All About Hominy
You may have heard of hominy, but do you know how it's made? Here's a quick rundown on the puffy corn kernel.
Hominy is nothing more than mature corn that's had its hard, outer shell (or hull) and germ removed. To remove the hull, the kernels are soaked in either lye, lime, or diluted hardwood ash. While soaking, the inside of the kernel expands faster than the outside, causing it to split. The result is a large, fluffy, somewhat chewy kernel.
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White and yellow hominy are most common, but blue and red are also options. You've probably heard of grits — it's actually hominy that's been dried and ground. Whole hominy is also available, either canned or dried.
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Most grocery stores carry ready-to-use canned yellow and white varieties. Dried hominy, on the other hand, is harder to find and has to be soaked (like dried beans) before cooking. If you can find it and have the extra time, it's perfect for soup.
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