The No-Meat Survival Food Pt. 1

New Instagram - @18thcenturycooking
In today's episode we demonstrate several methods for preparing parched corn, including methods from a pamphlet on maize written by Benjamin Franklin.
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[@nondisclosureable]

My great grandfather sometimes did a parched corn breakfast when camping. He'd throw the corn into the embers when banking the fire for the night. by the time dawn hit most of the embers were ash (or very close to it) and he would sift the corn out, pound it with a rock and blend it with a bit of water and any berries we had found the night before. This mash would be thick and fried up in his ever present cast iron skillet to something of a thick flatbread. It was a lot tastier than it sounds. Oh, and we used the corn classified as 'feed corn' which we grew for the farm livestock. It wasn't very appetizing cooked in modern methods very starchy and bland but it was lovely parched. He often left some of the larger coal bits in when he pounded the corn - he said the charcoal was 1. good for us and 2 would handle any impurities in the water that the heat didn't kill. I wouldn't trust this method with today's water contamination but it was fun as a kid. On long excursions we'd also use a floating filter in our canteens - a muslin pouch filled with pounded cat-tail stem fibers and charcoal. Each day you'd fish the pouch out with its string open it up and wash the cat-tail fibers and muslin free of he used charcoal then squeeze it out, dry by the fire during breakfast and then stuff fresh charcoal into the pouch, plunk it in your freshly filled skin or canteen. to drink you'd tug its string so it would 'block' the mouthpiece (usually we just tied them to the caps so remove the cap and it pulls the filter into position) then sip. the water passes through the three stage filtration pretty well and even earthy water pours out fairly clear. Generally the cat-tail fibers needed replacing every 2 weeks or so.

[@RichardColwell1]

I enjoyed reading this

[@zhiracs]

I don't know how long ago you were doing this, but I'll bbe damned if I'm not gonna make sure it experiences a revival.

[@namafarm]

Our Japanese friend told us how at the monistary she grew up in (her father was a monk) they would use a hunk of pure charcoal to purify a pitcher of drinking water as a filter.. your grandfather taught you well... the secret of Brita filters and of the Big Berkey water filters... layers of charcoal

[@tracischeelk29]

Thank you for sharing! I'll copy it. I'm designing a self-sustaining and adventurous life to soon come.

[@AndrewAce.]

That sounds like some OG camping...

[@tessat338]

An anthropologist studying the remains of native people in the Yucatan peninsula when looking at their teeth commented that people who ate a lot of stone-ground corn also ate a certain amount of corn-ground stone.

[@DAYBROK3]

Tessa T 🤔🤣

[@Razzy1312]

I've heard the same about many early breads from the BC era. The milling process would mix in tiny rock fragments and your average person in ancient history who subsisted on this bread would have ground their teeth down to a near unusable state if they reached late adulthood. Most Egyptian mummies are found to show damage to their teeth from this. It must have been very painful.

[@denofearthundertheeverlast5138]

Good thing they had a lot of coco plants, cocaine is just the thing to numb the gum and tooth enough that made puling not so bad, I imagine they also had chocolate, another good reason to make cocaine.

[@erad67]

Den Smith Cocaine and chocolate are made from different plants.

[@HipposHateWater]

@@denofearthundertheeverlast5138 Chewing the leaves the cocaine plant comes from gives you a caffeine-like sensation at best. There's a reason the active ingredient needs to be distilled to such an artificially-purified state to make you high.

[@SpiritSonic]

My mom just burned some popcorn in the microwave, so I had smell-o-vision for this video.

[@dhejdkdkdebjejdjdjs3523]

Intellectual dishonesty has no appeal to me.

[@The177Hunter]

Awesome

[@danner253]

@@dhejdkdkdebjejdjdjs3523 what?

[@AndrewAce.]

Lmao!

[@jaimep456]

@@danner253 he's no fun at parties

[@The4Crawler]

When a friend and I visited Peru in the late '80s, we stayed with a Quechua family high up in the Andes. They would throw whole cobs of dried native corn into the side of the fire. After cooling, they would remove the parched corn from the cob and put it in a small bag. The next day on the trail, our two guides would just eat that corn as they walked along. They gave us some and it was quite a nice snack. Tasted very much like Corn Nuts.

[@usngunr]

Without being as hard as a woodpeckers lips.

[@davidduke7677]

R Brown by

[@Kunailover101]

It's a very common snack and side dish, especially with ceviche. Adding salt to the corn is also optional.

[@alejandroguitierrez6860]

That is correct

[@llwweg]

I too have had this corn in Ecuador. They called the snack "Chochos" served in newspaper cones. Delicious 😋

[@darrenglover2126]

this channel changed the way I cook, for real.

[@StripeyType]

Me too!

[@MrGoatflakes]

*NUTMEG* *UTMEGN* *TMEGNU* *MEGNUT* *EGNUTM* *GNUTME*

[@Aramis419]

I've been following since day 1 of Townsend videos, and it's so great to see how the confidence, enthusiasm, and passion of the Townsend crew has finally broken through that unsure arctic ice of "I don't know if this is a good idea" and has become that bright, undaunted spirit, of "Heck, yeah! We can do this!" that we know today. Keep on keepin' on, Team Townsend!

[@roguishpaladin]

Two years later and I think he's transcended to "Let's be the best darn reenactment channel on KZbin". He's the perfect blend of accessible and documented, in my opinion.

[@justalurkr]

I always wonder how many preppers are here for post-grid collapse tips, especially for any vid with "survival" in the title! :-) No worries, just wondering. I'm still working on pemmican.

[@apocalypticwarrior9695]

👋👋👀

[@harlanmcdiarmid]

Adding you to the list..you didn't win anything I did. The list is of people i will rob when shtf...

[@lenoraperry7094]

Me!!!

[@silo7715]

Why not learn from the people whose everyday tasks were survival. The old ways are the tried and true.

[@harlanmcdiarmid]

@@silo7715 you on list too bro

[@nelumbonucifera7537]

The sand method has been used to make puffed rice in South/Southeast Asia for a very long time. Bonus is that no threshing or milling of the grain is required; the hull separates in the cooking process. There's no trace of sand in the end product.

[@Dracounius]

I have seen videos of popcorn making in india using sand method as well

[@Linconjo]

India is south Asia yuh dip

[@vidard9863]

It is basically a cheap substitute for oil. Quite ingenious.

[@dhejdkdkdebjejdjdjs3523]

Remember to add moisture to the sand beforehand.

[@dhejdkdkdebjejdjdjs3523]

Ayy. India is the sewer system of hell.

[@randallhawkinson4727]

WOW! Great presentation! Thank you for all your research! Out here at Monterey State Historic Park, we teach the 4th graders about the importance of corn in "Alta California" and how it was introduced by the Spanish (1770). With a population of mostly Hispanic, it's blows my mind that none of them know how corn is prepared for making the all important "flatbread" called a tortilla. The children grind the soaked corn with a "mano" (large oval shaped rock) on a matate (sloped grinding stone structure). They gather that up and form a matsa ball which is placed, then between a dampened piece of "recycled" linen and flattened in a small, wooden, hand press. They turn that over to us presenters for cooking on the brazier. Once cooked, they spread the butter that other classes made the day before in a churn. To see their eyes light up is worth far more than any amount of pay, especially since I'm volunteering. Thanks to this episode, I have a greater overall knowledge about corn and now have a wrath of info for my Civil War camp.

[@user-rd3rf3ft8e]

It's very sweet that some people still have this reverence for corn in America. When talking about it, you really show your appreciation for it, since it was the building block of your society and sometimes the only barrier between your people and utter hunger. My family in the Baltics still has this same reverence for beets and potatos. Its very easy to forget about the great importance of your local crop nowadays, with supermarkets filled with all manner of different foods, but I think its very important to still remember the role your native crop played in your local history. How many of my ancestors were saved during the great famines by a bunch of potatos and beets? Probably as much as yours were delivered from the hungry death by some parched corn and whatnot. May the fields of our lands always grow fat!

[@user-rd3rf3ft8e]

@@stevej71393 indeed! And sometimes these are very cool little ideas we shouldn't have forgotten! Like, by pure chance I learned that sometimes, when normal vegetables weren't available due to poor harvest for example, people in my country made pork stew with sweet apples instead of potatos and carrots like usually. So I tried making this dish and at least for my palette, it was pretty awesome! Now I know what I'll do when my garden fills with borderline inedible sour apples like it does every year. Instead of making compost I'm gonna fry them with some chicken or pork lol!

[@panzerabwerkanone]

This is by far the corniest episode of this series you have produced. Your knowledge of the subject is amaizeing. I found myself completely parched by the end.

[@joanhummingbird3190]

Brings back memories. I'm an eastern tribe, my grandmother would spend days preparing corn to the right consistency. Once her stash of corn had been processed she would store to make different foods. She was a master of her craft

[@TheWoodedBeardsman]

Looking forward to part 2!

[@charlieh9725]

Love your channel

[@c.j.taylor3241]

Me too

[@Mermaider]

Dislike until I see part 2!

[@kenkaneki7675]

I didn't know that you watched this dude

[@LowdownBoy]

Me too

[@MrGoatflakes]

For those like me who have heard of nixtamalization but not hominy, apparently hominy corn is basically corn that has been nixtamalized, i.e. soaked in an alkali solution such as lye, wood ash or preferably hydrated lime. Which frees niacin, adds calcium if lime is used, frees iron and other minerals for the body and improves amino balance by removing zein protein. It also removes quite a lot of the poisonous aflatoxins which can arise from mold in the corn, and these poisons can cause liver cancer, particularly when combined with hepatitis or other liver irritation. Hominy or nixtamalized corn meal also will make a dough when mixed with water, whereas un-nixtamalized corn will not. Nixtamalization or lack of it and related technologies the Amerinds employed, such as eating beans with corn, is important to understand many historical occurrences, right up into the 20th century. Even fairly recent African famines where corn was grown or provided but wasn't nixtamalized because no one knew to and neither did they know to also eat beans with the corn, which balances the amino acids in the diet. Maize is deficient in some and beans other ones. These two practices and the lack of them explains why even though Indians can live well on corn and beans (and squash, for vitamin C, and folate etc.), often with very little else, whereas people new to these crops often suffered from diseases such as scurvy, (vitamin C deficiency), pellagra (niacin deficiency), kwashiorkor (famine belly, caused by inadequate amino acids/protein intake) or even starved to death.

[@sockmon1]

[@njmite2765]

Yes that is what i was wondering is there any other way to render corn safe to eat or is nuxtamalize the only way

[@kathyyoung1774]

Wow. Thank you for that research. Good to know.

[@amymihaly765]

Thank you for this! I was wondering how nixtamalization played into this. I was thinking if that process was done at all, it would have to be done before the browning and drying of the corn. Your comment is so helpful!

[@andrewaronson3364]

Soaked in wood?

[@rlt94]

A few other things that were done with the corn plant itself historically (and possibly in the 18th century) were adding corn pollen to soups, pressing the pith within the stalks and reducing the juice into syrup, dry kernels were roasted as a coffee substitute, the husks were brewed into a diuretic tea, and young corn silk (the female flower) was eaten as a fresh vegetable. One thing done today, that again might have been done then as well (though I am not sure) is using the dried cobs as a smoking "wood" for meats, imparting a toasty and sweet aroma.

[@RBGlider1970]

In the boy scouts we had access to un harvested field corn. We cooked over the fire in a pot, until it was almost totally dried and puffed a bit. Good stuff, Almost like the modern commercial corn nut. Excellent video as always.

[@BanZandar]

I would also suggest covering Nixtamalization when talking about Parched corn as it was also used by Native Americans. It adds more nutrition to the corn. As a matter of fact the Indians of the west coast and and canada would take the rehydrated corn and place in a warm not hot pan or clay pot and slowly cook this corn till it was dried out and you could then eat it like a candy. they would also add salt to it.

[@kathyyoung1774]

BanZandar I have freeze dried whole kernel corn, and it tastes like candy. However, I have not found a good way to store it because vacuum sealing doesn’t work. The kernel holds its shape, so not all air can be removed.

[@johnsexton5066]

My Grandmother had what looked like a castiron can on a rotissorie rod. She could put her corn in that and turn it over the fire until well roasted(parched). She did it once for me and let me turn it. It was fun and after ground into cornmeal she made cornmeal cracklin bread that was to die for.

[@johnree6106]

That sounds like an old fashioned popcorn maker it was cast iron and you just flipped it in the fire.

[@christophergeissler1635]

I'm struck by how similar this is to tsampa, the roasted barley flour that is a staple food in Tibet and the Himalayas. Tsampa is made by roasting barley grains in a large metal pan, then grinding it. It's sometimes made into a porridge, but is most commonly eating by mixing with water or butter tea into a doughy consistency and formed into little balls that are eaten directly. Like the corn you describe here, tsampa is high-energy, stores well, and is very light and quick to prepare when you're traveling. It was and remains popular across Tibetan and related societies, but is especially useful for nomads. In the traditional agricultural system, farmers grew barley for tsampa and traded with nomads who produced meat and dairy (including a light, dense dried cheese) from yak and other animals in a mutually beneficial relationship.

[@jasminej292]

Back in India we still use sand to cook the corn for popcorn, puffed rice, peanuts and chickpea to roast the same method as you are using with the sand. It taste amazing. Thanks for your all videos, they are very interesting.

[@metralla]

how do you get rid of the sand on the popcorn?

[@jasminej292]

You put it through sieve that is with little big holes compared to flour sieve. This will ensure to get rid of the sand or salt and you will have clean popcorn.

[@blursedoftimes]

I saw videos about that, it was so cool. I was totally confused until I saw it in action.

[@collinsashley1990]

panzerfausto that's amazing

[@menghao737]

What do you think about just using salt? Seems like it works just as well, with the added bonuses of no sand grit stuck in popped kernals and self-flavoring.

[@lifestudent55]

Just a thought, but the last method of parching corn in the embers might work better if the corn was still on the cob.

[@censusgary]

And still wrapped in the corn husks.

[@lifestudent55]

Good point. That would add flavor and keep the kernels from getting ashes all over them.

[@Grosserracker]

But still what do you expect? "Ey we ain't got a pan over here what should be do it now?" - "who needs a pan anyway, throw it into the the fireplace and pick it out later"

[@michaelscott7963]

Parched corn for me is to eat it as is. Pick through and get the cracked one and eat it like a snack. Grind up the uncracked, add enough water to make patty and ash cake it. Nutty, crunchy, smokey, and a little bit sweet. Do not eat in large amounts the corn will drink everything you do. I have made a Cream of Wheat style gritsy thing by boiling ground parched corn til thick and it was OK but I prefer real grits. Steel or iron skillet a must and if you do it inside you get to check your smoke alarms.

[@kathyyoung1774]

michael scott Thank you for this info.

[@updownstate]

Let's get together after the plague.

[@bobspencer2990]

Jon, a solution for you re parching corn directly on the coals...from The Anthropological Papers of the Museum of Natural history, Vol. XV, Part II, article by Gilbert L. Wilson, The Horse and the Dog in Hidatsa Culture, testimony of Wolf-Chief: "I also parched two of the ears of corn I had brought. I made a little bed of coals, laid the ears of corn upon it, and rolled them around until they were parched corn." Also by the same author, Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden, testimony of Buffalo Bird Woman: "We parched the whole ears, sometimes, of ripe soft white and soft yellow corn. We had many squash spits piled up in the rear of the lodge behind the beds; these made excellent roasting sticks. The ear was stuck on the end of the stick and held over the coals. "Parching ripe corn on the ear was a winter custom; but boys herding horses in the summer also parched whole ears sometimes for their midday lunch."

[@masterkillx]

"it got maybe a little more brown" you mean burnt?

[@michalvalta5231]

This is 21st century, saying "black" is a hatecrime now. :DD

[@alexshadowfax1119]

Burnt equals flavor! And the ash is good for digestion

[@mayharmon6948]

I like it very dark or even black. To me, that tastes great. I also like English muffins that way.

[@oldgoat1890]

Corn dried in the attic also turns brown/black. Not burnt.

[@masterkillx]

@@oldgoat1890 it's burnt ok no if and or buts

[@BodhiCalypso]

That moment when I realized I was shaking my iPad to separate the sand from the popcorn.

[@censusgary]

I think you have the heat too high under your frying pan, Jon. My understanding is that parched corn is toasted (slightly browned), not blackened.

[@andrewknight4864]

Your videos are so relaxing and entertaining! Keep up the great work!

[@MythicGirl2210]

Is your profile picture from Harvest Moon..? XD I love that game!

[@LOUDcarBOMB]

@@MythicGirl2210 Yeah, I thought that too, though it's probably from Harvest Moon 2 on the Gameboy Color. Sucks that the devs of the old "Harvest Moon" type games are now being called "Story of Seasons" games due to copyright bs from Natsume that holds the "Harvest Moon" license and are bad.

[@knocknockify]

4:25 "it got just a little more brown" uhhh okay lol

[@Ducaso]

Cooking it with salt instead of using oil over a campfire is genius! I'm definitely trying it at the next bonfire, I love popcorn!

[@susanfox3007]

I shall remember this episode when my family criticizes me for chewing on the "old maid" unpopped kernels on our movie night. I'm not cheap, I'm doing historical re-creation! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[@bobspencer2990]

Jon, there is more info in Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden about parching corn in sand as Franklin described: "We sometimes parched hard yellow corn in a clay pot of our own make, with sand. Down on the sand bars by the Missouri we found clean, pure sand; if I wanted to parch hard yellow, I put a handful of this sand in my clay pot. "The pot I now set on the coals of the fire place until the sand within was red hot. With a piece of old tent skin to protect my hand, I drew the pot a little way from the coals and dropped a double handful of corn within. I stirred the corn back and forth over the sand with a little stick. "When I thought the corn was quite heated through, I put the pot back on the coals again, still stirring the corn with the stick. Very soon all the kernels cracked open with a sharp crackling noise; they burst open much as you say white man's popcorn does."

[@GarouLady]

Backwoodsman magazine, Grit Magazine, and Backwoodshome magazines all had excellent articles on making parched corn. You had your fire waayy too hot. You are basically just toasting, browning your corn slowly to drive out what moisture there is. You burnt almost all your corn you had. Charcoal's good for the system and all but even that much would give me a stomach ache. BUT I am totally loving the idea of popping the corn using salt. You could even do this in home made clay pots instead of metal kettles if you were in the wild. A good way to pop or winnow any wild grains or seeds you might fine. That being said parched corn is an awesome food. If you had to you can pound it up, add it to some water and drink it where it swells in your tummy, making you feel full with less.

[@admirathoria0073]

Salt popped corn is mentioned in the Little House on The Prairie books

[@rickschreiber1181]

GarouLady nn

[@ae4164]

The last thing you mentioned sounds like uncooked polenta. Try cooking it with some spices, it's a lot more tasty and might fill you up even more. A lot of Italian immigrants made it through the Great Depression with polenta, and as someone with a pretty big appetite I felt like there was a brick in my stomach after eating a full plate of it.

[@popespalace823]

based corgi

[@phxtonash]

I was burning brush and some old weeds one time, and what looked exactly like tiny popcorn kernels started popping out. They were a fifth the size of regular popcorn. And the plant that it came from did not have Cobbs. I tasted some, tasted like popcorn haven't found that stuff in a long time

[@kristinwright6632]

In addition to removing the husk and changing the flavor making hominy (posole) the process of soaking in lye releases a lot of nutrients vastly improving the food value.

[@dwwolf4636]

Kristin Wright Mainly it frees up the bound form of Niacin in corn so it can be used by the human body. The mexican way of using slaked lime also introduces calcium.

[@dwwolf4636]

its still not a complete protein intake in itself. you would need to add beans or meat for that.

[@kristinwright6632]

Agreed. Corn is not a form of protein. I was just mentioning that the nixtamal process is a vast improvement over just eating corn.

[@dwwolf4636]

Kristin Wright It is a protein source just as much as bread is. It just doesnt supply amino acids of all types in the correct amounts of each needed if you were to get most of your caloric intake from grains. Thats why historically corn plus beans was a major food staple combo all over the world. ref. the 3 sisters of some native american tribes : corn/beans/squash.

[@jbeargrr]

Dwwolf, processing ​the corn with lye has nothing to do with protein. It's to unlock the niacin, a B vitamin, not a protein.

[@Echowhiskeyone]

Excellent video. I remember my grandpa showing us kids the old way to make a basic corn meal to make mush. Starred as you have shown, then grind the corn between stones, sift and add to water with salt to make mush. Top with molasses and eat. Also, my grandma, and many others, used a corn drier to dehydrate the corn. The drying takes about 24 hours over heat. This dried corn can be stored for a very long time without going bad, at least 10 years, if stored properly. To use it, rehydrate in water over night or longer like you would beans. My grandma prepared it like creamed corn. I have my great grandmothers drier and every few years make dried corn for use over the next few years.

[@qislegit.donttrustthemedia6232]

My favorite part about bagged microwaved popcorn is the unpopped/half popped burnt bits at the bottom of the bag. This looks wonderful.

[@christopherwilson5671]

People pounded parched corn to make an instant ftype of corn mush, just add hot water, and what ever else you have on hand, to make a simple meal.

[@darrenglover2126]

that is truly impressive. this channel mainly opened my eyes to dehydration and food preservation, but never to the level that you are taking it:-)

[@shanek6582]

I've read about frontiersmen eating parched corn for 30 years and have tried to figure it out myself, looked for recipes, and even watched KZbin videos of other people guessing. Thanks so much, this actually completes a small journey I've been on for a long time.

[@butsukete1806]

In regard to the first method, from my coffee roasting experience you get more even heating by using a deeper skillet and larger batch sizes that trap the heat, rather than just a single layer like in the video. Also, stir slowly but constantly to prevent charring.

[@shelleynobleart]

How utterly delightfully surprising! It's only this wonderful channel that could surprise with long forgotten ways. Incredibly satisfying to see recreated.

[@mikejones6898]

my dad born 1921. parched corn in hot lard. it was still quite hard

[@PipeOPhile]

I love your channel Mr Townsend, thank you for making these videos for us

[@Dexterity_Jones]

I really, really enjoy the experimental and learning. Trying to learn new (old) cooking methods and seeing how things turn out. Very cool.

[@agingintobeauty]

Nixtamalization involves using ash to remove the outer skin of the corn. This makes the B vitamins bioavailable. I have long wondered how the Native Peoples figured this out. But I think I get it now. This is a fantastic episode. Thanks for the meat free series. Can't get enough!

[@jrppark1]

Lye in hominy making also makes the niacin bioavailable for humans to absorb. With out altering the corn the niacin is not able to be absorbed, which is why many ppl used to get pellagra from niacin deficiency when the had a largely corn based diet.

[@arthas640]

I heard alot of early settlers got really sick trying to survive on corn instead of wheat, because they didnt know you had to soak it in lye before making it into bread (like tortillas)

[@dhejdkdkdebjejdjdjs3523]

Cock-a-doodle doo! Said the rooster.

[@mariabyrne7222]

lye is something we use in washing clothes or did in the uk, they made it out of lime putty. we not talking about the same thing are we?

[@michaelreed7828]

@@mariabyrne7222 Or made from wood ash, either or - but yes, sodium or potassium hydroxide caustic lye. In the case of Hominy corn, you can use slaked lime directly. using lime actually "fortifies" the corn with a bit of calcium.

[@mariabyrne7222]

@@michaelreed7828 didn't realise you could use it to process food, but I only knew you could fertilize a field for growing veg and potato and things.

[@julesmbc]

Just found your channel, and I absolutely appreciate and am thankful for your knowledge, passion for history, and positivity!

[@thaddeuslindsay5872]

Never stop doing the very important work you do. Keep them coming!!!

[@CrimsonStrider]

As he was talking about sand I was thinking "hmm, salt would probably work just as well, if not better". heh.

[@kitcatters]

now i want popcorn

[@jasonbean7296]

kitcat, yes.

[@slaughtergang518]

kitcat Im actually eating popcorn when I clicked this video lol. With Sriracha and cheese btw yummy

[@siggyschlimmfinger3822]

me too....:)

[@thomasfeck188]

better Popcorn than the other way around ;-)

[@psleep4255]

The thorough preparation and history never cease to amaze me in your videos. Thank you for all your time and hard work. I love corn and I’m going to try one or more of these methods. Will get back to you with results! I love learning and I can’t wait to view your videos. Not many like you on KZbin. IMHO. ❤️👏🏻

[@mojojojo6852]

I find your drive incredible and so admirable.. your passion is what makes this channel and every single video I've seen so far so enjoyable. Listening to you is pure gold for the soul. I discovered your channel maybe two weeks ago and since then have watched at least three videos of you per day. I thank you, sir, for your efforts. All the best wishes from Southern Germany.

[@adreabrooks11]

If I may offer a suggestion: when cooking with ashes, be sure to bury what you're cooking. This minimizes the oxygen that gets to the food, and prevents it from burning. I've done this many times with roasted acorns and nuts, and I suspect it would work equally well with corn kernels. On the flip-side, I'm now curious if your sand technique will work with the acorns... Alternatively, leave fresh corn inside the husk, and the leaves will retain the moisture, making a roasted (rather than parched) corn on the cob. This technique can be used for almost anything, and a wrapping of fresh leaves (a weave of cattail reeds, to use an American example) is something that has been used worldwide by various folk, to cook everything from meat and fish to succulent fruits without getting (much) ash in your food. Also, thanks for mentioning hominy. I had never heard of it, as grits and the like aren't overly common up here in Canada (though I've eaten my share of tortillas). Lye always struck me as something one would want to keep away from foodstuffs, and my reaction is rather like if you had suggested soaking my corn in bleach - but this appears to be a common and desirable thing! Colour me astounded! Once again, your videos are broadening my horizons and encouraging me to research new materials.

[@oldmech619]

In India, puff rice is sometimes made by popping rice in sand.

[@Tsiri09]

This is better than all the "survivalist" videos. What we call "survival," they called living.

[@ThatQatPerson]

I love parched corn. My granny and her brothers used to make and eat it when we would visit them in WVa. My great uncle would just salt the cooked kernels and eat them. So yummy.

[@ralphgriesenbeck6961]

First Maize not Maze. Native Americans used ash of specific plants to make the lye to produce hominy. Processing it this way helped avoid pellagra caused by lack of niacin.

[@fartcat8569]

Ralph Griesenbeck What about the amazing maize maze in Manassas?

[@lonewolf209]

It's maize in the modern spelling, yes, but in the time period he is talking about spelling was less standardized. In fact, the particular pamphlet he is talking about spells it mayz. books.google.com/books?id=wWUUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA306&lpg=PA306&dq=benjamin+franklin+the+sand+is+separated+by+a+wire+sieve&source=bl&ots=QZLsB6xAUr&sig=cUAkEsFMOGa291UdrLO-TA7KMVA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi7yJbz5qfUAhXHOiYKHaZjBWYQ6AEIJDAA#v=onepage&q=benjamin%20franklin%20the%20sand%20is%20separated%20by%20a%20wire%20sieve&f=false

[@GrandpasPlace]

They used the ash of hardwood trees. There are a couple of ways to do it. One is to take a box with a hole in the bottom, line it with small rocks, then dry grass on top of that, you then add the ashes ontop of the grass. You will need several inches of ashes. Pour water on top and let it drain through the ashes catching it in a pot under the box. Boil the collected lye water to evaporate about 1/2 of it. When you put an egg in it, the egg should float with about a quarter sized area above the water line. Cook the corn in the lye water. You want 1/2" of lye water above the corn. Boil it for 1 hour then set it and allow to cool overnight. The next morning you drain the lye water off and wash the corn vigorously. You want to wash it tell the water remains clear. If you grind it wet it makes masa dough, id you dry it and grind it you have grits. Dry it will keep for ever in a cool dry place and can be added to soups and other dishes. That same lye extraction method was used up to the 1900's and the lye water was used for making hominy, soap, sometimes in biscuits, and for cleaning. The only bit of that puzzle I dont know is what that box was called. lol I have done it with a plastic bucket and drilled holes. I have made hominy this way many times.

[@shanek6582]

I always get a kick out of you people hat correct folks about calling it corn instead o maize, or in your case, maize spelled wrong. There were over 600 Native American languages when the whites got here, I'm sure has had hundreds of names besides maize.

[@RealityBitesAgain]

It did have many names, but the word "maize" comes from the Spanish word that comes from Taino, since the Spanish first encountered the plant in the Caribbean.

[@sticedalton]

You sounded like Christopher Walken at 10:26 "Well Documented"

[@KASSISHOT]

I love this format for the episodes! it's so dynamic and I love that we kind of get to see a more real side of you as you figure these things out on the fly, love your guy's work please keep it up!

[@rideswithscissors]

Nice video, so inspiring that I broke out my 3 year old stash of corn I grew and cut off the cob and dehydrated. That corn takes forever to cook in boiling water. So I threw some in my 10" cast iron skillet and made a batch, toasting the kernels to a nice brown color. Holy moley! Delicious, and edible long before boiled corn would be ready, saving time and fuel. I cant wait to see how they are used in the next video, but I am munching out on the plain parched kernels as I type this, and I can't stop! Now I am going to pound the rest to little pieces and see what kind of beverage I can come up with.

[@D4n0w4r]

CORN NUTS

[@misterhat5823]

Yes.

[@Elazul2k]

Corn Nuts are actually made from the ground up broken teeth of others whom have broken teeth trying to eat Corn Nuts... lol...

[@pomfret_and_pommes_frites_6493]

got any 18th century bbq or nacho flavor powder?

[@eveny119]

Yellow King: Yes its just like the video but fried in oil with salt. Very crunchy.

[@misterhat5823]

I once made some by dehydrating hominy that I soaked it salt water and then deep fried. Very close to the real thing, but it's easier and cheaper to just buy a bag of Corn Nuts.

[@RobertFireLionBlueHawkWinkler]

Yep, I carry small linen bags of parched corn and parched peas in my EDC bag.

[@Hedgehobbit]

Robert Winkler Do you start with dried peas? (the kind you buy in a bag in the bean section)

[@RobertFireLionBlueHawkWinkler]

No, I get bags of frozen corn and peas, then dehydrate them and then parch them. Ground corn and peas can be used in many woodland recipes.

[@joestrummer4106]

Electric daisy carnival bag?

[@dannyhanny1191]

Excellent episode and series. I enjoy the multi-focus of cooking it different ways, and using different starting bases.

[@userprime1907]

I never knew there were so many different kinds of corn. Every time I watch one of your videos I learn something new. Thanks for making such wonderful and informative videos.

[@suzisaintjames]

Re: Ben Franklin's sand method.... Didn't ol' Ben have wooden teeth? ❤🌅🌵

[@qualqui]

Aha! Toasting the corn and then grinding it ya say? This reminds me of a staple of my people which we call 'pinole'(pronounced: pee-no-lay), toasted the corn, then ground up on a stone metate, with the aid of a stone handle, it was then saved away in a deerskin pouch, basket or clay pot and taken by war and hunting parties, also by pochteca(traders), when dusk arrived the people would bring out the pinole, put it in a claypot, add water and they'd have a quick and yummy porridge to drink with their camp meal. Later on with the introduction of cinnamon and sugar, the pinole make would mix in sugar, maybe cinnamon and you'd have an instant candy.

[@alinamhensley]

I love the anachronism of being able to see the outline of a cell phone through his breeches pocket. Too good.

[@spectacularbear]

clearly it's a tin of something or other... 😉

[@jessehall9816]

I love trying these old school recipes, thank you for all your work

[@Ultracity6060]

When I heard that method, I didn't think, "this isn't gonna work," because I watch Good Eats. :p Boy oh boy, though, the salt method is a huge upgrade.

[@hallfiry]

The sand-cooked corn might be edible right away. I'd just avoid chewing it to preserve your teeth. Some sand in your stomach won't be any problem, after all.

[@lonewolf209]

When you think about it, even grinding corn on the big grinding stones that many natives used would have left little bits of rock, essentially sand, in the grain so it's not much different. In fact we know it happened a lot because anthropologists can see the damage on teeth from it.

[@the-chillian]

lonewolf209 I was going to point this out myself, but you beat me to it.

[@lonewolf209]

True and I would never recommend it for a long-term food source, but I doubt doing it once or twice for an experiment like this would make too much difference.

[@erikstephanou2638]

What about putting it on water, so the popped corn will float , the sand will sink and you will have porridge

[@qualqui]

lonewolf209, I was gonna say nay to this method, but you make a great point,....my grandma had a metate, a big heavy stone slab, carved out of black rock(basalt or some other volcanic rock?) and she had the handle(don't remember its name), well the metates brought brand new were bumpy, with little holes and grooves in their surface area, but considering my grandma's age when she married gramps 22 years up onto the moment she quit cooking, may she rip, 81 years of age that's 59 years of grinding, it is no longer filled with holes or grooves, its almost as smooth as a baby's skin!

[@HuusHuus-zc2zl]

My favorite pop corn is the bottom of the microwave pop corn bag. I love the corn that haven't been popped all the way.

[@dgehosky]

I've been watching this channel for a couple of weeks and it is some of the best programing on KZbin. It is informative, friendly, educational and fun to watch.

[@TrevHolland]

That sand method is a fairly common way to make puffed rice, too. Here's a video showing that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHnJpoGrd8unqKM

[@groovass65]

Drink every time he says "corn"...

[@danielzamiar9914]

I nut

[@-oiiio-3993]

Parched corn is very popular among the Dine' (Navajo) to this day. When I worked vendor routes (I was 'Breadman', then the 'Water Guy') on the 'Rez'I often bought bags of parched corn from roadside vendors or was given handfulls by clients.

[@dstock2010]

The process here was so cool and so much what makes this channel special. You did some research and experimentation and then more people added information and experiences. Well done to all. Keep up the good work.

[@xXMeecrobXx]

To get popcorn out of most corn kinds, just add oil...

[@JS-wp4gs]

'Thats going to do some interesting things' Yeah....to peoples GI tracts

[@موسى_7]

I keep thinking GI tract has something to do with soldiers when it means gastrointestinal!

[@alexshadowfax1119]

Popcorn and ash are both great for your GI tract

[@timkibben8004]

Thanks again for another educational video! Appreciate the candor in your experimentation. Looking forward to next week!

[@mnirwin5112]

I stumbled over this channel by accident and am so glad I did. It is really fascinating.

[@chigimonky]

This episode was corny. No it was aMazeing.. I'll see myself​ out

[@Mokey56001]

I seed what you did there. ;)

[@justalurkr]

chigimonky playing you off... :D

[@MonkeyspankO]

i have to husk you for clarification

[@melissamenchaca9121]

chigimonky round of applause 👏

[@greatestever184]

chigimonky go sit in the corner. XD

[@mtodd4723]

~~~I got unsubscribed got lucky and found you again .~~~

[@Elvistek]

This channel is absolutely amazing... the idea of it.. the environment,, the costumes... everything

[@raychang8648]

Hello, Jon. I don't often comment on your videos but I watch (and love) all of them. I like to make parched corn with a little salted butter in a pan and let them puff up, while stirring constantly. My dad used to make it using a dutch oven in the oven. I buy ears of sweet corn and pull the husks down but don't completely "shuck" them off. I let them dry for a number of weeks until you can easily twist the kernels off into a screen sieve. Then, I set my air conditioner to a low temperature and go outside to use my heat pump fan to blow away the chaff. Keep up the good videos, Jon. I really love your channel, idea, hobby, and presentation!!!

[@BlankPicketSign]

I WANTED TO SEE HIM EAT SAND!!!!!

[@Miller_Time]

Lmao

[@nicolemarly6202]

Hello survival daddy

[@elitroyer7261]

popcorn daddy

[@cloudstrife7349]

Nicole Marly You must know a lot about survival.

[@r1fftastic]

Good ol' Nicole

[@Survive1llc]

I look forward to these, every video.

[@Jcolinsol]

hello sand mama.

[@GraniteValleyDave]

I loved this episode and can't wait for more in the series! :) Thanks!

[@nicolekatsitsiyo]

Hi! First of all I do want to say how much I enjoy your videos and how much time and effort you put into them. I've learned so much from watching them. However I would like to point out that wording it that the people indigenous to the Americas "only used simply clay pots that they fashioned themselves" perpetuates the idea that Native culture is lesser and not complex, when the very opposite is true. We were the ones who cultivated corn as a crop over thousands of years. As a Haudenosaunee woman I take great pride in my culture, traditional foods, and peoples' history and also, frankly, how great we were at using materials found in nature. It's just a clay pot, not a "simple clay pot". And even if we had some cooking devices other than pottery, we still would have "fashioned" them "ourselves". Thank you for making these video, but please do try to think of your wording when talking about the peoples native to this land. Thanks!

[@benny_lemon5123]

This is such a neato dive into history. Can't wait to see how it turned out!

[@laurabeattie3628]

I appreciate your videos especially ones like this. In an age were people are prepping or preparing, having the knowledge on how people survived in the past is needed. I would love to see more.

[@ninabittrolff]

I love learning about these things and you never know when it might come in handy.

[@jasonandkids5889]

I'm a fan...great content for several years now...keep up the great work Townsend

[@MrChadillac89]

You seem like you really enjoy what you're doing! That's fantastic! Keep up the great work!

[@gregbeeman2077]

My grandmother parched cob dried sweet corn by the bushels. Try to winnow out the loose stuff after you shell it. We ate loads of it, but it can be hard on the stomach if you don't chew it thoroughly and drink water. We used a tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet to help even out the heat. Didn't hurt the flavor either. Use low heat and stop before it turns bronze. It will keep cooking a long after you take it out of the skillet. I've left it in my hunting pack from one year to the next and didn't notice too much degradation in the flavor.

[@curtisthomas2670]

Parched regular corn was a popular snack with kids couple decades ago, used to be sold in schools and small shops, usually in brown paper cones with a pinch of salt, in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean islands. Brings back childhood memories. Thanks for the video.

[@psycholocke4090]

great video with great content, covering both reenactment and survival/preppers

[@DaRazorback]

Great video, learned a lot and was entertained throughout as always. Can't wait until next week.

[@kirkmorrison6131]

I use to parch corn when I was in my late teens and through my 20s. I would use flour dent and it would puff up to 3 or 4 times it's previous size. I did it on the grill setting the frying pan on the coals. I would eat it hiking, hunting and fishing.

[@jamesgrosch8621]

The way I parch corn is to par-boil sweet corn (green field corn will do). This sets the sugars. Then you can cut the kernels off the cob and sun dry them. I prefer to dry the kernels on the cob, then shell and winnow them. The end product can be re-hydrated in boiling water (tastes like fresh corn on the cob), or eaten dry as a confection.

[@DreamGyrl360]

I'm so happy to have found this channel! What a wealth of information!