Making Grits A Southern Staple

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Making Grits - A Southern Staple

• By Valerie Blair and Dr. Frank Flanders
• Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office
• July 2004

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Lets Make Grits !
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• Assemble the grain grinder according to
  instructions.

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• 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.

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

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

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• Grind the corn according to directions.

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• 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.

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• Corn Meal Sieve

Grits Sieve
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Packaging and Labeling Grits

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

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Ideas for Using Grits

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

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Recipes
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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!

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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.

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Syrup and Bacon Grits

• 3-1/4 cups water
• 1cup Quaker or Aunt Jemima Enriched Hominy Quick
  Grits, uncooked
• ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
• ¾ cup Aunt Jemima Syrup or Lite Syrup
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons bacon drippings, margarine or
  butter
• 28-oz. pkg. sliced bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled

• Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease 1-1/2-qt. Casserole.
  Bring water to a boil slowly stir in grits and
  salt. Reduce heat simmer 2 to 4 minutes or until
  thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat add
  syrup, eggs and drippings, mixing well. Pour into
  prepared casserole bake 45 to 50 minutes or
  until knife inserted near center comes out clean.
  Top with bacon let stand 5 to 10 minutes before
  serving. Serve with additional syrup, if desired.
  6 to 8 SERVINGS

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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 (375F).
  Fry until golden brown. Turn once with slotted
  spoon for best browning. Remove from oil drain
  well.
• Yield ABOUT 2 DOZEN

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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)

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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