Masa and hominy are the ultimate improvement of plain dried corn. For the taste buds and for health. Nixtamalizing corn results in improved nutrition and reduced mycotoxins. Aside from that, it is SO flavorful.
Corn chips, corn tortillas, hominy, masa ... all made from nixtamalized corn.
There are many recipes out there, here are the ratios I use:
1 pound dried dent corn
5 cups water
3 teaspoons pickling lime (available in the canning section)
Rinse the dried corn.
In a non-reactive (!) stock pot, add water, corn and lime.
Bring to a simmer and let simmer on low for 15 - 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and let sit 8 hours or overnight.
Rinse under running water and rub off she dissolved skin. Be thorough with this to make sure the lime is washed off well.
The fresh, nixtamalized corn can immediately be ground into masa. If you don't have a masa mill, use a food processor, but be warned, it won't turn out nearly as smooth as with a mill.
You can also immediately use it as hominy by cooking it until tender. Beef pozole is a really tasty dish!
And you can dehydrate it for later use as hominy, or then grind the dehydrated kernels to make hominy grits. Just be warned, once you've tried home-made hominy grits, you won't be able to go back to store bought ones. :)
