Hominy is made from dried corn (maize), soaking the corn kernels in a weak solution of lye. Then it can be cooked or dried for later use. Ground hominy is known as masa or grits, and it can also be ground more finely to make flour. Today’s canned hominy is already cooked and ready to eat.

INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS

MAKING HOMINY
Use field corn to make hominy;  yellow dent, flint corn, and Indian corn are all good varieties. Leave the corn on the plant longer than you normally would because you want it really dry. When ready, pull off the husk and shell the corn using your thumb to push the kernels until they pop off the cob. Next, soak the kernels in water and lye (made from wood ashes). This loosens the hulls and causes the corn to swell in size. Wash the corn several times, rubbing it between the hands, and throwing away the hulls.  You can eat the hominy or dry it to use during the winter.

TO COOK HOMINY
Take a cup of hominy, wash it in several waters, and throw away grains that float on the top, the same as you do with split peas. Strain the hominy and put it in a basin with a quart of water. Cover the basin over with a cloth and put it by to soak overnight. The next day, put it in an enameled stewpan with about a teaspoon of salt and let it simmer gently over the fire, taking care that it does not burn. It is best to butter the bottom of the saucepan, or if you have a small plate that will just go inside, you will find this a great protection. Let it simmer gently for rather more than an hour until it absorbs all the water in which it is boiled. As a rule, a cup of hominy will absorb a quart of water. Stir it well up and flavor it with either sugar or salt, and let it be eaten with cold milk poured on it on the plate, or with a little butter.

CAROLINA GRITS, OR SMALL HOMINY
The small-grained hominy must be washed and boiled in the same manner as the large, only allow rather less water for boiling. For instance, put a pint and a half of water to a quart of small hominy. Drain it well, send it to the table in a deep dish without a cover, and eat it with butter and sugar, or molasses. If covered after boiling, the vapor will condense within the lid, and make the hominy thin and watery.

BOILED HOMINY WITH CHEESE SAUCE
Soak large hominy overnight and then in the morning wash and cook in plenty of boiling water until tender. Drain well and place in a baking dish and cover with cheese sauce, made as follows:

Place one and one-half cups milk in a saucepan and add two tablespoons grated onion and 4 level tablespoons cornstarch. Dissolve the starch in the milk and bring to a boil. Cook slowly for five minutes and then add two tablespoons chopped parsley, two teaspoons salt, two ounces cheese, one teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and one teaspoon paprika. Mix thoroughly and then heat until the cheese melts. Serve as a vegetable.

FRIED HOMINY
This is made from the remains of cold boiled hominy. When cold, it will be a firm jelly. Cut the cold hominy into slices, flour them, egg and bread-crumb them, and then plunge them into some smoking hot oil till they are of a nice bright golden color. They are very nice eaten with lemon juice and sugar, or they can be served with orange marmalade.

FRIED HOMINY No. 2
Put a little lard in your frying-pan, and make it hot. Mash and salt the hominy, put it in, and cover it over with a plate. Let it cook slowly for half an hour, or longer if you like it very brown. When done, turn it out in a plate.

HOMINY CROQUETTES
To one cup cold boiled hominy, add two teaspoons melted butter. Stir it well, adding by degrees one cup milk, till all is made in a soft light paste. Then add one well-beaten egg. Roll into oval balls with floured hands, dip in beaten egg, roll in cracker crumbs, and fry in hot lard.

HOMINY GRIDDLE-CAKES
To a pint of warm boiled hominy, add a pint of milk or water and a pint of flour. Beat two or three eggs and stir into the batter with a little salt Fry as any other griddle-cakes. They are delicious.

HOMINY DROP-CAKES
Take one pint of fresh boiled hominy (or, cold hominy may be used). If the latter, break into grains with a fork, as lightly as possible, and heat in a kettle with one tablespoon water, and two eggs; the whites and yolks beaten separately. Stir the yolks into the hominy first, then the whites, and a teaspoon of salt, if the hominy has not been salted in cooking. If it has, use one-half teaspoon. Drop, by tablespoons, on well-buttered tin sheets, and bake to a good brown in a quick oven.*

*quick oven – a quick (or hot) oven is about 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit

BAKED HOMINY
To a cup of cold boiled hominy (small kind), allow two cups of milk, a heaping teaspoon of butter, a teaspoon of white sugar, a little salt, and three eggs. Beat the eggs very light, yolks and whites separately. Work the yolks first into the hominy, alternately with the melted butter. When thoroughly mixed, put in sugar and salt, and go on beating while you soften the batter gradually with the milk. Be careful to leave no lumps in the hominy. Lastly, stir in the whites, and bake in a buttered pudding-dish, until light, firm, and delicately browned. This can be eaten as a dessert, but it is a delightful vegetable.

photo credit

VIDEO – HOW TO MAKE HOMINY

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When I was a child, my mother bought yellow hominy in a can. You can also buy canned white hominy, as well as dried hominy, grits, and corn meal flour.

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Have you ever eaten hominy? Please leave a comment below.

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