How to Make Corn Nuts

Contrary to their name, corn nuts are not nuts at all. They are a popular American snack food made by deep frying corn kernels until they reach a hard, brittle consistency, and then seasoning them with various spices. Corn nuts can be served as a snack or used in various recipes.

Things You'll Need

• Medium saucepan
• Vegetable oil
• Cooking thermometer
• 1 cup dried white corn kernels
• Salt
• Dried paprika
• Cayenne pepper
• Ground black pepper (optional)

Instructions

1. Fill a medium-size saucepan with vegetable oil, until it's around 1 inch deep. Turn the heat to high, and bring the oil to 300 degrees F, using a cooking thermometer to check the temperature.

2. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the corn kernels to the hot oil. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the kernels are golden brown. If your pan isn't large enough for all the kernels, fry them in batches, 2 to 3 minutes each.

3. Line a medium-size bowl with paper towels, and transfer the fried corn nuts to the bowl. Allow them to sit for 2 to 3 minutes, or until most of the oil has drained off.

4. Discard the paper towels, and sprinkle the corn nuts with salt, dried paprika and cayenne pepper to taste. Omit the cayenne and replace with ground black pepper, if you prefer less spicy corn nuts.

5. Serve the seasoned corn nuts immediately for optimal taste, or store in an airtight container. They will keep up to 1 week, if covered and stored. Do not refrigerate if you don't want cold corn nuts, as there is no good way to reheat. This recipe yields approximately 8 oz. of corn nuts.

Tips & Warnings

• Dried white corn kernels can be found in the Latin section of your local supermarket, or anywhere Latin food products are available.

References

• Book: It's All American Food: The Best Recipes for More Than 400 New American Classics; David Rosengarten; 2003

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Read this Article in Spanish