History The process of nixtamalization was developed in ancient mesoamerica sometime before 1200BCE. As corn cultivation spread from mesoamerica the technology of nixtamalization spread with it. Different tribes and cultures used and continue to use different materials and details in the overall process. While European colonizers in the north adopted the cultivation of corn, they didn't widely adopt the process of nixtamalization, this has contributed to several historical outbreaks of pellagra, a nutrient deficiency disease caused by the lack of niacin. The word nixtamalization comes from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word nixtamalli, a compound word comprised of the words for ashes and unformed corn dough. Benefits Nixtamalization has several benefits: • Changes texture of corn dough, allowing a suitable texture for tortillas (compare the texture of corn bread to tortillas) • Changes and enhances flavor and aroma • Depending on the alkali used, adds significant amounts of calcium or potassium, as well as other potential minerals in smaller amounts. • Converts niacytin to bio-available niacin (vitamin B3) • Destroys toxins produced by molds that commonly effect drying corn Equipment: Essential: • Non-reactive Pot (stainless steel or glass) • Some form of strainer, ideally with larger holes. A over-the-sink strainer made from 1/4" mesh seems to be ideal. • Some way to grind the corn, if desired. A purpose built grinder can be ordered for around $20 on eBay (search for corn grinder) or from www.westonsupply.com, but you can also get decent results from a food processor or blender. • Frying pan, ideally cast iron, if you want to make tortillas. Optional: • Tortilla press, balls of tortilla dough can be rolled out with a rolling pin, or squished under a flat bottom casserole dish, but a tortilla press makes them quicker and easier. A little bit of waxed or parchment paper helps to move the uncooked tortilla to the frying pan. Tortilla presses can be found on eBay or at https://www.everythingkitchens.com Materials: • Corn: There are many types of corn out there, the ones most suited to this project are dent and flint types. If you are a gardener, these types of corn are fairly easy to grow and can produce a surprisingly large amount of food from a small plot. If you want to buy the corn, you want whole dry kernels, which are surprisingly hard to find. • Wood Ash or Pickling Lime (Aka cal): If using wood ash, be careful about what is burned in the fire that makes the ash, try to use only hardwood and burn the fire hot. Definitely avoid burning scrap wood, especially PT wood. Pickling Lime can be purchased at Paris Farmer's Union (~$5/lb). Process: Wood Ash Pickling Lime 1 Gallon Water 1 Gallon Water 4 Cups Corn Kernels 4 Cups Corn Kernels 1½ Cups Sifted Wood Ash 4 Tablespoons Pickling Lime 1. Put the water in a non-reactive pot and bring to a boil. 2. Add corn and ash or lime. 3. Boil for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 4. Cover the pot and allow to stand for 12-24 hrs. At this point the hull (pericarp) of the kernels should be mostly dissolved, or at least falling off in chunks. If the hull is still stuck on, you can re-boil for 5-10 minutes. 5. Dump kernels into a strainer of some kind thoroughly wash under running water. A 1/4" mesh screen seems to work the best. You can rub the kernels across the screen or strainer to loosen any pieces of stuck hull. 6. These whole kernels are now nixtamalized and are known as nixtamal or hominy. These can be dried in this form, cooked whole or ground into masa. Tortillas 1. Grind the corn. If using a bur mill (recommended), set the burs to the tightest setting. If you don't have a bur mill, a food processor or blender can often do the job, although you may need to add some extra water to get the grind fine enough, if this is the case it is handy to have some dry masa around to absorb the extra moisture. If the tools or materials for nixtamalizing and grinding corn at home are not available, you can just use store bought masa. 2. Add water and salt. Because the process of nixtamalizing adds water to the kernels, how much water to add is variable. A little trial and error goes a long way, you want a dough that easily squished but is not too sticky. Too little water and your tortilla will be crumbly, to much water and it will stick to whatever surface you squish the dough on. For every 2c of ground corn you will want ~1/2 teaspoon of salt. If making tortillas from dried masa, rehydtrate 2c masa with 1c warm water, then add water bit by bit until it seems right. 3. Form balls of dough. A golf ball size will make a ~4" tortilla. 4. Squish the dough ball. A tortilla press does this quickly and easily, but a smooth bottom casserole dish or other handy object is fine too. Whatever you use, lining the squishing surface with parchment paper, waxed paper or plastic wrap will give you a nice clean, smooth surface and a easy way to move your delicate uncooked tortilla to the stove. 5. Cook for about 1 minute each side. Any flat bottomed frying pan will work, but a flat cast iron griddle (called a comal in Mexico) is ideal. The fan should be preheated to medium heat before cooking the first tortilla. The tortilla puffing up as it cooks is generally a good sign. Corn Nuts 1. Start with whole nixtamal. 2. Fry in pan on medium heat with 1/8"-1/4" of fat on the bottom of the pan until crispy. 3. Remove from fat and allow to drain 4. Add salt and other flavorings. They are very tasty with just salt, but the flavor options are endless Other Dishes: Many other dishes are made from nixtamal including: Tamales, Hominy grits, Hulled Corn Soup, Posole, Atole, and many others. Text by Aaron Parker. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/..