How to make cornmeal at home. Corn flour: benefits and harms

If you have tried to create something yourself from corn flour, then you probably know its advantages and disadvantages. You know how pleasantly baked goods it makes smell and that kneading the dough is like kneading wet sand. You already know that not every product is compatible with it, but the products turn out incredibly tender and crumbly. Corn flour, what can be prepared from it, how to make friends with this product, what are its benefits. That's what we'll talk about.

I'll structure the conversation this way:

• Benefit;
• Recipes;
• Master Class;
• Adviсe.

I decided to write about this after my grandmother’s story about the severe drought in Ukraine in 1947 and how her family managed to survive thanks to the savior of corn. The hut in which the grandmother lived was thatched and in the attic, corn cobs had been well stored from the previous year's harvest. The grains were lightly fried and ground on millstones into coarse flour. Bread was baked from this flour in a Russian oven. Its extraordinary aroma filled the whole house. The bread was a beautiful yellowish color, loose, grainy and very tasty. When my grandmother went to school, she was given a piece of this “magical” pastry. Children from wealthier families, whose fathers returned alive from the war, were given wheat bread “for a snack” at school, but they wanted something more tasty - corn bread. During the big break, the children “made a profitable exchange” with their grandmother (1 piece of corn for several slices of wheat) and the hungry children of the whole class received at least a small piece of bread from their grandmother.

Benefits of this product

Often, many who advocate a gluten-free diet cite a whole list of harmful properties of gluten. I decided not to go that far, considering sometimes subjective or poorly verified information. And I’ll name a well-known factor - gluten causes excess weight.

¡Therefore, if you want to cook a tasty but dietary dish, you should switch to corn flour!

Of course, these are not all advantages. This product contains B vitamins, iron, calcium, magnesium. This means that it may be of interest to all those who care about their health and attractive appearance.

Read more about the benefits and composition after the delicious recipes.

Master Class. Corn flour cake layers

Knowing how crispy and tender the cakes are made from corn flour, I planned to coat them with apricot jam syrup. This is enough, because it is very thick. And add a layer of fruit and berries to the syrup; it should also add juiciness to the cake. But there were more cakes than I expected. So I decided to make a light cream for better penetration. Cottage cheese cream and apricot jam.

So what I needed:

• Corn flour - 2 tbsp. (1.5 – for the dough, the rest for the “French shirt” and adding during kneading);
• Vegetable oil – 5 tbsp. (4 – into the dough, 1 – grease the rolling pin and the dough before rolling);
• Seasonal fruits and berries – about 5 glasses;
• Jam with berries and syrup – 2 types;
• Salt - a pinch;
• Vanilla sugar;
• Cottage cheese - saucer;
• Egg – 1 pc.;
• Mint - a few leaves (for cream and for decorating the cake);
• Water – 1/3 cup;
• Butter – for greasing the baking sheet (you can also use vegetable oil) – 30g

Preparation:

1. Make a mound of flour, add salt and pour in oil. Mix.
   
2. Add boiling water.
3. If necessary, add a little more flour to make the dough stiff.
4. Wrap the entire dough in film or divide it into parts and wrap them.
   Let the dough sit.
5. During this time, we deal with fruits and berries: remove seeds, cut if necessary, separate more beautiful berries for decoration.
   
6. We roll out each piece so that the thickness of the layer does not exceed 0.3-0.5 cm. We attach a plate on which we cut out the cakes of the desired size.
   
7. Bake the cakes in the oven at 180 degrees until a golden surface appears. Don't forget about the French shirt, dust the greased baking sheet with flour.
   
8. Prepare the cream: beat cottage cheese, a couple of mint leaves and apricots in a blender. Add half a packet of vanilla sugar. Whether to add sugar or not is your decision. I have apricots with jam, they are sweet; It's enough.
   
9. After baking, do not immediately grease the cakes. Let them cool.
10. Then first generously lubricate them with cream. Don't forget about the edges, go over there with a brush so that the edges are also well lubricated.
    
11. Place each layer on top of the cream with berries. You need to literally drown them in cream.
    
12. After assembling the cake, you should definitely let it sit. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least half an hour. Now we serve it, perhaps with chamomile, linden or mint tea.
    

1. I was unsure about adding the egg. In fact, you can cook without them. So, it's up to you! But, if you are not on a strict diet now, it is better to still use eggs to give a better structure to the dough.
2. Before using the rolling pin, try moistening a piece of dough with oil and pressing it down with your hands until it is about 1cm wide.
3. There is no need to press the rolling pin; it should “move” smoothly. If you notice that there are cracks in the dough layer, grease it with oil and go over it carefully with a rolling pin again.
4. I tried these shortcakes and fried them. Both taste quite tasty. You can also use fried ones for cake. This helps out when there is no oven. Just don’t rush to turn them over in the pan. Wait until a golden rim appears around the edges.
5. If you're having trouble sculpting, try adding a little regular flour. Get comfortable and gradually switch to corn only.
6. Wheat and corn flour cannot be replaced in the same proportions in the recipe!

Master Class. Incredibly delicious biscuit

For a small biscuit we will need:

• Sugar - 70g;
• Flour – 90g;
• Eggs – 2 pcs.;
• Baking powder – 1/2 tsp.

Cooking method:

It turned out not as high as if we made it from wheat flour. But it is very fragrant and incredibly tender.

Cornmeal Recipes

There are such a huge number of recipes all over the world that confirm the popularity of this interesting ingredient. Let me give you some of them:

• Mamalyga or related Italian polenta;
• Tortilla is a flatbread from Mexico;
• Nachos;
• Watou;
• Mchadi;
• Pancakes;
• Pancakes;
• Bread;
• Cookie;
• Cupcakes.

Etc., etc., etc., a huge list can be given. In my list, I first named traditional dishes from cuisines of different countries. And she ended it with videos that are known to all of us, easy to find on the Internet. These recipes also allow for “author’s mark”, that is, they can become the basis for creating new dishes. So, there is room to experiment!

I wrote down some recipes that I want to try:

Mexican corn tortilla

The main bread product that was baked by the ancient Indians who lived in the territory of modern Mexico was round flatbread. The Spanish conquerors gave them the name “tortilla,” which means “omelet” in Spanish. These flatbreads made from yellow cornmeal reminded the Spaniards of an omelette. They were baked over an open fire in dry clay pans (comal).

Ingredients:

• corn flour – 2 cups
• boiled hot water - a little more than a glass
• salt - a pinch.

Sift the flour, add salt and pour in hot water, mix the dough with a spoon. The dough turns out somewhat crumbly (similar to kinetic sand). We form flat cakes with our hands, there are approximately 7 pieces. Heat a frying pan, add vegetable oil to it, reduce the heat to medium and fry the flatbreads until golden brown on both sides. You can also bake them in a dry frying pan, as the Indians did. These flatbreads are an alternative to bread.

Tortilla made from corn and wheat flour

corn flour – 1 cup (200 ml capacity)

wheat flour – 0.5 cups

fine salt – 0.5 tsp.

water – 120 ml

vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. l.

Yield: 6 flatbreads.

Sift two types of flour into a deep bowl, add salt and mix these components well. Wheat flour is necessary so that the flatbreads do not fall apart when rocked. Pour 120 ml of warm water (35-40*) into a glass, pour in vegetable oil and stir the mixture with a fork, pour the liquid into the prepared flour and knead a very soft dough. The dough will be approximately 350 g. Cover the ball of dough with a napkin and let it rest for 30 minutes. Then divide the dough into 6 parts, roll into balls, place them between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out cakes with a diameter of 15 cm with a rolling pin. Place the cakes in a dry, heated frying pan and bake them for 1.5-2 minutes on each side. Stack the flatbreads on top of each other and cover with a napkin to cool. They bend well in half. They can be used as bread for first courses or filled with filling and eaten as a second course.

A popular filling in Mexico is chicken breast meat (boiled or smoked), cut into small cubes, chopped bell pepper, onion, tomato, parsley and hot pepper. Drizzle olive oil over the filling, add salt to taste and stir.

To prepare Mexican taco" Place the filling on one half of the flatbread and cover it with the other half of the flatbread. A wonderful snack is ready!

If you put the filling between two tortillas, sprinkle cheese on top and fry in oil, you will get quesadilla.

If a flatbread with filling is rolled into a tube, the dish will be called burrito.

Tostados- the same corn tortillas, but fried in oil.

Corn bread without yeast

• corn flour – 1 cup
• wheat flour – 1 cup
• egg – 1 pc.
• sunflower oil – 50-60 ml
• kefir – 200-250 ml
• sugar – 1-2 tbsp. l.
• salt – 1 tsp.

Sift two types of flour, add baking powder, sugar, salt and mix well. In another bowl, thoroughly mix the egg, kefir, sunflower oil with a fork and, gradually pouring into the flour, knead the dough. Roll it into a ball, place it in a mold greased with vegetable oil and, making a cut in the middle of the ball so that the bread does not crack, send it to bake in a preheated oven. Determine readiness with a toothpick; if the toothpick comes out dry when piercing the baked goods, the bread is ready!

Cornbread from the Southern States of America

• corn flour – 1 cup
• sour milk – 1 glass
• water – 1 glass (boiling water)
• eggs – 1 pc.
• sugar – 1 tbsp.
• butter – 2 tbsp. l.
• baking powder – 1 sachet
• baking soda – ¼ tsp.
• salt - to taste.

Pour 1 tbsp into a bowl. l. sifted corn flour, pour in half a glass of boiling water, beat the mixture with a whisk, add curdled milk, egg and beat. In another bowl, mix the remaining flour, soda, baking powder, sugar, salt and pour it all into a bowl with the liquid mixture in small portions, constantly stirring with a whisk or fork, but not with a mixer, until all the lumps are dissolved.

In a thick-bottomed frying pan heated in the oven, melt the butter, grease the frying pan with it, and pour the excess melted butter into the dough. Mix the dough well again and pour it into the pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

The readiness of the bread is determined by the golden crust and the moment it leaves the walls of the pan.

Georgian flatbreads racing from corn flour

• corn flour – 200 g
• water – 100 ml
• vegetable oil – 4 tbsp.
• salt – 5 g.

Mix water and salt. Sift the flour and pour the mixture of water and salt into the flour. Knead the dough so that it does not stick to your hands. We make thin flat cakes and fry in oil until golden brown on both sides.

Corn flour can also be used to bake confectionery for tea, coffee, and cocoa.

Cornmeal Raisin Cookies

• corn flour – 150 g
• raisins – 50 g
• walnuts – 50 g
• sugar – 50 g
• vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. l.
• water – 2 tbsp. l.
• baking powder – 0.5 tsp.

Chop the nuts and knead the dough. Form cookies and place on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 190* and bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes. A delicious dessert will be complemented by tea or milk.

Cornmeal muffins with candied fruits

• 300 g corn flour
• 400 ml milk
• 3 eggs (large)
• 150 g sugar
• 120 ml vegetable oil (unscented)
• baking powder - 10 g
• raisins 100 g (plus 1 tsp starch or flour)
• a pinch of salt

Mix milk with sugar, salt, butter and heat to a boil. Remove from heat, stirring vigorously and add flour little by little. You will get a thick porridge. Cool it until warm and beat at high speed adding eggs, vanillin, baking powder, chopped candied fruits. You can add raisins and chopped nuts. Place the prepared mixture into molds greased with vegetable oil. Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

You can make porridge from coarsely ground corn flour, which is used as a side dish or used as a second course. This porridge has different names among the peoples of the world: tomalito - in Mexico, polenta - in Italy, ugali - in Africa, gomi - in Georgia, hominy - in Romania and Moldova, banosh - in Ukraine, etc.

Polenta - a masterpiece of Italian cuisine made from corn flour

• coarse corn flour – 300 g
• water – 1 liter
• salt - to taste.

Pour water into a thick-walled copper cauldron (cast iron can be used), add salt and bring it to a boil. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, add all the cornmeal little by little. After this, reduce the heat and cook the polenta, stirring constantly for 30-40 minutes. It is ready when it begins to lag behind the walls of the cauldron and becomes viscous. The finished polenta is placed on a tray and given the shape required for the intended dishes. The cooled polenta is cut into rectangular (or other shaped) pieces.

Polenta is eaten as porridge, as a side dish, or used as a preparation for independent pizza dishes, canapés, etc. with various additives (meat, mushrooms, vegetables, cheese) fried or baked.

Mamaliga in Moldavian

• corn flour – 150 g
• cold water – 300 ml
• sour cream – 50-70 g
• salt and herbs - to taste.

Rinse fresh lard in water, cut it into small cubes along with the skin. Fry the lard in a cauldron until golden brown and remove it with a slotted spoon onto a napkin - these cubes will be necessary to decorate the dish.

Wait until the fat in the cauldron cools down a little, add sour cream and stir. In a separate bowl, pour cold water over the flour and mix well until the lumps disappear. Pour the swollen flour into a cauldron with fat, place the cauldron on the fire and knead for 10-15 minutes until the porridge absorbs the fat. Remove the cauldron from the heat, cover it with a lid and let the porridge cool for 10-15 minutes. The hominy will swell even more and become dense.

Now you can put a portion of hominy on a plate, decorate it with cracklings and herbs. Any sauce or vegetable salad will suit this porridge.

Corn flour is also used for many first courses, especially for soups with noodles and dumplings made from this flour.

Homemade cornmeal noodles

• corn flour – 2 cups (200 ml)
• wheat flour – 1 tbsp. l.
• chicken eggs – 2 pcs.
• water – 150 ml
• salt – 1 tsp.

Knead the dough from the above ingredients and let it sit for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the board with wheat flour and roll out the dough into a thin layer, sprinkle it with flour on top and roll it into a roll and cut into noodles.

These noodles can be added to soup, and can also be boiled as a side dish for meat.

Corn chips

Ingredients:

• corn flour – 110 g
• wheat flour – 80 g
• milk – 120 ml
• vegetable oil – 1 tsp.
• salt – 0.5 tsp.
• sugar – 0.5 tsp.
• paprika – 1 tsp.
• cayenne pepper – 0.25 tsp.
• curry – 0.5 tsp.

In a bowl, mix both types of flour, salt, sugar, spices, add butter, add milk in small portions and knead the dough. It turns out soft, tender, but does not stick to your hands. Divide the dough into three parts. Roll out each piece very thinly with a rolling pin. We cut the layer into squares, and then into triangles and place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake the chips in an oven preheated to 200* for 5-8 minutes (be sure to make sure they don’t burn). Place on a plate and serve with a variety of sauces. Corn chips are much tastier and healthier than potato chips, which is why this delicacy is popular all over the world.

All about corn and corn flour

Corn is an annual herbaceous plant with strong fibrous roots. The height of the stem reaches 2 m with a diameter of about 7 cm, without a cavity inside. At the tops of the shoots there are male flowers collected in a panicle. Female stigma flowers are located in the axils of broadly lanceolate leaves, from which the cobs develop. Cross-pollinated by wind. On the stem, 1-3 cobs are formed, covered with a wrapper, up to 50 cm long. The cob contains up to 1000 grains weighing 250-300 g. Corn belongs to the cereal family.

History of the plant

Corn is native to Central America, more precisely Southern Mexico and Guatemala. There is another statement that the birthplace of corn is Peru, where it has been cultivated since ancient times. This cereal is considered the most ancient grain plant on our planet, which was cultivated 7-12 thousand years ago.

The name “maize” was given to this plant by the ancient Mayans. The Indians considered maize a sacred plant and glorified it in songs and legends. It is believed that the name “corn” in Russia comes from:

• from the Romanian "corn", which means "fir cone";
• or from the Spanish “cucurujo” - “paper bag”;
• possibly from the Turkish "kokoroz" - "corn stalk".

Corn was brought from America to Europe by Columbus in 1496. Currently, this cereal is cultivated in all countries of the world and is a very important food, feed and industrial crop. The average corn yield is 70-80 centners per hectare.

There are more than six types of corn. Sweet corn received the highest rating as a food product. Since ancient times, yellow flour has been obtained from its grains by grinding, which is highly valued by chefs. The secret of its success is its beneficial effect on the human body. Nutritionists, cosmetologists, bakers - everyone loves this fabulous ingredient.

Chemical composition of corn flour.

100 g of corn flour contains:

1. Nutritional value: carbohydrates – 72.1 g, proteins – 7-8 g, fats – 1.5 g, fiber – 4.4 g, water – 14 g, calorie content -331 kcal
2. Vitamins A, B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, C, E, beta-carotene, PP,
3. Amino acids: arginine, tryptophan, cysteine, lysine, histidine
4. Trace elements: iron, manganese, zinc, copper, cobalt, silicon, aluminum, nickel, molybdenum, boron, chromium, titanium, tin and even gold in microscopic proportions, which have a beneficial effect on brain function
5. Macroelements: sodium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, magnesium.

The benefits of corn flour

Corn flour is classified according to two characteristic characteristics: coarseness of grinding and color. There are three categories of corn flour grinding:

1. coarsely ground on stone millstones, it is the most healthy and dietary;
2. medium size fractions, it is used in baking production;
3. fine grinding on modern metal millstones - the highest grade. It is used to make muffins, cookies, pies, corn flakes, corn chips and first courses.

Corn flour comes in white, purple, and red colors, but yellow is considered the best. Valuable nutritional properties, excellent taste and the ability to add to a variety of dishes have made it an indispensable product in the food industry of many countries.

Modern medicine also recommends including corn flour in the diet, as it is a natural storehouse of substances beneficial to the human body. It helps normalize metabolic processes, its high fiber content cleanses our body, and antioxidants prevent cancer. Vitamins and minerals improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system, lower blood pressure, stimulate the central nervous system and brain, and prevent tissue aging.

Corn flour is used in both professional and home cosmetics; masks and excellent scrubs are especially effective for rejuvenating facial skin.

Cornmeal dough is even used in fishing as an excellent bait.

Despite its relatively high calorie content, corn flour is considered dietary product due to the effect of its high dietary fiber content. Most dishes from it can be made with minimal sugar content for strict diets or fasting days. It is necessary to pay special attention to the fact that in no case should you overeat dietary dishes with this flour, so as not to provoke the reverse process. Leave the table when there is a desire to eat a little more.

Cornmeal is ideal for people on a gluten-free diet as it is the only grain that does not contain gluten.

There are also contraindications for using dishes made from corn flour:

• with increased blood clotting, thrombosis, as it promotes blood thickening;
• with poor appetite, low body weight, anorexia;
• for individual intolerance, allergies.

I think I said the most important thing. If you have any questions, just ask! And also, I remind you to subscribe and invite friends. And most importantly, I will be very pleased to see your comments!

By far the easiest way to grind corn into a high-quality flour is to take it to a mill. However, not everyone has such an opportunity, especially if it is necessary to process a small amount of raw materials, especially since there is nothing overly complicated in how to make corn flour at home. There are several ways to make corn flour and they all directly depend on which grinding option was chosen. So, the easiest way is to grind grains into flour using a professional electric coffee grinder with a large loading capacity, especially since in this case the finished product turns out to be very fine, light and airy and is not much different from what is sold in bags in stores in the past. finished form. A manual coffee grinder will not bring such a result and with its help you can only get flour of the second or, at most, the first, but not the highest grade.

In addition, this method assumes that the owner will have to make physical effort, and not everyone will like this. However, the finished product turns out to be quite good and on its basis you can easily prepare Moldovan hominy, Mexican tortillas and even curly homemade pasta for sauce or ravioli. There is another method for making cornmeal from grits at home and it involves grinding it by hand using a heavy mortar and pestle. However, in this case, you cannot grind a lot of flour, since you will have to sweat a lot, and the result will leave much to be desired, because it is impossible to grind dry corn grain without millstones or electric knives. Therefore, the best option is still a coffee grinder, ideally an electric one. As for the cooking process itself, first of all it involves the correct preparation of raw materials (in this case, corn kernels).

And the most common mistake is soaking them, because the grain should not be moistened, but rather, all excess moisture should be drawn out of it. Simply rinse it in several waters (twice in warm water and once in cold running water) and carefully lay it out in one layer on cardboard in a dry place with an air temperature of 20-5 degrees Celsius. Ideally, dry the grain in an open space, because in order to prevent it from steaming from the inside, it is necessary to ensure intensive air circulation. Properly dried grain becomes slightly wrinkled and very hard to the touch. After grinding it in a coffee grinder, the resulting flour should also be dried for at least two to three days, otherwise it may also become damp and moldy. To do this, you will again need thick cardboard that will hold its shape or wooden/metal boards/trays onto which you should pour the flour and smooth it out in a thin layer.

During the drying period, it is recommended to constantly stir the flour to prevent mold from forming in it, because drying such products in the open air will no longer be possible for obvious reasons (wind). The final stage involves double sifting the flour through the finest sieve and packing it into paper bags or bags. Before use, homemade flour must also be sifted, as it tends to cake strongly and form numerous lumps. It is much easier to prepare corn grits, which make quite tasty sweet porridges and savory side dishes. In this case, the raw materials are prepared in the manner described above and quickly ground in a manual coffee grinder to ultimately obtain a larger fraction.

Corn flour has been used by humans for over 10,000 years. It was used for cooking in ancient times by the Mayan and Aztec tribes, i.e. The pioneers of this valuable product are the indigenous people of South America. Positive reviews about it go back to prehistoric times. In Europe, they learned about corn much later, after the discovery of America by sailors.

Corn flour is made from ground corn kernels. It comes in coarse and fine grinding. Bread made from wholemeal flour is slightly grainy, crumbly and dense. Finely ground baked goods are more tender and rise better.

1 Contents of useful components

Corn flour contains: proteins 7.2 g, fats 1.5 g, carbohydrates 70.2 g.

Calorie content 330 kcal per 100 grams of product. It is rich in vitamins: H, E, PP, A, C, D, B9, as well as salts K, Na and Mg.

Such an abundant content of useful substances could not but affect the fact that the various properties of corn flour are now widely used. At the same time, the reviews about them are the most positive.

1.1 Benefits of corn flour

It is worth noting the main advantages, namely the benefits of corn flour:

1. The presence of vitamins and mineral salts in it, which have a beneficial effect on human health.
2. Its consumption has a good effect on the human digestive system and metabolism.
3. It has properties that help restore the body after serious illnesses and major operations.
4. Recommended for diabetes, anemia, vascular diseases, and disorders of bile excretory and diuretic functions.

However, there are also contraindications:

1. An allergic reaction is possible due to fertilizers used when growing corn, as they have allergenic properties.
2. Harm can be caused to the health of people suffering from increased blood clotting. It is necessary to limit the consumption of dishes made from this product.
3. Problems may arise during the period of relapse of gastrointestinal diseases. Limiting use is also recommended.

2 Applications of corn products

The use of corn flour, taking into account reviews of its properties, has found a wide range of uses in the modern world.

The food and processing industries produce corn starch, a wide variety of confectionery and baked goods, vegetable oil, cereals, etc.

2.1 Making bread from corn flour according to an old Dagestan recipe (video)

2.2 Corn starch

This is another most valuable product produced through complex processing of corn flour. Has the most positive reviews. Manufacturers in such sectors of the food industry as baking, confectionery, dairy, meat processing and others have appreciated its qualities.

2.3 Corn glue

Corn dextrin is a glue used for making adhesive paper tape, for bags, gluing labels on glass containers, in the manufacture of containers for the food industry, for gluing postal envelopes and stamps.

The properties of this glue, which is based on corn starch, are used in the production of adhesives for the textile, shoe, printing, and match industries.

Starch paste has long been used by people as an adhesive, which can be prepared very simply at home. It is enough to dissolve 30 grams of starch, slowly adding and stirring, with 100 grams of water. It was used to seal cracks in windows with paper strips for the winter, and to glue wallpaper.

2.4 Corn grits

Sago is a grain made from corn starch. It is not like any of the cereals we know. It looks like small, light, white balls, reminiscent of crushed foam. Saga makes an excellent porridge with valuable dietary properties.

2.5 Corn packaging

More recently, a group of Ukrainian scientists from the Kharkov Institute of Plant Science named after. Yuryev created eco-film. This material is used to make bags for food packaging. Essentially, these are bags of cornstarch.

15 years of work by Ukrainian scientists has led to know-how: packaging has been created that is easily recyclable and does not harm the environment.

3 How to make cornmeal at home?

It often turns out that there is no corn flour on the store shelf. And I really want to cook something tasty from it according to some recipe. No problem.

Flour can be made at home quite easily. It is enough to take the required amount of corn grains and grind them to the required consistency in a regular coffee grinder or blender. From this flour you can not only prepare a tasty, nutritious and healthy dish, but also use it as a cosmetic product. Makes excellent masks and facial scrubs. They cleanse the facial skin of pimples and blackheads.

4 Internationality of corn flour

If you look at the collection of national cuisines of the world, the variety of applications and geography of use of this product will surprise you. It turns out that corn flour is well known on all continents of our planet.

There is almost no nation that does not have at least one national dish that includes this product. They all have different names and cooking methods. Here are a few of them: Ukrainian banush, Uzbek bulamik, African ugali, Mexican tortillas, Italian polenta, and so on ad infinitum.

Many have tried and love chips, cereals, sticks, and flatbreads. And reviews of these tasty and nutritious products are usually the most positive, on any continent.

It is quite possible to make cornmeal at home yourself. The main thing in this whole process is that the corn grains are dry, otherwise nothing will work. So, to prepare corn flour you will need: dry corn grains and a coffee grinder that can successfully grind them. That's all. You can try it with a blender.

From corn grits using a coffee grinder. Only a coffee grinder needs a millstone with adjustable grinding degree. This will cost you at least 2-2.5 thousand Russian rubles.

P.S. I used to be able to handle this task with a Veduga mixer made in 1990 with a special attachment, but it died when it was 15 years old, and modern ones, due to the abundance of plastic in the joints, even with the declared high power, cannot do this...

Volodya, in my opinion, the answer is very simple. You need to take corn grains of sufficient maturity. Those. The grain should already be hard. If the grain is still on the corn cob, it needs to be husked. And then grind the grains to flour. Grind in what? You can try it in a coffee grinder. Of course, the flour yield will be small. But you don’t need it in industrial quantities, but for yourself, i.e. not so much.

Perhaps one of the men will suggest a different method of grinding, but I have outlined the basic idea.

Corn flour can be made from corn grits using a coffee grinder.

The only thing is that until the end this corn flour will not be complete, but with pieces of corn grits.

Such corn flour can only be used for breading, and then you will come across the remains of not very ground grains.

since no modern coffee grinder can grind corn the way it is done industrially.

Of course, you can also take a sieve and sift the resulting flour well.

Still, it is better to buy ready-made corn flour, since a coffee grinder grinds coffee beans well, but corn beans are much stronger.

Now everyone is trying to switch to a healthy diet and doesn’t trust store-bought bread - they bake it themselves. Flour, they say, is also bad now, like wheat is treated with chemicals, GMOs, etc. Therefore, many began to make different types of flour at home. To do this, they buy or make home mills themselves, which can grind large or small quantities, as needed, of various grains. For example, these.





Make cornmeal you can do it yourself.

Corn flour is much healthier than wheat, barley and rye flour.

After all, the store already has ready-made corn grits.

All you have to do is take a coffee grinder and corn grits and grind the required amount of flour.

Believe me, it's very simple and fast.

I tried to make it from corn grits. That is, not from whole grains, but from cereals - already crushed grains.

I have a modern, but Russian, Mikmma coffee grinder. I grind everything in it. But she had difficulty grinding corn grits, and did not grind them to fine flour. Still, a slight graininess remained. Probably, it would have been possible to finish grinding it if I tried longer, but it took a very long time, and I still couldn’t get real flour without grains. So I can say that this is problematic.

Only now we have started selling corn flour, it wasn’t there before. Quite good. So don't bother grinding it yourself.

If you currently do not have the opportunity to buy ready-made corn flour, you can order it online.

Flax seed has a very dense shell. But I also successfully grinded it in a powerful coffee grinder from an old German food processor. The result was real flaxseed flour. You can do the same with corn grits. It’s just that the volume of the coffee grinder is not large, so you’ll have to make several passes to get a sufficient amount of flour. Although, on pancakes or as an additive to some flour dish corn flour not much is needed.



Yes, it seems very simple, if you have corn grits and some kind of thresher, blender or coffee grinder. Pour corn grits into it and grind until it becomes flour. Don’t try to try it with corn grains, it won’t work, you must first dry the grains correctly.

This flour can be bought ready-made in the store, but it is better to prepare it at home with your own hands. This way you will know for sure that there are no impurities in the flour, that it was made from high-quality raw materials and was ground recently. This is not difficult to do. It is enough to grind raw materials, such as oatmeal or chickpeas. You can do this using the following gadgets.

– Coffee grinder: you will have to grind for a long time and in small portions, in addition, before doing this, the coffee grinder needs to be thoroughly rinsed from coffee residues and dried well.

– Flour grinder: a special gadget in which you can grind flour from any, even the hardest raw materials. A good flour grinder is not cheap and takes up space in the kitchen, but if you make your own flour all the time, then buying a quality gadget is worth it.

– Powerful blender: If you are thinking about upgrading to a new blender or this is your first purchase, it makes sense to immediately purchase a powerful gadget, such as a high-speed Moulinex LM936E10 – it is equipped with a unique knife with 6 blades that grinds any ingredient into powder, be it nuts, berries or even ice. In such a blender you can not only prepare smoothies or purees, but also flour.

1. Oatmeal

Beneficial features: contains vitamins B, E, phosphorus, zinc and manganese, it has a lot of fiber and enough protein, while having a low content of starch and gluten. In total, 100 g of product contains 13 g of protein, 6.8 g of fat and 65 g of carbohydrates.

What to cook with oatmeal: pancakes, pancakes, pancakes, porridge, cookies, casseroles, besides, oatmeal can act as a binder in the dough instead of chicken eggs when preparing vegan baked goods.

How to make oat flour: Place the oatmeal in a blender and blend until it becomes flour.

2. Buckwheat flour

Beneficial features: Buckwheat flour is an order of magnitude healthier than wheat flour, so we highly recommend using it for making pancakes and pancakes. It is hypoallergenic, gluten-free, and not as high in calories as regular one. Buckwheat flour, in fact, like buckwheat, contains a lot of useful microelements - vitamins B, E, P, iron, potassium, iodine.

What to cook with buckwheat flour: pancakes, pancakes, pancakes, casseroles, dumpling dough, savory and sweet pastries, use as breading. Please note that buckwheat flour produces baked goods and pancakes that are not as dense as wheat flour, but have a loose texture.

How to make buckwheat flour: Grind buckwheat into flour in a blender.

3. Chickpea flour

Beneficial features: This flour contains a lot of dietary fiber, which removes toxins and cleanses the intestines. So if you or your family are not eating enough vegetables and fruits, here is a solution. Fiber is especially important, according to nutritionists of all directions; if you eat meat and poultry, it will rid the body of the breakdown products of animal protein. Vitamin K contained in chickpea flour is an essential ingredient for the complete absorption of calcium. So the next time you make cheesecakes or cottage cheese casserole, use this instead of wheat flour.

What to cook with chickpea flour: pancakes, flatbreads, cookies, casseroles (tastes very similar to scrambled eggs), you can use it as a binder in vegan dough instead of chicken eggs.

How to make chickpea flour: Place the chickpeas on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the oven for 10 minutes, preheated to 180 degrees. Then cool the chickpeas, pour into a blender, grind into flour and sift through a sieve so that large fractions of the skin do not get into the flour.

4. Flaxseed flour

Beneficial features: like flax seeds, flax flour contains a lot of polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6, vegetable protein, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins A, E, H, D, group B, minerals - iron, calcium, sodium. Lingans contained in flax inhibit the growth of cancer cells. In addition, flaxseed flour has a general strengthening effect on the entire body. Please note that in production flour is made from seeds after extracting the oil, which makes it completely low-fat, but at the same time deprives it of many beneficial properties.

What to cook with flaxseed flour: cheesecakes, casseroles, add to dough for savory baked goods, minced meat, sauces, use as a breading for cutlets, meat and poultry, as a binder instead of chicken eggs in vegan baking.

How to make flaxseed meal: Place flax seeds in a blender or coffee grinder and grind to the consistency of flour.

5. Almond flour

Beneficial features: One of the important components of the substances in almond flour is vitamin B4 (choline), which is necessary for brain function and the normal functioning of the nervous system. In addition, this product contains many other vitamins and minerals - groups B, C, E, PP, potassium, magnesium, chromium, sulfur.

What to cook with almond flour: flour, like nuts, is very high in calories and fat, so ideally mix it with other types (for example, buckwheat, oatmeal, rice, amaranth). Already from this mix you can prepare pancakes, pancakes, pancakes, casseroles, muffins, sweet and savory pastries. Of course, the famous macaroni cakes are made from almond flour. You can find the recipe at this link.

How to make almond flour: Pour filtered water over the almonds for 20-30 minutes, then remove the skin from the nuts, place the nuts on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 10 minutes, preheated to 150 degrees. Then cool the almonds, pour into a blender and grind into flour, then sift through a sieve.

6. Amaranth flour

Beneficial features: it contains many different useful substances - vitamins A, D, E, C, PP, group B, magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, zinc, calcium. Amaranth flour is rich in antioxidants, so baking from it is not only tasty and healthy, but also rejuvenates the body. Don't forget that it is also gluten and cholesterol free, but does contain plant protein.

What to cook from amaranth flour: Due to the complete absence of gluten in amaranth flour, making bread or pastries from it alone is quite problematic. But in combination with other types, you will get an excellent dough for pancakes and flatbreads; it can be added to casseroles, cheesecakes, and breading. Porridge made from amaranth flour in the morning is a very healthy and satisfying breakfast.

How to make amaranth flour: Grind the amaranth grains in a blender into flour, if desired, sift through a sieve to get rid of large particles.

7. Rice flour

Beneficial features: Perhaps the most common type of flour for gluten-free baking, it is easily digestible and does not irritate the intestines. However, you need to remember that it is made from white flour, which means, like wheat, rice has a high glycemic index, and it belongs to “fast carbohydrates” - the sugar level jumps, then quickly decreases, causing a feeling of hunger. At home, you can use healthy brown rice to make flour, but for home production you will need a powerful blender - rice grains are very hard. Perfect option - blender Moulinex LM936E10, which we talked about at the beginning of the article.

What to cook with rice flour: biscuits, bread, buns, flatbreads, cookies, in general, replace wheat flour in usual recipes (rice flour will require more liquid, so its amount in the recipe needs to be increased slightly), you can add rice flour as a thickener to soups, sauces, gravies.

How to make rice flour: Place uncooked uncooked (dry) white or brown rice in a blender and grind into flour.

8. Coconut flour

Beneficial features: contains simply an indecent amount of fiber - 39 g per 100 g of product (for comparison: wheat contains only 3 g). Coconut is a nut, so it's high in protein, as is the flour made from it, making it a great ingredient for vegan dishes. Just keep in mind that the calorie content of the product is high - 466 kcal per 100 g, so you should not overuse dishes with coconut flour if you are protecting your figure. One of the significant advantages that can be mentioned is lauric acid. This is one of the most powerful natural antiviral substances that strengthens the immune system.

What to cook with coconut flour: Due to its slight stickiness, coconut flour requires more eggs (in vegan dishes, these can be replaced with flax or chickpea flour). You can make pancakes, pancakes, pancakes, flatbreads, casseroles, muffins, sponge cakes, cookies from it, add it to cheesecakes and vegetable cutlets.

How to make coconut flour: The easiest way to cook is from coconut flakes - just grind it in a blender. You can go the long way - buy coconuts, break the shells, drain the water, prepare coconut milk from the pulp, dry the remaining cake in the oven, and then grind it into flour.

9. Corn flour

Beneficial features: much healthier than wheat, rye and even rice flour. Corn flour helps intestinal function due to the large amount of fiber, thiamine in its composition improves brain performance and blood circulation, due to antioxidants it slows down cell aging, in addition, corn flour increases muscle growth, fights inflammation and improves complexion.

What to cook from corn flour: There are three types - fine, medium and coarse grinding. The first one produces delicious baked goods, bread, pancakes, pancakes and other sweet and savory baked goods. The medium one is perfect for casseroles, mashed potatoes, porridge, hominy and polenta. Coarse – ideal crispy breading for cutlets, meatballs, meat and poultry. Plus it's gluten free.

How to make cornmeal: The easiest way is to pour corn grits into a blender and grind into the desired flour. If you want to do everything yourself, you can buy dried corn kernels and grind them (only a powerful blender can handle this task, corn kernels are very hard).

10. Tapioca flour

Beneficial features: tapioca (aka cassava, cassava sago, cassava) is an incredibly healthy product, as is its flour. It contains a lot of protein, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. This flour helps strengthen bones, improve digestion, and relieve headaches and arthritis. In addition, tapioca has almost no fat and is completely gluten-free, which makes the product healthy and hypoallergenic.

What to cook with tapioca flour: it gives the dough the necessary stickiness, so tapioca flour should be mixed with other types of alternative flours that do not have stickiness (buckwheat, coconut, amaranth). From this mix (the ideal option is 1/3 tapioca flour to 2/3 other flour) you can prepare almost any sweet and savory baked goods and use it instead of wheat in regular recipes.

How to make tapioca flour: Place the dry tapioca balls in a blender, grind into flour, and sift through a sieve to remove any large particles.

As you can see, besides wheat, there are a huge number of other types of flour. All of them are very easy to prepare at home, including from such familiar products as buckwheat or rice. Such a variety of flours opens up a huge scope for culinary imagination for those who like to experiment in the kitchen. After all, now you need to try to make the branded charlotte or shortbread cookies in new versions...