How to Make Your Own Corn Grinder

This stone mortar and pestle are similar to those used for grinding corn.

In the early 1600s, English settlers constructed grist mills in the coastal settlements of what would later be known as the United States. To the settlers, corn was a generic term for all grains, meaning that these mills could be used to grind wheat, oats, barley, rye and even what we know as "corn" into flour.

Hominy, known as maize to native Americans and the settlers, was a staple for tribes throughout the New World. The current push for more natural foods has created an interest in home-grinding this nutritious food.

Things You'll Need

• Hollowed out stone or tree trunk
• Cut tree branch

Instructions

1. Make a mortar. The mortar is the vessel that the corn will be ground in. You can use a hollowed-out tree trunk or a depression in a large stone.

2. Cut the pestle. Find a large hardwood branch, about three feet in length for use as a pestle to grind the corn.

3. Smooth the mortar and pestle. Use a hammer to smooth out the hollow so that kernels of corn don't slip into cracks or indentations. The pestle end should also be smoothed for grinding.

4. Grind the corn. Place the corn in the mortar and use the pestle to pound it into powder.

Tips & Warnings

• A wooden baseball bat makes an excellent pestle.

References

• Angelfire.com: The history of Flour Milling in Early America
• Manataka American Indian Council: Indegenous Foods - 'Health' Foods from our Past are Making a Comeback!
• TexasIndians.com: Mortars and Pestles