California Farm Grown Corn Nixtamalized Tortillas

Name: California Farm Grown Corn Nixtamalized Tortillas
Yield: 2 people, 16 tortillas
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 quart water to boil the large blue kernels; 1 Cup whole dried corn kernels, Mayan blue corn; 1 cups ashes, or; 2 grams food grade lye (1/2 level teaspoon); Water to rinse the kernels

Hobby Horseman @HobbyHorseman

California, United States

When corn was first imported into Europe, it made people sick. And when ground, the flour did not make dough. So it became animal feed. In the Americas, people thrived on it. Still do.
The reason is that corn needs to be nixtamalized, that means the corn flour needs to have caustic added to become digestible, to make flour, to reduce mycotoxins 97-100%, and to grind easier.
Mayans used, and still use, the ashes from cooking fires to add caustic. Commercial corn processors that make corn flour use food grade lime.
If you grow and grind your own corn, you can use ashes or lime. We use oakwood ashes.

Hobby Horseman @HobbyHorseman

California, United States

Saved

Ingredients

Boil, Soak, Dry,Grind, make dough, fry.

2 people, 16 tortillas

1 quartwater to boil the large blue kernels
1 Cupwhole dried corn kernels, Mayan blue corn
1 cupsashes, or
2 gramsfood grade lye (1/2 level teaspoon)
Water to rinse the kernels
Equipment: dutch oven with lid, measuring cup, sieve, flour grinder, tortilla press, cast iron skillet
Cost: farm free or 10 cents per cup of kernels, makes 2 cups flour, 16 tortillas

Saved

Steps

Boil, Soak, Dry,Grind, make dough, fry.

1

Cook large kernels and hour and half in alkaline water to nixtamalize. Done when you can squeeze the kernel with your thumbnail and it breaks. Let corn stand in the alkaline water 12 hours.
2

Drain, rinse, dry. Grind and make tortillas with the flour. Taste. If you are pleased with the taste, you can increase this recipe to make two pounds of flour at a time, eight cups. Enough for 64 tortillas.
3

Mix half a cup masa flour with half a cup boiling water and Tbs corn oil, mix, let cool, roll into four perfectly round balls. One ounce each. Press on tortilla press to make tortillas. To store in freezer, dust with masa flour and store in quart freezer bags.
4

Heat cast iron skillet to make soft tortillas for tacos. When hot, spray with oil, add tortilla, fry, flip, fry other side. Salt lightly with flaked seasalt, roll up, taste. To store in freezer, dust with masa flour.
5

Heat air fryer or oven to bake crisp brittle tortillas and tostadas. Bake frozen or fresh tortillas 15 minutes at 350F degrees in aluminum foil or on rack.
6

Saved

Cooksnaps

Saved

Hobby Horseman @HobbyHorseman

on February 22, 2024 21:35

California, United States

I teach people at the farmers market to grow small scale fruits and vegetables. My grandparents and parents taught me growing, cooking and preserving home grown fruits and vegetables, eggs, meats and fish. I got certified by the University of California Master Gardener Program in 2005. I try to bring out the original flavor of ingredients, then add layers of spices, herbs and flavorings that enhance, not distort the taste. These are the global, organic and vegan family recipes we use.