I made posole for dinner a few weeks ago, and wanted to make it with dry hominy, a large kernel corn. After searching my local grocery without finding it, I asked for help, which didn’t work out at all. It turned into a comedy of miscommunication with me first stating what I was seeking, then spelling it, followed by guided pronunciation, physical description, then finally locating a can of it and holding it up like a television product demonstrator saying, “It’s this, only dry and in a bag. Like buying dry beans instead of canned.”
For all my work, I received blank stares and went home empty-handed.
So what is dry hominy, exactly, and how do we cook it? Hominy, aka mote, is large kernel corn (maize) that has been treated with an alkaline solution to loosen the hulls and soften the corn, an ancient process that goes back to around 1500 B.C. Then it can be cooked whole in soups, or dried and ground into meal (masa) which can be used to make tortillas, arepas, and tamales.
The dry hominy keeps well in the pantry just like dry beans do, and you prepare them pretty much the same way. To cook dry hominy, rinse the hominy clean, soak it overnight, and finish cooking the next day. Canned is pretty convenient, but if you can find the dry hominy, I think the flavor and texture is better. Look for it in grocery stores with well-stocked international sections or Hispanic grocery stores. Also, make sure that you look for mote pelado (aka nixtamal), the corn that has been processed to remove the outer hull. If the corn has note been processed, the kernels will not pop. You can read more about it at the Anson Mills website (how to make Fresh Whole Hominy).
[Updated December 2016.]
- 1 cup (4-1/2 ounces/129 g) dry hominy (mote pelado or nixtamal), rinsed
- Put the rinsed hominy in a 3-quart pot with lid and cover with water about 2 to 3 inches over the hominy. Cover and allow to rest overnight. Before cooking, drain well and add fresh water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 90 minutes to 2 hours. Drain well and use in your favorite recipe.
colander
3-quart heavy bottom pot with lid
Recipe Notes:
1 cup dry hominy yields about 4-1/2 cups cooked.
A 15-ounce can of cooked hominy equals about 1-3/4 cups.
More Recipes From the Pantry
Sounds like a perfect candidate for the pressure cooker. I’ve never tried it, but now I’ll begin the search for dry hominy.
You’re right Lydia, it would probably work well in the pressure cooker. Now I have to test it!
Shopper’s Food Stores handle it here in Maryland.
Thanks for this. I just ordered some dried blue hominy and chicos from my home state of NM and this will be my first time using dried hominy instead of canned.
I bought some dried hominy corn today from the bulk section of my Winco store. I’m trying to find out if it is indeed nixtamalized, like dried posole corn? I’m thinking yes, but I’m not really sure. Can I assume that all dried hominy has been treated with lime/lye?
My recipe using dried hominy:
1 1/2 cups dried hominy
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp salt
7 cups water
1/2 cup cream or milk- if needed to add creaminess
Place all but cream/milk in a crockpot, and cook on low for 9 hours. With a little more salt and pepper, it is good just like that, or you can add the cream, cheese, sausage, etc. when finished cooking.
Wonderful article, thank you. New Mexico posole depends on hominy and you certainly do it justice. I wish I could tell you how very, very important it is on a symbolic level, especially at Christmas, as posole is a holiday dish.
I bought dried hominy for the first time this year, I have been cooking it for 6 hours now and the kernels still have not popped. This is very frustrating!!! I’m from New Mexico where I could get bueno hominy easily but not available in CA. I did soak it over night as well, is there something I’m missing?
Hi DeAnn. I have done some more research on this topic, and the most likely reason for the kernels not popping is that the dried corn might not have been prepared, or nixtamalized. The hominy I use is called “mote pelado” and has been precooked with cooking lime to remove the outer peel. Plain water soaking and boiling won’t remove the tough outer skin. So check the brand of hominy to make sure that it is “mote pelado.” I hope this helps, and I will specify mote pelado in the recipe.
DeAnn, I am not sure where you live in California, there is a wonderful heirloom bean store in Napa, CA, named Rancho Gordo. They carry authentic, heirloom beans and have a wide variety to choose from as well as offer recipes on how to prepare. Check out their website, they also offer mail order. I live in Denver, but am from Napa and stock up whenever I am home visiting family.
Enjoy, Connie
https://www.ranchogordo.com/collections/all