Wood Ash Corn Nixtamalization

[@tonyescobar4501]

Add a little fat / lard aka manteca to the masa to get it to ply rather than just water. That’s best for tamale masa. Tortillas can be fried or you could stone bake them. I’m Apache and learned our cousins -the Navajo used stone “ovens” to bake the corn masa.

[@debtizzano3066]

Render pure lard ,not store stuff. ❤

[@kevinwhite4079]

@@debtizzano3066 Deb is right. Believe it or not, home rendered pork fat is a lot more heart healthy.

[@petiesabala1077]

You’re the first when I come across to use the wood ash method thank you for all your hard work

[@radicalgastronomy]

Petie Sabala Well thanks! I’m glad to be helpful.

[@MarioPerez-nz8xf]

Hello beautiful I wouldn't put water I would put bacon Grease or traditional lard

[@alfredfabulous3640]

@@MarioPerez-nz8xf results in heart attacks!

[@MarianLuca-rz5kk]

​@@radicalgastronomy Isn't the corn impregnated with the potassium carbonate from the ash? Is that healthy? Can we nixtamalize more gently with sodium bicarbonate ?

[@81peyote]

As a former chef turned Mississippian archaeologist I gotta say, brother you are tearing it up in this video. Excellent job!

[@radicalgastronomy]

dale pate A million thanks!

[@dannunyas5642]

I have a couple five gallon buckets of Cherokee gourdseed corn I grew in my garden. Tried this method and it's incredible the change in flavor. Lot of people going to revert to the old ways with food skyrocketing. Love your videos.

[@MarianLuca-rz5kk]

Isn't the corn impregnated with the potassium carbonate from the ash? Is that healthy? Can we nixtamalize more gently with sodium bicarbonate ?

[@paulmcwhorter]

Thanks for the video. Growing up, the Mexicans on our ranch would make the hominy outside in large pots over a fire. They would mix equal parts corn, ash and water in a large pot. Like 5 gallons corn, 5 gallons water and 5 gallons ash in a big huge pot, and then cook over a fire all day. Then lots of rinsing. Really was delicious hominy. What are your thoughts of having the corn and ash together like that, all in the same pot?

[@radicalgastronomy]

Hey, if it works, it works. I like it.

[@paulousley6042]

Can you dry the corn after Nixtamalization to make flour to store or is this just a process if you want it fresh?

[@ExtremePrepper]

@@paulousley6042 Absolutely. If you dry the corn after Nixtamalization, and do a course grind on the dry corn you have 'Grits'. You see 'Grits' sold by Quaker in the grocery store. Those are ground, dried Nixtamalized corn. If you grind the dry Nixtamalized corn finely, you have 'Masa' also sold in the grocery store. Masa is what tortillas, corn chips, and Hot Tamales are made out of. So, you can see the Mexicans really had it figured out. Most mexican dishes are made from Nixtamalized corn.

[@paulousley6042]

@@ExtremePrepper okay cool, been making tortillas for a while wanted to try my hand at growing corn and making my own Masa. Couldn't find an answer on the steps to make the flour after Nixtamalization, if letting the corn dry retained the nutrients from that process

[@paulmcwhorter]

@@paulousley6042 Here is the thing. If you are making tortillas, you make them directly from the wet nxtamalized corn. While it is still wet, just smash it up. Add a little salt, flatten it out in a tortilla press and throw it on the griddle. That 100% is the authentic honest to goodness Mexican way of doing it. You can dry it, then grind it fine, and then add the water back, but you are just adding steps. I will guarantee you this . . . it will be the best tortilla you ever had. Funny thing is I live in Africa, and 80% of the diet here is corn, yet they never adopted Nixtamalization. Sad, as it is really needed.

[@memowilliam9889]

Cook the tortilla until almost done then put into a basket with a thick towel. This is not just to keep them warm. This causes them to steam and finish cooking but giving you a softer texture than if you toasted entirely.

[@radicalgastronomy]

Chris Stafford Good tip!

[@OvGraphics]

RG. You didn't pop up in my feed. I went looking for you. Found you too! Looks to me like your grind was a little coarse. But what do I know? I've never tried ANY of this. Zip. Nada. So I've been doing my earnest SHTF research on this and that with corn products being a priority. I have the pickling lime but then the question..what about when that runs out? Your video is EXACTLY what I was looking for. No nonsense, step by step prehistoric wood ash conversion. I'm as tickled as a speckled pup that I ran across you. And you're a GREAT video shooter too. Wish I was as good. I have or will have access to everything I need by harvest. Got the Indian feed corn seed on the way this early spring. You also cleared up my grits question. You did good for me RG. Took notes all through the presentation. Really appreciated!! Liked and subscribed! Norm

[@drjwebber619]

Now THAT is what I call farm to table. "From scratch" doesn't even begin to describe this. Well done!

[@radicalgastronomy]

Why, thank you!

[@peterswatton7400]

I've got rainwater, ash from the wood range and corn from the hen feed and even the old family cast iron hand grinder so I'll give it a go here in New Zealand and look for some better corn to plant next season. I enjoyed the video.

[@estapley2680]

Wow what a process! I will never take a corn tortilla for granted again :-) nice video thanks!

[@allenemersonn1227]

I continue to find it remarkable that people have forgotten that mixing dry wood ash into dried grains and legumes was used for millennia as a method of preservation against insects, molds and fungi. My grandfather spoke of this method being used in his childhood home on the Kansas plains at the beginning of the 20th century. Any kind of pure, light gray ash from wood or corn stalks was used. The ash could easily be washed away into a container when the grain was needed, and re-used in, say, soap making. Some grain, stored in wood ash, became wet at some point and we got nixtamalization.

[@radicalgastronomy]

Allen Emersonn good points!

[@lyyliesther984]

Interesting thankyou

[@xiraoit9342]

I do the same thing as you, but I use corn for chickens / a special type of corn for flour instead of dent corn/horse tooth corn. And when I baked it, it didn't bubble like the tortilla making videos spread on KZbin.

[@joecrafted]

As a former archaeologist, I was aware of the wood ash nixtamalization technique, but most everyone showing this process now uses the slaked lime or cal. I'll have to try this out, as I have plenty of wood ash from our wood stove.

[@radicalgastronomy]

joecrafted Give it a shot, and let me know how it goes. To me, this method yields a tastier result.

[@morgensellier7816]

I think the Navajo still use a version of the wood ash: www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/08/21/544191316/to-get-calcium-navajos-burn-juniper-branches-to-eat-the-ash

[@randycantu1]

Thank you....today I've learned something new. As a Mexican/American, I thought I knew everything about tortillas, but you taught me something fascinating! Thank you again....

[@radicalgastronomy]

Randy Cantu Awesome! Let me know how it comes out, if you try it. 😉👍

[@RRaucina]

Since the Indians did not have copper pots, they were boiling water in tightly woven baskets sealed with pine resin. They would add rocks from the fire covered in ash and also some used limestone rocks, thus inadvertently bringing on the nixtamalization process. Pellagra wasn't a problem for them, but when it went to Europe, people were dying on a corn heavy diet. 1% calcium is enough and easy to use. The wood ashes are fine but be sure no one is burning garbage and plastic in the wood stove.

[@MarianLuca-rz5kk]

Isn't the corn impregnated with the potassium carbonate from the ash? Is that healthy? Can we nixtamalize more gently with sodium bicarbonate ?

[@wisconsingoldrush8270]

I like doing things the old school way out in the woods. This is an awesome thing to know

[@radicalgastronomy]

Always good to know how to do things if the “store” isn’t an option. Glad you like it!

[@josephbrazelton5879]

Wonderful video showing the how too as well as some of the experimentation you used. Learning to use wood ash instead of cal was fantastic, keep up the great work!

[@kevinwhite4079]

Does it affect the flavor, one way or another? This is amazing indigenous science.

[@notmyname3883]

"Scott Glenn nixtamalizes corn" There, fixed the title for ya !

[@wojomojo]

The theory I've heard had the Mesoamericans cooking corn in containers carved of limestone, which is local to Southern Mexico and surrounding areas. Over time they realized the benefits of the lime interacting with the corn. Either way, chance probably has a lot to do with it! Glad I found your channel, subscribed.

[@radicalgastronomy]

As good a theory as any.

[@alfredfabulous3640]

No, Aliens told them how to make hominy the right way...!

[@jc-qw5si]

Finally someone who uses ashes

[@MarianLuca-rz5kk]

Isn't the corn impregnated with the potassium carbonate from the ash? Is that healthy? Can we nixtamalize more gently with sodium bicarbonate ?

[@tycer7]

We did the side by side comparison with CAL vs Ash Tamales. The ash definitely had a richer flavor. The textures were the same. It was easy enough to do the ash vs the cal. Will definitely keep a jar of ash handy. We used Hickory Cane (not king) corn. Thanks again for the vid.

[@radicalgastronomy]

Great! Yeah, I prefer the flavor of the wood ash process.

[@debtizzano3066]

Thank you this is what I’m talking about. Yes, past heritage ways intrigue me too.

[@radicalgastronomy]

Right on. This method is so much more flavorful than the cal nixtamal!

[@larryrobertson3310]

I have 800 pounds of dent corn and had been wondering how to make hominy , good instructions !! will be making grits !! mmmm

[@radicalgastronomy]

Larry Robertson Nice!

[@melissaallenmainegardener4574]

This video is worth millions thank you,

[@jenncrossman7845]

I love seeing this process! I first read about it in Little House in the Big Woods. It's interesting, though, to follow the story of the Ingalls family, and see how, in some ways, how they left some of the old processes and value judgements behind as they followed the "progress" of their time. I wonder if that contributed to almost the whole family dying of diabetes-related issues...

[@radicalgastronomy]

Jenn Crossman fascinating. I haven’t read the books. There’s probably a great case study, in there. I have heaps of mustard to thresh, so there will be a “soil up” Dijon video, soon!

[@magnumsalyer]

I did it with borehole water (well water) and it worked fine. Thanks for the recipe!

[@chilepeulla]

Hey man, this was a very thorough video and I highly appreciate this information. I have this process down with cal but I’d also like to master it with wood ash, more tools under your belt is always a good thing. My only advice here would be for you to get a hand cracked grain mill, a Corona or Victoria one. The thing with leaving your masa too coarse is that your chances of getting the tortillas to puff are highly reduced. When the tortilla puffs it cooks so much better on the inside and the pliability increases dramatically, it seems like a small thing but at least in my opinion that’s what takes a tortilla made from scratch from good to espectacular. With the grain mill I pass the dough twice through it, the first grind not too tight and the second grind very tight, with a little bit of water to help it go through and that gets you a very smooth masa that will have very good chances of puffing. Keep up the good work

[@radicalgastronomy]

Good tips! Have you ever tried using a kitchen aide grain mill for masa?

[@chilepeulla]

I didn’t even know it existed! Haha. I looked into it a little bit and some people say it’s only meant for dry grains, so this application might be good for it

[@thewintergardener]

@Diego Silva i've been using the victoria hand crank grain mill (well, I've been making my 7th graders to the labor) and we let it dry a bit between the 1st and 2nd grind. thanks for sharing your process, I'm going to try a loose first grind then the 2nd grind with more water and a closer plate setting.

[@chilepeulla]

@@thewintergardener after many more attempts all I can say is that you can produce decent tortillas with a hand cranked grain mill, but it’s a little hit and miss. I had the chance to go to Mexico and have a Mexican grandmother show and explain her process to me, she had her masa ground for her in the local mill and there’s just no comparison in the texture that you get, her masa was smooth as silk, that’s a texture I will never be able to produce with the Victoria mill and her tortillas puffed like balloons. I’m really tempted to get a Molinito, look into it, it’s a semi industrial grinder for masa at a somewhat reasonable price

[@kimnenninger7226]

Great video. I needed to learn how to do this. Thank you for sharing.

[@algreen266]

Excellent, first your title speaks for itself, secondly your explanation to step by step is unmatched by any of these idiots on this internet, at least that shows if there is world hunger, you can still preserve a gourmet dish.Thank you

[@tybrady1935]

I visited Guatemala about thirty five years ago. Every meal had corn tortillas made from fresh corn grown a few hundred feet away. They were so good! The food was sold by natives by the side of the road using wood fires. One woman was always making tortillas using a stone metate and then using their hands to form the tortilla. I wonder if they used lime or if they used wood ash. I hope they used wood ash.

[@alfredfabulous3640]

Did they wash their hands before begining the processing?

[@blueskye23]

Thank for the tutorial! If you press the center of the tortilla with a dish cloth or wadded up paper towel when it is almost finished cooking, it will usually puff up. That gets rid of the raw center and gives it a toastier flavor. (be careful: dishcloth + 🔥 could be dangerous)

[@radicalgastronomy]

LORA MURO Good tip!

[@trevor6485]

You’ve got a great channel, I wish all the best for you and yours!

[@DrHenley]

Thanks for the video. Using wood ash predates agriculture and goes back to hunter gatherers who used wood ash and water to make acorns edible by neutralizing the tannic acid. Recipes using acorns and bear meat were carried over into the agricultural age substituting corn and pork but preparing everything the same way, including soaking in lye. To them it just made the corn more tasty and easier to eat. They of course did not have sweet corn like we do today.

[@thewintergardener]

that is awesome to learn James, thanks for sharing. do you have any resources on that info (like a book or museum?) i'd love to show my students.

[@vizprave6721]

actually nixtamalisation was an Aztec and Mayan procedure which was done in preparing corn to grind into a flour. It came from the Nahuatl word of Nixtamalli which was a compound word of Nextli which meant lime ashes or calcium oxide and tamalli which meant unformed/cooked corn dough. When corn was brought from the New World to the Old World, the process was not used by those who consumed it as they didn't know it and so corn was considered an unhealthy grain associated mostly with the poor and one which caused pellagra. Fun fact, corn was supplied to Ireland during the Irish Potato Famine but it had only worsened the condition due to it not being Nixtamalised.

[@alfredfabulous3640]

Bear Meat. ......mmmmmhh!

[@dennislock3415]

Was just speaking about wanting to learn this this very morning.Appreciate it.

[@radicalgastronomy]

My pleasure. Good luck!

[@dennislock3415]

@@radicalgastronomy Thank you.

[@jakehenning9483]

Could you then dehydrate the masa (after nixtamalized) and turn it into cornmeal or flour? Could you jar these in mason jars to store as canned corn? I'm very new to this entire subject! Thanks for the great video!

[@g-whiz286]

Cornmeal is not nixtamalized.

[@petiesabala1077]

I have been watching your videos like crazy I myself grow a lot of my own food dehydrate food and it was until last year I grew blue dent corn And I have been working on my Chemical process and doing lotta research on dent corn But I haven’t tried the wood ash process yet and in your video it explains everything so I thank you for that little bit of knowledge

[@radicalgastronomy]

Petie Sabala Awesome. I have great new videos coming soon. Working on a whole hog series from the live animal to everything from bacon to lard and pate.

[@alfredfabulous3640]

Poor hog. ... :(

[@jedw9496]

Thanks man. This is the second time I am doing it with wood ash. I used hickory, apple and oak to make the ashes. For sure the Hickory makes good Cal.

[@thewintergardener]

great video. i'm working with my 7th grade agriculture students to study corn and we're going through this process. thanks!

[@BroadShouldersFarm]

This is fascinating! Thanks for taking the time to record the whole process!

[@radicalgastronomy]

Broad Shoulders Farm 😁👍

[@suzz1776]

just came across ur channel and subbed. it is very interesting and full of information. so thx u for the video. and btw, I never knew there was pink corn. that looks like candy in a jar :)

[@radicalgastronomy]

Thanks! There are some many wonderful corn varieties. I rotate between three. In addition to this Hopi pink, I grow a Hopi blue, and a Oaxacan green. I grow them in different years to avoid cross pollination and genetic degradation.

[@sappysamurai5170]

A most excellent explanation of corn and nixtamalization! Thank you sir! Just subscribed! 👍👍 And the Hopi heirloom corn is beautiful!!!

[@radicalgastronomy]

Sappy Samurai Glad you liked it. Thanks!

[@bonsummers2657]

What's the purpose of getting the skins to separate? Do you keep the skins. I'd like to keep the corn whole, and not eliminate the skins.

[@danielwilliams1400]

I have many pounds of the minerals from wood ash, after percolating rain water through it, filtering and cooking the water off until it's a solid crystalline form. Now I have to figure out how much to add back into water. It is very concentrated, obviously. lol My main reason for doing it initially, was in case I wanted to make soap, and also for bio-diesel production if I could make that work reliably. But now I have grown field corn, and with harvest time approaching fast, I am just now finding out that it's best to process it with lye or lime. lol

[@danielwilliams1400]

I finally realized who you sound like. Peter Weller a.k.a. Robo Cop. ha ha

[@radicalgastronomy]

Daniel Williams Ha! Robo Cop. What you have made is lye. By dissolving that into water you can process corn. I know that the proper strength for soap will float a fresh egg. Probably half that strength for nixtamal.

[@urbanhomesteadpgh9949]

Very cool video, thanks! We're growing a lot of flint corn this year so we'll have to try the old fashioned method a couple times instead of just using cal.

[@radicalgastronomy]

Excellent! Good luck.

[@paulousley6042]

Can you dry after Nixtamalization and store the flour or would just use this process for fresh dough?

[@neosky9]

Thank you

[@lyyliesther984]

Thankyou looks yummy 😋

[@dinahscarlett307]

In the video you mention using hardwood wood ash from deciduous trees, can one use wood ash from non-deciduous trees such as eucalyptus? We use pine as kindling and the logs are all Eucalyptus. Thanks from 'down under' for a very interesting video.

[@richardjacques1731]

He did specify hard wood, I think any oily wood would leave a pitchy taste. I was wondering if fruit wood like peach or apple tree would would work. Easy enough to get prunings or firewood when orchards upgrade their trees.

[@rd6203]

Isn't eucalyptus toxic to burn?

[@Dr.Sciatica]

Hello, i find it intresting. Why reverse osmosis with rain water or distiled water ?

[@clambert2020]

Great video. Wonderful content. Well presented. I also read the related article from your website. You are a gifted writer who is sharing priceless information. Thank you so much.

[@radicalgastronomy]

clambert2020 wow! Thanks for making my day! I’m planning big things for 2020!

[@datbihhneah]

My tribe mixes in juniper ash with the blue corn meal 🙂

[@radicalgastronomy]

Nice. I don’t have those ways, but I want to check it out!

[@rd6203]

🖤🤤🖤

[@batwork4031]

Thank you very much, I have been reluctant to use lime. This is perfect.

[@radicalgastronomy]

Bat Work my pleasure. Good luck!

[@arthorim]

In some parts of Mexico people still use ash for making nixtamal. This masa is use for especial dishes like dirty tamales .it's a very simple recipe corn masa made with ash spread on banana leaves wrap it and cook it as usual it goes very hood with mole or chile colorado pork ribs.

[@radicalgastronomy]

arturin im Super cool.

[@alfredfabulous3640]

'Dirty -Sanch- ...err, Tamales' , eh?

[@arthorim]

@@alfredfabulous3640 look at tamales nejos from guerrero. Nejo means dirty

[@sammichmanjr]

Wow. Just from ashes and corn. Impressive, sir. Also, for what it's worth, if you have a single "tamale" it's called a "tamal" (nix-TAMAL-ization... I leanred something else tonight!) and if you have more than one tamal, they're tamales. Keep up the great work! And from what I saw in this video, I'm quite jealous of your kitchen.

[@radicalgastronomy]

Thank you! I did the kitchen remod in the late fall of '18. Those granite counters came out of a tile job I did. There was a good bit of tile chipping off of a concrete slab, crack repair, and leveling to get a nice floor. It's a joy to work in.

[@xstreemfishing]

Great video. You have inspired me to try the whole process.

[@radicalgastronomy]

Outstanding! I wish you great success!

[@crowcrow1032]

Nice one mate ! very informative - any chance of a video on the growing of the heritage corn ? I would luv to try to grow here in Australia and also on land I have in Philippines

[@radicalgastronomy]

Crow Crow thanks! That video will happen, but not this season, as I’m building a new farm and have no time for field crops. Some basic tips: I plant during the first thunderstorm of the season. Keep it wet until it germinates. Plant it 25 cm apart, so the leaves get plenty of sun. Leave it on the stalk as long as possible, as long as the birds aren’t eating it. Good luck, mate!

[@shomina2982]

you should use some cloth bag to put ash inside when you cook it

[@hawkowleditorial5551]

Thank you for posting this. I have been looking for guidance on how to perform this process because I've been growing Hopi blue corn for years and relatively recently realized we should have been doing this. We have just been grinding the dry corn in a hand crank grain mill (hard work) and making delicious cornbread. I still have so many questions, such as is it necessary to bleach the color out (which seems to happen when boiling for an hour, but not when boiling only 10 minutes)? And are blue corn tortilla chips not good for us then, because they must not have been nixtamalized to this extent? I have seen others say to process the corn in the lye solution for shorter periods and that it brings out the color. But if the color ends up going away, what's the point of the colored corns? Thanks also to Paul McWhorter for sharing his observations of native peoples' techniques.

[@Aspen7780]

You should use juniper ashes from the green twig parts of the trees. Put a little of the sifted ash powder in the water you use cooking the blue corn meal. It makes it more nutritious and returns the original color so that it’s more blue again. Oh and you should be first toasting your cornmeal so that it’s more grayish than purple before doing the boiling in ash water. If you toast it till it’s beige you’ve gone too far.

[@julieh6396]

@@Aspen7780 thank you for your reply. I’ve not heard of the toasting step before. What is your source for this wisdom? And you are saying to burn green, wet wood and leaves and use a “little” (how much?) of the sifted ash from this? We had a bunch of cedar/juniper that we had to cut back and it dried in our driveway. I wanted to burn it to collect the ash, but we don’t have a copper pit and I was concerned about mixing the ash with other ash… I’ve been using pickling lime since I first posted here.

[@Aspen7780]

@@julieh6396 hi there. I’m Tewa from one of the pueblos in NM. Once we grind the blue corn down, you can either use it as cornmeal (unroasted) or roast it. I mean toast it. Some people put the cornmeal in a big pan on the stove top. Others put it on a baking sheet in the oven. You just have to keep stirring it to not burn it. When it turn a bluish gray and you can smell it, it’s done. Take it out and keep up with occasionally stirring it cause it will continue cook even removed from the heat. This roasted blue corn meal is atole flour. You can make a drink with it for the morning like coffee or when you are sick. You can make porridge out of it. Our people used to use ashes, though not so much now. I have Navajo relatives who still do. The fine shifted ashes turn the gray meal back to a bluish color when cooking. The ashes are best made on an outside grill. You need the green twigs of the juniper. That will burn to fine white ash. The woody branch is ok but doesn’t burn as completely to ash as the green and might stay chunky and black. The green juniper twig ash will be nutritious. You don’t need a lot of ash for most applications. A teaspoon or so mixed in the water for most dishes like porridge. Just make sure it’s been sifted to get rid of solid black stuff beforehand. They also used to make cooking ash from corn cobs and saltbrush. Look up some Navajo cooking youtube videos.

[@natemorlock2379]

I loved the video, spectacular content. I am curious, did they have any noticeable ashy taste? Were they just OK? Or were they delicious like they appeared to be?

[@radicalgastronomy]

Nate Morlock They are fabulous. They have a deeper, earthier flavor than lime processed corn, but more faintly smoky than ashy. To me, this method is superior in every way but convenience (and convenience is never my standard ;).

[@TaLeng2023]

If I leave the ash in the lye water overnight, would it result in a more alkaline solution?

[@MarianLuca-rz5kk]

Isn't the corn impregnated with the potassium carbonate from the ash? Is that healthy? Can we nixtamalize more gently with sodium bicarbonate ?

[@NayrbRellimer]

Have you tried making masa flour with washing soda (sodium carbonate)? If you can't find washing soda at the store, you can make it by heating baking soda around 400°F in the oven for a few hours.

[@radicalgastronomy]

I never have.

[@alfredfabulous3640]

Too dear, just imagine how much baking the soda for hours costs!

[@presidentoxford]

This a how to post or a shared experiment ?

[@richardarroyo598]

Why not soak the corn in the full lye solution if it is going to be rinsed anyway? Too concentrated, taste? Great video!!!

[@radicalgastronomy]

Thanks! One could do that. This approach is born of the desire to understand the “prehistoric” origin, and to find a way to unlock the beauty of field corn with something that is a surplus, on my farm. It’s handy to know how, particularly in these times of supply chain collapse. I hear Target has been out of stock on canning lids, of all things. If one wanted to simplify the process, you could certainly stock up on calcium hydroxide. The wood ash is always in the hearth, so I like this method for that reason, and that the poetry of the experience, from planting the corn, to making tamales, is precious. I plant when the first thunder shakes the sky, in spring. Smelling the wood ash slaking reminds me of the rain. Thunder, rain, water, fire, corn. Sodium hydroxide does not belong in this poem. One could make ash lye water at full concentration, but the corn would dissolve before the reaction reached the core of the kernel. One could, also make full strength lye water for soap making, and dilute for nixtamalization.

[@Ancientinian]

Two questions: How far apart are your different varieties of corn grown as to keep the strains from cross pollinating? Why hard wood ash and not pine?

[@eyesofthecervino3366]

I've heard that pine ash has too much tar to be useful as lye.

[@radicalgastronomy]

Corn can be separated either in space, or time. I'd have a minimum 500 feet to assure no cross polination of seed stock, but you can plant them right next to each other as long as they are not flowering at the same time. the pollen window is only about 10 days, in most varieties. if you know days to flower for your varieties, you can stagger your plantings accordingly. Personally, I grow one variety per year, and rotate between three or four types.

[@radicalgastronomy]

Pine will work, but you must used more ash, and concentrate the lye water through reduction (boiling it down to increase the strength). I have never done this, so can't offer measurements. Let me know if you give it a shot.

[@officialLWH]

Can you use olive wood for this? I am from the Mediterranean.

[@tyronlockwood1080]

Wow just absolutely great job, you deserve more subscriber...instant like and subscribe.

[@radicalgastronomy]

tyron lockwood Thanks, friend! I’m still a noob, but growing!

[@CampLJNC]

Wow. So cool. Thanks for sharing!

[@CROSpunkie]

Here in GT I'm always seen them drip water directly into the mill feed with the kernels. I wonder if you could do the same with your setup and skip the need for further blending in the food processor?

[@radicalgastronomy]

Spunkie Interesting. Perhaps I’ll try that!

[@Zane-It]

Is hard wood necessary?

[@BassDroppah]

Does making it with ash add any flavor?

[@radicalgastronomy]

Bass Droppah it makes it more earthy, and more corny. Not so much smokey.

[@gottmituns1938]

Very cool! I always wondered how to do this with wood ash. Thanks to you, now I know. Have you run across a recipe for making hominy with lye? I have sodium hydroxide from making soap. Not sure if it is food grade, but I'll find out before using it.

[@radicalgastronomy]

The water produced by boiling the ashes is lye water, so it will totally work. You just need to get the portions correct. I am not aware of specific measurements for sodium hydroxide, but calcium hydroxide is two tablespoons to a gallon of water. I’d start there. If the corn dissolves, too strong. If the kernel skins don’t slip, too weak (you’ll know right away, if it’s too weak, as the corn won’t change color in the first minute. I imagine your soap making lye is fairly pure, and I doubt you’ll find it sold as “food safe” though I could be wrong.

[@ssc_1]

Can we use ash from the oven

[@PedsNephroUIC]

thanks! I learned something today! very imformative :)

[@radicalgastronomy]

Outstanding! You are most welcome.

[@David-kd5mf]

Great video

[@radicalgastronomy]

Thank you!

[@johnhopkins6260]

Dumb question: is it safe to assume that store-bought hominy is Nixtamalized corn?

[@rharvey2124]

Yes.

[@Rose-kh1qh]

Interesting tail you tell. I like the story that we learned from the Indians that seems more realistic.

[@o5245607]

Brillant, something I have been thinking about for quite some time thanks. Have you checked the PH of the water when finished simmering and cooling down or what the % of alkalinity is with the amount of wood ash you are using in your recipe?

[@radicalgastronomy]

jager meister I don’t use litmus strips to check it, but that would be interesting. I just rely on how the corn reacts. If there is a quick color change, I know it’s strong enough. There is an egg test used by soap makers, also, but if a fresh egg floats in it, it’s too strong for this, and the corn would just disintegrate.

[@o5245607]

@@radicalgastronomy Thank you appreciate your help.

[@blackcitroenlove]

This is how I do it at home :) yum yum

[@bonsummers2657]

How about cooking it with keeping the slimy quality?

[@jaredmurphy3939]

Do you have a dedicated stainless steel pot for this, or could you still use it for normal cooking after this process?

[@radicalgastronomy]

Stainless is unharmed by the process.

[@mountaingator001]

THANK YOU

[@radicalgastronomy]

You bet!

[@billbryan761]

Wait a minute...if red corn turns yellow after nixtamalization. Is red corn tortillia chips not nixtamalized?

[@radicalgastronomy]

Different corn. There are endless varieties or corn. The red chips are made from a corn which has a kernel that is red all the way through.

[@billbryan761]

@@radicalgastronomy Okay, thanks for clearing that up. I heard about using wood ash, but never came across someone doing it. Will be trying this out here in ontario. Cheers

[@radicalgastronomy]

@@billbryan761 Great! Good luck.

[@booon-booon]

curious to learn more about nixtamalizing other grains maybe or the effect on using wood ash or calcium hydroxide on other possible food sources. I think Noma has done it with pine cones? would be really curious on what that does or how that works.

[@radicalgastronomy]

That’s a good avenue of experimentation

[@booon-booon]

@@radicalgastronomy is it something you can see yourself experimenting with in the future? if so i'd like to tune in for sure

[@radicalgastronomy]

@@booon-booon You bet. Sourgum is a good candidate.

[@booon-booon]

@@radicalgastronomy awesome. Subscribed and curious to hear what you find! Not much well written stuff on the subject currently besides "sometimes fancy restaurants nixtamalize other things" but there isn't much else there. At some point I'd like to get into making fresh masa but would love to know if I can do it with other stuff too before delving down that rabbit hole, y'know? Especially if it can be cool local/foraged stuff here from Missouri. We've got some pine trees which is why I was curious about the cones

[@jesseandersen4055]

ive heard that using wood ash and soaking acorns speeds up the leeching of the tannins that are unhealthy and taste bad, and possibly that might have led to the nixtamilization of corn

[@radicalgastronomy]

Interesting.

[@arsenbaic]

Thank You.

[@garyplatt-hepworth8792]

I suspect that we use only the light grey coloured wood ash and exclude the black ?

[@radicalgastronomy]

Yes, I sift it, and use the charcoal in my compost, ash for the corn.

[@Jonas_Fox]

But how did they taste? We need a details video just on comparing taste!

[@radicalgastronomy]

There is really no comparison. Wood ash processing makes corn taste like you always wished it would.

[@vegasbattleborn1594]

Finally found a true traditional method of making hominy! Enjoyed your interpretation of how this process came about but who would've thought.... I'll take these wood ashes & use it to make this corn better? I'm always amazed at how we as humans came up with these things. Subbed ✌️

[@radicalgastronomy]

Thanks, gurl! I love these old, simple technologies. Thanks for the sub.

[@dangraf4612]

G'day team, Dan here from Australia. Question. Once you've made the wood ash solution/lye. Have you ever tested it for heavy metals? I had some test strips left from when i tested our drinking water and thought I'd test the lye solution. I was shocked. With 3 different hardwoods , I reduced to ash separately then boiled in water, cooled then proceeded to dunk the testing strips in solution. I was shocked to find a high lead indication across all 3 hardwood ashes. Am I missing something? A reaction with stainless steel saucepan??

[@radicalgastronomy]

Interesting. Stainless shouldn’t react. The high pH could effect a strip designed to test drinking water, but we would need to know more about how the strips work.

[@moesimotlapele865]

What happens when I use hard water? It's all i got

[@tycer7]

Howdy. Great video! How many cups of finished product do you think you end up with?

[@radicalgastronomy]

Thanks! I think the yield is around 3 cups.

[@xiraoit9342]

Can i use flour corn for making flour instead dent corn / horse teeth corn?

[@radicalgastronomy]

Should work

[@susannehager1092]

Wonderful video. Do I need ash from hardwood, or can I take every ash? Thank you!

[@radicalgastronomy]

@@susannehager1092 Thanks! Hardwood is preferred, but if all you have is pine it will work. Just use a third more ash.

[@susannehager1092]

@@radicalgastronomy Thank you very much from Germany for your quick answer. I wish you all the best!

[@radicalgastronomy]

@@susannehager1092 Gern geschehen. Viel Glück!

[@suzz1776]

when they say that u have to use hard wood ash for this. what is hard wood. like what types of wood ash can u use and what types r not ok to use. I know poisonous and probably really resinous woods like pine would not b good. but what exactly is hard wood?

[@radicalgastronomy]

Any wood will work, and is safe. “Hard wood” refers simply to wood from leafy trees. In other words, not evergreens like pine. These also work, but make a weaker alkaline solution, thus requiring more ash. I have never used them, for this, so I can’t offer correct ratios.

[@hellogreen7074]

How do you figure out how much ash to corn ratio. Also water? What happens if too much ash is used/ too little?

[@radicalgastronomy]

Some trial and error got me to the ratios shown here. Too much ash, and the corn dissolves. Not enough, and the corn won’t swell and soften properly.

[@arielvicencio7984]

Awesome, thank you for the wonderful video! I have a question, would I by any chance use fresh corn to do this process or should I stick to dried corn? Thanks in advance!

[@radicalgastronomy]

ariel vicencio You need dry corn, for this. Thanks and good luck!

[@Mini333w]

Pozole is a soup my friend.

[@bricarri]

Awesome Bob! Thanks.

[@radicalgastronomy]

Brian Carrillo Glad you liked it! My pleasure.

[@gorillamike1554]

Would ash from misquite wood be good to use?

[@radicalgastronomy]

It would!

[@gorillamike1554]

@@radicalgastronomy thank you sir