Well I took the plunge today. I was both elated and disapointed. It took a lonnnnng time, (in fact, is still in canner now) like, 5+ hours. All the water changing and waiting for it to boil again, mainly.
Here's how I did it.
1.75 gallon water (called for 2 but my pot wasnt big enough) and 2oz lye. Add 2 quarts dryed shell corn. Boil rapidly for 30 min, until hulls seperate from corn. Strain, and rinse real good in hot water, then real good in cold water, and use your hands to get all the hulls and tough black ends of kernals off and floated out of strainer.
Here comes the monotonous part. Return to pot (I washed pot first to get out extra lye residue) and barely cover with water. Bring to boil and boil 5 minutes. Drain, rinse, and repeat 4 more times ( 5 times total) This removes the lye, and "clears" the hominey. When you start the hominey water will be brown.... after the 3rd water change more a cloudy tan, and after the 5th pretty well clear.
Now drain again, jar, add 1/2t salt per pint, fill to within 1/2 of top w/ boiling water, and process 60 min/pint 70/qt in pressure canner @ 10lbs.
Now, I was elated because this is THE best hominy I have EVER tasted, and disappointed because the recipe said would make 12 pints and only made 5.
I followed it exactly, even measured for once lol.
Granted, in all my transferring I did "spill" some corn, but no more than a pint cooked. Wonder if 6 quarts was a misprint of 6 pints?
Anyhow. I would like to make more, but I WILL do it different. Next time it will be done outdoors, in a huge kettle. I would like to do 5X as much. I will have a screen (hardware cloth) bent into a frame where I can rinse, then bend cloth to return to kettle. So anyways, it's realllly good but reallly a pain to make LOL.
