This year I am growing ‘Six Nations Blue, Long Eared Variant‘! It’s a blue corn! And also called Hopi maize. Blue corn is not really a new thing, it’s a very old heirloom grown by the Hopi and Aztec natives for hundreds of years.
Isn’t it amazing how the old things are coming back and they’re better than the new generation foods?!
Heirloom organic blue corn has 20% more protein, 8% less starch, less sugar with a lower glycemic index, and has more lysine, zinc and iron than today’s yellow hybrids. The blue colouring is due to the presence of anthocyanins in the corn–the same health promoting compounds found in purple berries and red wine.
It is ground into flour and used as feed for animals. It doesn’t have the sweet, tender taste that we are used to in the new corn hybrids. Is that a good thing? The new hybrids are all sugar.
20% more protein is amazing! So much better for egg production in chickens, meat building in pigs and cows, and milk production in dairy!
It’s also better for us! With less sugar and more protein, it can be part of the diet of someone with blood sugar problems. Blue corn meal is milled dry blue corn, while blue corn masa harina has been roasted before milling. Like all organic corn products, blue corn products should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
Blue corn meal or masa harina is used in many recipes–pancakes, cornbread, tortillas–much like you’d use regular corn meal or masa harina. Here are a couple recipes I found specifically using blue corn meal:
Blue Corn Pancakes
Yield : Makes about 25 small pancakes
1 1/2 cups blue cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
4 tablespoons melted butter
Unsalted butter, for the griddle
Sift the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add the eggs, milk, and butter and mix thoroughly. Cook the pancakes on a hot, buttered grill or skillet, using 2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake. Keep the pancakes warm in a low oven until ready to serve.
Blue Corn Cornbread
Original Recipe Yield 1 – 9×9 inch pan of cornbread
1 cup blue cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×9 inch baking dish.
Mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Sift 3 times. Stir the eggs and milk into the cornmeal mixture. Place the butter in the prepared baking dish, and melt in the preheated oven. Mix hot, melted butter into the cornmeal mixture. Transfer cornmeal mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake on center rack in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the edges of the cornbread pull away from the sides of the dish, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting.
If all goes well, I will have these heirloom, organic blue corn seeds for sale this fall!
Sheryl – Runningtrails blogs at Providence Acres Farm Blog. Do you have a recipe post or kitchen-related story to share on the Farm Bell blog? See Farm Bell Blog Submissions for information and to submit a post.
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Glenda says:
Sheryl, do you have a way to grind your corn? I grew Reid’s Yellow Dent corn last year and still haven’t bought a mill for it.
On June 20, 2011 at 6:13 am
GrannyTrace says:
I love it. Blue corn pancakes and corn bread. Thanks for sharing and the recipes.
Granny Trace
http://www.grannytracescrapsandsquares.com
On June 20, 2011 at 6:51 am
TeaCup says:
I have grown Hooker’s Blue Corn before, but the last time I did we got one meal (4 ears) from it and then the neighbor’s cows got out of their pasture and that was the end of that!
I haven’t tried corn again, until this year, when I planted the end of the package of Hooker’s, which was too old now, sigh. Next year . . .
Thanks for these recipes I will USE them!
Judi
On June 20, 2011 at 6:52 am
Sheryl - Runningtrails says:
I have a small, electric spice/coffee grinder that I find handy for small amounts. I haven’t used anything larger yet, but plan to!
On June 20, 2011 at 8:01 am
lisabetholson says:
Sheryl, the corn bread recipe is exactly the same as the one I use for my corn bread except the cornmeal is different. I suppose you could use any blue corn in exchange any other corn.
You always have the nicest posts. Great ideas.
On June 20, 2011 at 12:35 pm
Sheryl - Runningtrails says:
Thank you!
On June 20, 2011 at 12:41 pm
Minta says:
I am curious….does the cornbread look blue after it is cooked?
On June 20, 2011 at 5:09 pm
Sheryl - Runningtrails says:
Yep 🙂
On June 20, 2011 at 5:37 pm