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Hulled Corn

A method for preparing hulled corn by boiling in lye and water, then rinsing and seasoning.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 5 ingredients
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Hulled Corn

Hulled Corn

Ingredients

Directions

Make the lye

  1. Combine 6 quarts hard wood ashes and 3 gallons of water in a large iron kettle and boil the mixture for 5 minutes.

  2. Remove the kettle from heat, add 1 pint of cold water to the mixture to settle, and strain the lye from the mixture.

Soak and clean the corn

  1. Add 6 quarts of shelled corn to the lye in the kettle and boil the corn for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

  2. Strain off the lye from the corn.

  3. Rinse the corn thoroughly in several clear waters, then transfer the corn to a large dish pan and cover it with water.

  4. Rub the corn to remove the black chits, then rinse the corn until the water is clear.

Cook and serve

  1. Return the corn to a clean kettle, cover the corn with water, and boil slowly until the corn is soft, adding water as needed.

  2. Once the corn is soft, stir in 2 large tablespoons of coarse sea salt.

  3. Serve the corn with milk or butter and sugar.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it

Explore the science

What each ingredient does

Shelled corn
Forms the main body of the dish, becoming soft and tender after lye treatment and long boiling.
Hard wood ashes
Produce the lye solution that softens the corn hulls so they can be rubbed and rinsed away.

The step that matters

Rinsing the corn after the lye boil. Lye left on the kernels keeps attacking them and leaves a harsh, bitter taste. Thorough rinsing in several clear waters removes the residual lye before the final cooking.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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