, or do I need to plant dent corn also?

 

[hoodat]

For good corn meal you need a field corn like dent or flint. Sweet corn, even after it's dried, has too much moisture. It will not grind into a meal. BTW the decorative Indian corn also makes good corn meal. It's a flint corn.

 

[seedcorn]

OK, depends upon what type of corn meal you want. Like it gritty, plant a flint type (think popcorn). Want it more like wheat flour, plant a dent type known for lower TW.

The best (IMHO) is opaque 2 corn for meal. It has the corn flavor but the texture is more like wheat flour. Stay away from the hi-oil varieties as it will go rancid faster.

The corn meal you buy in the store has the germ taken out of it. That's where the usable proteins & oils are at.

What are you going to grind it with?

 

[Kassaundra]

Not sure yet I was going to check and see if my blender on steriods would do it or if I needed a special grinder. I don't want to spend a lot I am not going to grind a lot. Not even sure how much corn/lb of finished meal I can expect. I was just going to experiment this year to see if it was even doable. I only use about 15-20 lbs per yer of cornmeal.

 

[seedcorn]

Blender will work but it will tear it up. To make blender last longer, soak the corn before putting in blender so your liquid is already there. Blend as need. Advantage is don't have to worry about the germ going rancid. Dried corn will last forever.

Good news is for 20#'s only need about 30 plants if spaced in 30" rows and about 7" apart. Don't plant field corn that pollinates same time as sweet corn. Will cross pollinate w/sweet corn ruining the sweet corn.

 

[digitS']

Blender will work but it will tear it up. To make blender last longer, soak the corn before putting in blender so your liquid is already there. Blend as need. Advantage is don't have to worry about the germ going rancid. Dried corn will last forever.

Good news is for 20#'s only need about 30 plants if spaced in 30" rows and about 7" apart. Don't plant field corn that pollinates same time as sweet corn. Will cross pollinate w/sweet corn ruining the sweet corn.

Ah, ha!

I had no idea! Never thought of this. Thank you Seedcorn!

Soak dry kernels, blend, make cornbread !

I have grown Painted Mountain flour corn in the past and it did good. This year, I thought I'd put it behind the pumpkins and plant some Oregon Giant pole beans later along the south side of the corn. The Painted Mountain grew very tall when I had it before but I'll give it a head start!

The problem is: Just where am I going to put the sweet corn? The last time Painted Mountain was in my garden, it behaved itself fairly well. The sweet corn about 35 feet away did have a few brightly colored kernels, however. Corn farther away was fine.

Hard for me to know how to time the plantings because the flour corn runs the full-season and is not harvested fresh. I guess, the earliest sweet corn should be the closest and the mid-season and late should be farthest away. I don't really have a lot of choice where to put the Painted Mountain - it will be upwind . . .

But, here is more reason to grow it (besides, once again trying a 3 sisters corner ) -- cornbread!

Steve

 

[seedcorn]

pollination only lasts a few days. watch when the first shoots come up, then count number of days till tassel appears. 55 days later, corn should be ripe (or at least very close). Since you are using same type every year, figure it's maturity in your area, Plant sweet corn so that pollination different. or let them cross pollinate and don't worry about it.

Really only affects the su varieties much.

 

[journey11]

Good thread! I got a lot of info out of it. I'm growing a rainbow dent type of corn for the first time this year for cornmeal too. Can't wait to try it out.

 

[Kassaundra]

Thanks awesome info!!!

 

[digitS']

. . . or let them cross pollinate and don't worry about it.

Really only affects the su varieties much.

Yes, I don't worry about sweet corn crossing. I just figure I'll have a lot of bi-color after awhile (all SE varieties, anyway).

It was even possible to eat around the few kernels of calico corn that showed up, . Still, I'd prefer that Painted Mountain would stay on its own, colorful side of the hill.

Steve