How corn is dried on an industrial scale and how to dry it at home
The most effective method to increase the shelf life of grain is drying. Corn is no exception. Features of corn grain The problem is that it contains 40% moisture, so for long-term storage it is still better to preserve it. But with proper organization of drying, it is easy to achieve the desired result: preservation of taste and maximum increase in shelf life.
In this article we will talk about ways to dry corn at home and discover the secrets of drying corn grains on an industrial scale.
Methods for drying corn at home
Drying corn at home involves following a number of rules for harvesting, storage and heat treatment. It is important to maintain not only an attractive appearance, but also to preserve as much as possible the beneficial properties of this valuable cereal crop.
Processing corn after harvest
After the corn crop is harvested, it is time to process it. Peeling corn at home is easy if you use a simple device that you can make yourself.
To do this you will need a piece of plastic pipe, self-tapping screws and a screwdriver. A pipe 30-40 cm long is suitable. Stepping back 5 cm from the edge of the pipe, mark 8 points into which screws and drills are screwed. Then the cap is cut off from a regular long self-tapping screw.
With this edge, the self-tapping screw is inserted into the screwdriver, and the sharp end is screwed into the cob. The device is ready.Then the corn is rotated at medium speed and inserted into a pipe with self-tapping screws, placing a deep container for grains.
Note. Even a child can work with a homemade device for collecting corn grain, so you can keep your child busy and, perhaps, raise a young farmer.
Post-harvest storage of wet corn
The storage time of fresh corn in the refrigerator varies from 1 to 10 days - it all depends on the variety and quality of the product. Sweet corn has the longest shelf life. For short-term storage, it is left in the leaves and placed in the refrigerator in a plastic bag with holes for ventilation.
Fresh corn kernels can be stored for about three weeks. For this, grains are prepared. Use the method described above, or remove the leaves and stigmas from the cobs, fill the pan with water, add ice, lemon juice and salt (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water). Then lower the cob into the pan for 15-20 minutes. After this, the grains are separated and the water is drained through a colander. They are stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Experienced gardeners recommend storing corn on the cob. Thanks to this method, the culture retains maximum beneficial properties.
The most long-term storage method is freezing. Cobs can be stored in the freezer for up to one and a half years. Before placing them in the freezer, do the following:
- Prepare two pans. One of them contains cold water with added ice, the other contains boiled water.
- Peeled corn cobs are first placed in a container of hot water for 2-3 minutes, then lowered into cold water. These steps are repeated at least three times.
- After this, the vegetables are laid out on a dry towel and dried.Then they are wrapped in cling film, distributed into food containers and sent to the freezer.
History of corn consumption
Corn is the main food of Indians and Mexicans. According to one version, it was domesticated by the ancestors of modern Mexicans around 10 thousand years BC. e. During excavations in Mexico City, scientists found corn pollen that is 55 thousand years old.
Christopher Columbus discovered corn for Europe. Yellow cobs came to Russia from Crimea only in the 17th century. There is a version that corn is an alien or divine plant. For example, the Mayan tribe had the corn deity Ah Mun as one of their objects of worship.
According to scientists, previously corn was stunted, with a cob with a panicle growing at the very top. Corn was easily pollinated by the wind, and the seeds of the “naked” cob were scattered on the ground - this is how new plants appeared. Nowadays, stunted corn can also be found in fields - this is due to periodic genetic failures.
It is believed that in ancient times a mutation occurred, and the ear began to grow in the axil of the leaf. At excavations in the “Cave of Bats”, not far from the Rio Grande River, in the upper layers of the cultural layer, corn is similar to modern corn, but small cobs were found in the lower one.
Oven and Drying Instructions
For drying, the cobs are taken, which are collected from the end of summer until late autumn. The corn is cleared of its leaves, the corn silk is removed, and the cobs are hung by the leaves under a canopy.
Corn dried this way all winter fed livestock, cutting off as necessary. But after such natural drying, sweet corn must be removed from the cob and dried.
If you have a gas oven, then you can dry it in it, provided that the fire does not come into contact with the chamber itself. It is important to monitor the uniformity of drying: adjust the heat, mix the grains, move the baking sheets.
To avoid moisture accumulation in any type of oven, keep the chamber door ajar.
Important! The average temperature for drying corn kernels in the oven is about 45°C.
To ensure that the corn retains its color, before placing it in the electric dryer, the grains are held for several seconds in a colander over steam from a pan of boiling water. Then they either dry it with constant heating at 45-60°C, or start at maximum temperature, and after an hour reduce it.
How to dry corn silk
Corn silks suitable for collection have a yellow or reddish color and an almost elusive, specific odor.
How to work with stigmas:
- Remove or carefully turn away the leaves of the cob.
- Collect the stigmas into a bunch.
- Corn silks are pulled out or cut off.
- They inspect and sort out the raw materials, weed out damaged fibers.
- Lay the raw materials in a layer of 1-2 cm on a flat, dry and clean surface for drying, place it in the fresh air in partial shade or in a well-ventilated area.
When drying the stigmas, they monitor the raw materials: they should not turn brown, mold is unacceptable, therefore, if the weather outside is damp, the raw materials are brought indoors. Be sure to turn the fibers over. After about a week, dry corn silks are obtained, ready for long-term storage.
They can also be dried in an oven, the temperature of which does not exceed 40°C.
Dried raw materials are stored in a fabric bag or cardboard box covered with paper.
Important! Corn silk should not be stored in a room with high humidity and temperature.
If the conditions of preparation and storage are met, stigmas can last for at least a year without compromising quality; they should not be stored longer - the raw material loses its beneficial properties over time.
How to dry corn to make popcorn
The most popular dish made from dried corn is popcorn. The grain for its preparation is stored in plastic bags in the freezer. Corn that is suitable for popcorn contains less starch than conventional varieties. It also has 21% more fat and 21% more protein.
The seeds of popcorn varieties are shiny, and the walls are thinner than those of classic varieties.
Suitable varieties for popcorn:
- Volcano;
- Gobble-gobble;
- Zeya;
- Ping pong;
- Hotel;
- Granddaughter's joy;
- Red.
It is better to collect the “queen of the fields” for making popcorn at the last stage; it is recommended to pick the mature dried ears covered with a shiny crust. How to dry corn for popcorn? The same as in other cases - the technology for drying such varieties does not differ from drying ordinary cobs.
How corn is dried on an industrial scale
After the cobs leave the elevator, they are sent to dry. The main industrial method of drying corn seeds is drying on the cob; for this, a batch chamber grain dryer is used under the following conditions: temperature 35-50°C, chamber purging, rhythmic work schedule.
Approximately 8.56 MJ of heat is consumed to evaporate 1 kg of moisture from corn grain. The efficiency of chamber dryers is 30-35%, mine dryers are 55-60%. Modern drying technologies make it possible not only to reduce heat energy costs, but also to reduce the duration of the process.
Preheating of raw materials
At the first stage of drying, elevated temperatures are used, since the seed embryos in the cob core heat up slowly. As scientific experiments have shown, by heating the raw materials at a temperature of 50°C, the drying time is reduced by 7 hours, the moisture transfer of grains increases by 10.9%, and productivity increases by 22.5% compared to typical drying in normal mode.
Differentiated drying mode
Thanks to differentiated thermal conditions, the performance of dryers increases by 20-30% or even more. With a gradual increase in temperature, the rate of drying of grains also increases. These conditions are most favorable for obtaining high quality dried corn.
Corn cob drying technology
Corn is sometimes dried on the cob, because wet plants are difficult to thresh without damaging the grain. The cobs are dried to a moisture content of 16-20% in order to thresh and finally dry the grain.
Further use
The corn is dried - what to do with it after that? Dried corn can be eaten dry, as the ancestors of the Mexicans did, but it is better to cook it. To make dry grains cook faster, they are pre-soaked. After this, dry corn grains are poured with cold or hot water and boiled for 20-40 minutes.
From boiled grains prepare salads, baked goods, add them to sandwiches and rolls, to hot dishes - for example, to stews or soups, if the recipe allows. Grains can be eaten in their pure form - it is tasty, healthy and almost does not harm the figure.
The product is used in cattle breeding as animal feed and even in fishing as complementary food for fish.
Conclusion
Drying corn is a simple process. You can dry grains at home and in production.Corn is a healthy snack and can be easily used to prepare salads, canapés and other dishes. The low calorie content of yellow grains allows them to be consumed almost without restrictions, especially since the price of corn in the summer is low.