Making Grits A Southern Staple By Valerie Blair

Making Grits - A Southern Staple By: Valerie Blair and Dr. Frank Flanders Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office July 2004

Objectives Students should be able to: • Discuss the history of grits. • Describe the process of making corn flour, cornmeal and grits. • Prepare recipes. • Solve mathematical calculations. • Design a creative label for packaged grits. * There is a lesson plan to accompany this power point on Disc 1 under Food Products Processing.

What are Grits? • Grits are small pieces of dried ground corn. • Grits are made from grinding whole corn kernels with a stone or mechanical grinder.

The History of Grits • Grits were first produced by Native Americans and quickly became an important part of early Southern agriculture. • The word “grits” comes from the Old English term “grytt” meaning “bran” and the term “greot” meaning “something ground. ”

Hominy Grits • Hominy is a variety of grits made from dent corn, the hard corn kernels found at the top of an ear of corn. • The dent corn is soaked in lye water for one to two days until the entire shell, also known as the bran, separates from the rest of the kernel. • The kernel itself swells to twice its original size. • The kernels are then ground to make hominy. • Hominy grits have a creamier texture than ordinary grits.

Let’s Make Grits !

• Assemble the grain grinder according to instructions.

• Clean the corn by sifting it to remove trash, particles, and foreign materials. • A blow dryer can be used to further clean the corn if necessary. • Remove all broken corn kernels by hand. • The corn used to make grits should be free of dust and broken kernels.

• The moisture content of the corn should be less than 15%. • The moisture content can be measured using a grain moisture meter.

• Fill the funnel top of the grain grinder with whole kernel corn.

• Grind the corn according to directions.

• Grinding corn will not only produce grits, but will also produce cornmeal and corn flour. • The ground corn must be passed through different sieves to separate cornmeal, corn flour, large grits, and small grits.

Corn Meal Sieve Grits Sieve

Packaging and Labeling Grits • Students can package and label their grits. • The label should include: Name Cooking Instructions Ingredients Weight

Ideas for Using Grits • • Cook and Eat (add butter, salt, and cheese)! Package and sell as a fundraiser! Serve breakfast to faculty! Be creative!

Recipes

Basic Grits • 1 cup grits • 2 cups water • ½ teaspoon salt • Place grits in a bowl, cover with water and stir. Skim off the chaff that rises to the top. Stir and skim again. Pour off water and light bran. Add water and salt to a heavy-bottom saucepan and bring to boil. Stir in grits. Reduce heat to low and cook covered for 20 -25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until grits are thick and creamy. If too thick, add either water, milk or whipping cream. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, if desired, and serve. Serves 6 Southerners -- and 500 Northerners!

Easy Breakfast Bake • • • 1/2 pound pork sausage 1 teaspoon salt 2 1/4 cups water 3/4 cup quick grits 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 cup milk 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese -- grated 4 eggs Preheat oven to 325°. Brown and crumble sausage. Drain off excess fat and set aside. Bring salted water to a boil and stir in grits. Cover and reduce heat to low. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. • Melt butter or margarine and stir in flour, black pepper and milk. Cook, stirring to thicken. Add cheese, stirring until blended. Add sausage and 1/2 cheese sauce to cooked grits. Pour into lightly greased casserole. Make 4 indentions into grits mixture with the back of a large spoon. Break one egg into each indention. Bake at 325° for 13 to 18 minutes, depending on desired doneness of eggs. Serve with remaining heated sauce. Serves 4.

Syrup and Bacon Grits • Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease 1 • 3 -1/4 cups water 1/2 -qt. Casserole. Bring water to • 1 cup Quaker or Aunt a boil; slowly stir in grits and Jemima Enriched Hominy salt. Reduce heat; simmer 2 to 4 Quick Grits, uncooked minutes or until thick, stirring • ½ teaspoon salt (optional) frequently. Remove from heat; • ¾ cup Aunt Jemima Syrup add syrup, eggs and drippings, or Lite Syrup mixing well. Pour into prepared • 4 eggs, slightly beaten casserole; bake 45 to 50 minutes • 2 tablespoons bacon or until knife inserted near drippings, margarine or center comes out clean. Top butter with bacon; let stand 5 to 10 • 28 -oz. pkg. sliced bacon, minutes before serving. Serve cooked crisp, crumbled with additional syrup, if desired. 6 to 8 SERVINGS

Hush Puppies • 1 & ½ cups Quaker® or Aunt Jemima® Corn Meal • ½ cup all-purpose flour • 2 teaspoons baking powder • 1 teaspoon salt • ¾ cup milk • 1 egg, beaten • 1 small onion, finely chopped • vegetable oil • Combine corn meal, flour, baking powder and salt. Add milk, egg and onion; mix well. • In a large skillet, drop corn meal batter by rounded teaspoonfuls into deep hot oil (375°F). Fry until golden brown. Turn once with slotted spoon for best browning. Remove from oil; drain well. • Yield: ABOUT 2 DOZEN

Mathematical Calculations • If 1 pound of corn yields 1 &1/2 pounds of grits and grits cost around $1. 50 a pound, how much profit will 1 pound of corn yield? • If one acre yields 75 bushels of corn, how many pounds of grits can be made from one acre of corn? (Hint: 1 bushel = 56 lbs)

Solutions • 1 lb = $1. 50 ½ lb = $0. 75 $1. 50 + $0. 75 = $2. 25 1 ½ lb corn = $2. 25 • 1 acre yields 75 bushels of corn 1 bushel = 56 lbs 75 bushels X 56 lbs = 4170 1 acre of corn will yield 4170 lbs of grits