How To Make Cornmeal

Cornmeal is simply dent corn or field corn kernels that have been dried and then ground. Field or Dent Corn is a type of corn that has a 'dent' in it when it reaches maturity. Dent corn is not the same as sweet corn you buy for the supper table. While field corn is generally used to make cornmeal or cattle feed it is a good thing to note that any type of corn, even sweet corn can be ground into cornmeal after it has been properly dried.

If you want to learn more about the different types of corn you can grow then check out this corn page! Keep reading if you want to proceed with the process after the corn has been grown and harvested.

Most foods when left out begin to decay because they contain moisture. Dehydration is a process where this moisture is removed from the food and it can then be stored for much longer periods of time before decay ultimately sets in.

The drying process is simple. You can spread out your corn (or other vegetables) in the sun and allow them to sit for a couple of bright warm sunny days. Another way which I prefer is to dry them out in an oven.

Place your corn on a tray and heat the corn to about 125 degrees F. Remember you aren't trying to cook it just adding heat to speed up the dehydration of the corn. This is best done in an oven for more even heating. The oven dehydration process takes at least six hours. So start checking on your corn then.

The dehydrated corn is the state that the corn should be stored. Do not turn it all into cornmeal now as its shelf life will be reduced.

The actual grinding of the corn into cornmeal is a simple crushing process. There is nothing complicated or special about the process. Which method you use to accomplish the grinding will depend on what you have available.

One old method is to take a tree stump and hollow it out so that it is like a bowl on top. Place dried corn in the hollow and then take a large wooden branch roughly 3-5 inches in diameter and as long as you prefer. Then pound the corn with the wooden shaft until the corn has been turned into a powder. Simple and is a great choice if you live in areas that don't have stones, such as much of the Deep South.

Another option is to grind the corn between two stones. Place the corn on a large flat stone then with a stone that is comfortable to hold, grind the corn. Stones from streams that do not have sharp edges work the best.

If you want to get creative a more advanced way would be to make a large heavy wheel from stone and roll it on a large flat stone surface, crushing the corn under the stone wheels weight. Everyone has seen in old western or medieval movies where an animal is turning a merry-go-round looking contraption. Well that contraption was used to grind corn or other grains. Now you know!

Now use or store you cornmeal for later use. It really is that easy.