Oneida White Corn
Oneida white flint corn is an ancient variety with ancestral roots in the Oneida homeland in what is now upstate New York. It is still grown there today as well as at the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin where Rebecca Webster and Laura Manthe hope to use this high protein and sacred crop to preserve tradition and improve health outcomes in their Native American community. Here, Laura and Rebecca share how they harvest and prepare Oneida white corn. Once prepared, it can be used in a number of dishes. In their Food Traditions story, they feature it in a white corn soup mixed with kidney and pinto beans, along with smoked pork hocks.
Ingredients
- 1 quart shelled dry white corn
- 1 cup sifted hard wood ashes
- 4 quarts water (for first boiling) (16 cups)
- extra boiling hot water to add as pot of water evaporates
- cold water for rinsing
- 4 quarts water (for second boiling) (16 cups)
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil, add ashes and stir. Add corn and stir often. Boil for one hour adding boiling water every 15 minutes.
- Remove corn from ash water and rinse in cold water in a metal sieve or metal colander rubbing the corn against the side to remove the hull.
- Return to fresh boiling water for one hour. Rinse again to remove any remaining hulls.
- Add to your favorite dish (e.g., bean and ham soup). Enjoy
Notes
WATER: This recipe calls for four separate uses of water: 1) an initial 4 quarts of water for the first boiling of the corn to prepare it for hull removal; 2) a reserve pot of boiling water to have on hand during the first boil to replace the evaporating water in the corn pot and ensure the corn remains fully immersed; 3) clean water for rinsing the corn and for removing husks following the first and second boils; 4) another 4 quarts of water for the second boiling of the corn.