THREE SISTERS

[Chipper Chicken]

I found this recipe for atole on youtube that uses blue hopi corn Back on the topic of the nutrition of heirloom vs conventional here is a mother earth news on cornbread made from a red corn vs store bought yellow http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/whole-grain-corn-nutrition.aspx#axzz39TYHfJ7S

e e e This is great!!! If I weren't rushing out the door....., but I will definitely look at it later today. I love blue corn cornbread too, best I ever had, but it was a couple years ago. Hmmm, I've got some meal from Bobs Red Mill (local so no shipping fees), I'll have to try and recreate that and share it with you all. Thank you!

 

[Arielle]

BObs red Mill ???? I will definitely look later today when I'm at the store!!

 

[wyoDreamer]

A friend of mine gave me some blue corn seed to plant. This is corn that his family has been growing in the SW (mountains of New Mexico, I think he said) for a long, long time to make tortillas out of. I am moving to WI and am going to try to grow it next summer.

You all seem to have some experience with growing that kind of corn, so anyone have any advice for me to try to get this to work?

Is there any special soil prep that I should do? I do plan on isolating it to prevent cross-pollination.

 

[Fluffnpuff]

A friend of mine gave me some blue corn seed to plant. This is corn that his family has been growing in the SW (mountains of New Mexico, I think he said) for a long, long time to make tortillas out of. I am moving to WI and am going to try to grow it next summer.


You all seem to have some experience with growing that kind of corn, so anyone have any advice for me to try to get this to work?


Is there any special soil prep that I should do? I do plan on isolating it to prevent cross-pollination.

If it's from new mexico it's likely hopi blue. Have you grown corn before? If you're used to growing it you shouldn't have any problems. Just use your standard corn growing practices.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I have only grown sweet corn once, and the coons got all of that!

I had never heard of Hopi Blue before, but it probably is that. What is unique is it has been grown from their own saved seed for over 100 years, so probably a slightly unique strain. He is really interested to see how it does in such a different evnironment - ie. 5000+ feet lower in elevation; 36" of precipitation vs 12" or less that they typically get, much higher humidity and cooler temps.

 

[Arielle]

I love reading Sand Hills descriptions of corns, etc, the little antecdotes about moving from one area of farming to another state and the differences in growing some of his seeds. So I'm curious too how the blue hopi seeds will do. A very special strain.

 

[Fluffnpuff]

This is great!!! If I weren't rushing out the door....., but I will definitely look at it later today.

I love blue corn cornbread too, best I ever had, but it was a couple years ago. Hmmm, I've got some meal from Bobs Red Mill (local so no shipping fees), I'll have to try and recreate that and share it with you all.

Thank you!

I'll be anxious to hear the results. I've tried to make atole before and it turned out less than steller but those recipes relied upon cornstarch as a thickening agent and i'm pretty sure i never got the amount exactly right. My painted mountain should be ready to make into cornmeal in 2 months. I'll try this recipe then.

 

[Chipper Chicken]

I love reading Sand Hills descriptions of corns, etc, the little antecdotes about moving from one area of farming to another state and the differences in growing some of his seeds.  So I'm curious too how the blue hopi seeds will do. A very special strain. 

I planted my Blue Hopi last of the 4 corns I did as I was running out of time before we left for a week, so I planted it less carefully than the others. When we got home it was 2' tall! Now it's head high! IN Three(?) plus weeks BUT, it was planted on the site of our old purchased dairy compost pile from nearly 6 years ago ! It has huge glossy green leaves so I'm a bit concerned it will be all foliage and no "fruit" lol! It is verrra happy tho.

 

[Chipper Chicken]

I'll be anxious to hear the results.  I've tried to make atole before and it turned out less than steller but those recipes relied upon cornstarch as a thickening agent and i'm pretty sure i never got the amount exactly right.  My painted mountain should be ready to make into cornmeal in 2 months.  I'll try this recipe then.

I think I'll wait until we get a rainy day to make it, (which could be tomorrow where I live) but I wonder if a bit a chocolate would be good? Maybe not, chocolate Atole?

It looked real yummy tho

 

[Chipper Chicken]

I just went out to put a new hose on the Hopi corn, and thought I would share these pictures before I "go fish" the other corn. There is a yardstick in all but the last picture of the painted mountain close up of the tassel.

Blue Hopi

Blue Hopi with tassel

Golden Bantam

Painted mountain, yardstick is in the "valley" between the hills.

Painted Mountain

Painted mountain with tassel

I didn't take any pictures of the off the rack two year old seed, It came up so sparsely, maybe 15 plants out of 16 OZ of seed I'm not inclined to take its picture.
Real happy with the rest, but I need to put a LOT of fish on that painted Mountain!

Edited to clarify picture titles.