Parched corn

[Cat]

 

PARCHED CORN

 

 

From: http://web.archive.org/web/20070711060334/...story/cook.html

 

Bota-Kapvssa is a cold meal made of parched corn. The grains of corn are poured into a kettle; a fire is built under it and hot ashes are poured in the kettle with the corn. The corn is stirred continually until it is parched brown and then it is taken out and put in the basket described above to be fanned, the ashes being separated from the corn. Then the parched corn is put into the mortar and the hulls loosened from the grain of corn and then put back in the basket again to be fanned, separating the hulls from the grain of corn. Then it is again put in the mortar and pounded until it becomes a fine meal. This is Bota-Kapvssa and is very nourishing. The Indian hunters and warriors used to take a small sack f it on their journeys and when they became hungry or thirsty, a small amount was put in a cup of water and upon drinking it, the thirst as well as the hunger was satisfied.

 

 

From http://web.archive.org/web/20070711060334/...s/rations.html:

 

Corn bread for soft bread or hard bread, goober peas, parched corn ( make your own by 'parching' organic [no pesticides or herbicides] seed corn in bacon fat in a hot skillet - the end result should look and taste like un-flavored "Corn NutsTM"). House of Times Past, a vendor, sells parched corn in ½ and one pound bags for $1.75 and $3.00. (201 E. Pickens Street, Abbeville, SC 29620. 864-459-0325; e-mail: hotp@thepast.com). They also sell twist tobacco, green coffee beans and unrefined sugar.

 

 

From : http://web.archive.org/web/20070711060334/...ta/williams.htm

 

Parched corn and cornmeal scored high on the list of desirable commodities because they were easy to cook with and did not spoil or turn sour. Several emigrants commented on the culinary attributes of this quintessential American grain. According to Peter Burnett, "cornmeal [would keep] to the mountains, and parched corn meal all the way." He found that it [the parched corn] "is most excellent to make soup."(29) S .H . and Clarissa Taylor were even more complimentary. "It is remarkable that all are excessively fond of corn meal in every form in which it is cooked. Everyone expresses satisfaction." The Taylors were less enthusiastic about substitute cornstarch. "[it] is a failure, because it requires eggs to make it good.(30) What ingredients made up substitute cornstarch is still a mystery.

 

 

In his guidebook, Marcy called parched corn "cold flour" and favored crushing the corn in a mortar until it was the consistency of coarse meal, then mixing it with water, sugar and cinnamon so it becomes "quite palatable." Half of bushel [of "cold flour"] is "sufficient to subsist a man thirty days.''(31) Parched corn indicates that the kernels were roasted in an oven or sun dried.

 

 

From http://web.archive.org/web/20070711060334/...f3.html%20#DEH:

 

C.1.3.7 [unusual parched corn and bean recipes]

 

from David Sidwell (pre-1996)

 

Here is a wonderful recipe for parched corn. it is eaten by Hopi children and adults as a real treat. Speaking of parched corn, you can also parch beans. Small, white teparies work well, especially if they are from last year's harvest or older. The Hopi make parched beans the same way they make parched corn.

 

 

1. Heat clean, fine sand in a cast iron pot until it becomes dark brown and hot. (water sprinkled on it should pop and sizzle).

 

 

2. pour in a cup or two of dried corn. (old corn will be crunchy, this year's corn will be harder).

 

 

3. Stir corn briskly, to keep it from burning, until it stops popping.

 

 

4. Remove corn from sand with a sieve and pour into bowl.

 

 

5. Sprinkle corn with salt water (1 T. salt in 1 C. water), and stir with a corn cob that has been dipped in the salt water.

 

 

6. Add pinon or peach nuts for variety.

 

 

Note: The Hopi nation has very sandy soil. it does not cling like many sands but falls away from toasted foods. You may want to experiment a bit with the sand from your area.

 

 

From http://web.archive.org/web/20070711060334/.../tmparched.htm:

 

Tamaya Blue Parched Corn Snack (This place sells the stuff.)

 

A roasted, lightly salted, whole kernel product that is a traditional Native American snack. Originally, it was roasted in clay pots over open fireplaces. This delicious, healthy, ready to eat snack has no added oils or fats.

 

 

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20070711060334/...archedCorn.html