The early Indians found that they could digest corn more
easily if they parched it and then ground it into meal between
two flat stones. The colonial people soaked and pounded the
52 Bulletin of fhe Unii^ersify of Texas
grain in large mortars called the "hominy mortars." Nowa-
days corn is made into corn meal by means of complicated ma-
chinery. A full detail of this method of preparation can be
gotten from Farmers' Bulletin No. 298.
The cooking of corn cereals is especially important. Heat
develops the flavor and makes them more palatable. It kills
any mold or bacteria found in the raw cereal, and softens the
food so that it can be more conveniently eaten and more rapidly
cared for by the digestive juices. Heat expands and disinte-
grates the starch grains and breaks down the indigestible fiber
of the cell.
Corn meal is cooked in a great variety of ways, but most of
the dishes fall under two general heads, — namely, those which
are baked and thQse which are boiled.
Eeferences
Farmers' Bulletin:
Corn and Corn Products as Food, No. 298.
Seed Corn, No. 415.
Com Growing, No. 199.
Texas Department of Agriculture:
Corn Culture for Texas Farmers, Bulletin No. 23.
Maine Agricultural Bulletin:
Corn as Food, Orone, Maine.
Books:
Sargent's "Corn Plants."
Book of Corn, Orange Judd Co., New York.
Early Colonial Days, Carl Morse.
Free Educational Exhihits:
Set Showing Com Products, Corn Produce Co., New York.
Lesson Plan
Teacher's Aim:
To teach the value of corn as food.
■Simple Courses in Home Economics 53
To teach proper methods of preparing corn and corn food
products.
To teacli suitable and attractive ways of preparing corn for
the school Innch.
To emphasize the interrelation of this work to other subjects.
iVs Aim:
To learn to cook Indian corn dishes.
Suggested Questions
Describe a corn plant. What part of the plant is especially
valuable as food? Examine the corn seed. (Pass soaked and
unsoaked seed to the children.)
"What is the use of the hull? Eemovc hull, notice the white
scale at the .small end of the kernel. Examine some sprouting
grains. What is the function of this small white scale? Grind
or pulverize some corn seeds. Examine the meal carefully.
Taste it. Boil some in water. Describe its behavior. Compare
what happens here with the cooking of starch a;S we find it in
rice or potatoes. What is present in corn meal in large quan-
tity? (Explain the other constituents of the corn seed and
bring out their use to the human system.)
Restate that the corn seed, like rice and potatoes, contains a
large quantity of starch. Review the cooking of starch in the
potato and rice, and let the children suggest the best method of
preparing corn meal mush.
Related Subjects
Noti've and Gardening:
Study the germination of corn seeds. Test corn seeds (the
seed corn from all about the community may be brought to the
schoolhouse to be tested for productivity). Plant popcorn in
the garden.
Geogra-pliy:
®raw a map showing the states producing large quantities
54 Bulletin of tlie 'University of Texas
of corn. Discuss the soil and climate adapted to the growth of
corn ; the commercial importance of corn.
Spelling:
Give new words used in the development of the lesson. Define
words and their use.
History:
Study the life of the Pilgrim.s. the Puritans, and the first
Thanksgiving.
Page 19
Presented as published in 1916. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The early Indians found that they could digest corn more easily if they parched it and then ground it into meal between two flat stones. The colonial people soaked and pounded the
52 Bulletin of fhe Unii^ersify of Texas
grain in large mortars called the "hominy mortars." Nowadays corn is made into corn meal by means of complicated machinery. A full detail of this method of preparation can be gotten from Farmers' Bulletin No. 298.
The cooking of corn cereals is especially important. Heat develops the flavor and makes them more palatable. It kills any mold or bacteria found in the raw cereal, and softens the food so that it can be more conveniently eaten and more rapidly cared for by the digestive juices. Heat expands and disintegrates the starch grains and breaks down the indigestible fiber of the cell.
Corn meal is cooked in a great variety of ways, but most of the dishes fall under two general heads, — namely, those which are baked and those which are boiled.
References
Farmers' Bulletin:
Corn and Corn Products as Food, No. 298. Seed Corn, No. 415. Com Growing, No. 199.
Texas Department of Agriculture:
Corn Culture for Texas Farmers, Bulletin No. 23. Maine Agricultural Bulletin:
Corn as Food, Orone, Maine. Books:
Sargent's "Corn Plants."
Book of Corn, Orange Judd Co., New York.
Early Colonial Days, Carl Morse.
Free Educational Exhibits:
Set Showing Com Products, Corn Produce Co., New York.
Lesson Plan
Teacher's Aim:
To teach the value of corn as food.
■Simple Courses in Home Economics 53
To teach proper methods of preparing corn and corn food
products. To teacli suitable and attractive ways of preparing corn for
the school Innch. To emphasize the interrelation of this work to other subjects.
Pupils' Aim: To learn to cook Indian corn dishes.
Suggested Questions
Describe a corn plant. What part of the plant is especially valuable as food? Examine the corn seed. (Pass soaked and unsoaked seed to the children.)
"What is the use of the hull? Remove hull, notice the white scale at the .small end of the kernel. Examine some sprouting grains. What is the function of this small white scale? Grind or pulverize some corn seeds. Examine the meal carefully. Taste it. Boil some in water. Describe its behavior. Compare what happens here with the cooking of starch as we find it in rice or potatoes. What is present in corn meal in large quantity? (Explain the other constituents of the corn seed and bring out their use to the human system.)
Restate that the corn seed, like rice and potatoes, contains a large quantity of starch. Review the cooking of starch in the potato and rice, and let the children suggest the best method of preparing corn meal mush.
Related Subjects
Nature and Gardening:
Study the germination of corn seeds. Test corn seeds (the seed corn from all about the community may be brought to the schoolhouse to be tested for productivity). Plant popcorn in the garden.
Geography: ®raw a map showing the states producing large quantities
54 Bulletin of tlie 'University of Texas
of corn. Discuss the soil and climate adapted to the growth of corn ; the commercial importance of corn.
Spelling:
Give new words used in the development of the lesson. Define words and their use.
History:
Study the life of the Pilgrim.s. the Puritans, and the first Thanksgiving.