How to Grow Corn for Corn Meal
Corn is a crop that is usually planted in late spring for a summer harvest. There are a wide variety of corn types, including yellow, white, bi-color, broom and ornamental. Yellow corn is the most common type of corn and has a wide range of uses, including making your own cornmeal. Be sure to have lots of room for planting corn, as it is a large plant and requires plenty of space. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Corn seeds
- Soil
- Water
- Pickling lime
- Pot
- Colander
- Grain mill or food processor
Instructions
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Purchase yellow corn seeds at a garden, landscaping or hardware store. Plant the seeds between ½ and 1 inch deep in the soil and space seeds 4 to 6 inches apart.
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Choose rich soil that receives full sun before planting.
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Space rows at least 3 feet apart when planting, which will allow for correct pollination. Measure rows to approximately 4 feet in length.
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Water ground well after planting and again in a few days if the ground has not received rain.
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Fertilize with general-use fertilizer every two to three weeks. Water regularly until ground is wet. You can expect corn to mature between 65 and 95 days.
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Harvest the corn when the silk is dry and dark brown. Remove the kernels from the corn and allow them to dry thoroughly.
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Mix 3 cups dry corn kernels with 6 cups water and 2 tsp. pickling lime in a large pot. Pickling lime is available at most grocery and gourmet food stores and will help the corn meal retain its consistency and stick together slightly.
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Stir ingredients together and heat until boiling. Allow to boil for an hour and then turn off the heat. Let mixture sit for at least an hour to allow for cooling.
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Put the cooled kernels into a clean pan and rinse with cool water. Use your fingers to remove the husks from the kernels and then rinse again until water is clear. Drain in a colander.
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Grind the kernels in a grain mill, available at many hardware or grocery stores, or a food processor. Grind until corn is a fine consistency. Note that fresh cornmeal should be used soon after grinding or kept in the refrigerator to prevent spoilage.
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References
- Photo Credit Corn image by DSL from Fotolia.com
