#BlueCornmeal Preparation (#ZuniPueblo)
by #ZuniYouth
Jan 25, 2023
"#ZYEP #FoodSovereignty Leader #KenziBowekaty highlights the traditional process of preparing blue corn flour . This video was created for Indigenous Day 2022 for our #Zuni Middle School students to view."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvSqr61UFqQ
#SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalRecipes #TraditionalFoods #BlueCorn #BlueCornRecipes #BlueCornFlour #NativeAmericanFoods #IndigenousFood
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Nixtamalization (/ˌnɪʃtəməlɪˈzeɪʃən, ˌnɪks-/ nish-tə-mə-lih-ZAY-shən) is a process for the preparation of maize (corn), or other grain, in which the grain is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, usually limewater (but sometimes aqueous alkali metal carbonates),washed, and then hulled. The term can also refer to the removal via an alkali process of the pericarp from other grains such as sorghum.
"#NixtamalizedCorn has several benefits over unprocessed grain: It is more easily ground, its nutritional value is increased, flavor and aroma are improved, and mycotoxins are reduced by up to 97–100% (for aflatoxins).
"Lime and #ash are highly alkaline: the alkalinity helps the dissolution of hemicellulose, the major glue-like component of the maize cell walls, and loosens the hulls from the kernels and softens the #maize. The tryptophan in corn proteins is made more available for human absorption, thus helping to prevent niacin deficiency (pellagra). Tryptophan is the metabolic precursor of endogenous niacin (Vitamin B3).
"Some of the corn oil is broken down into emulsifying agents (monoglycerides and diglycerides), while bonding of the maize proteins to each other is also facilitated. The divalent calcium in lime acts as a cross-linking agent for protein and polysaccharide acidic side chains.
"While cornmeal made from untreated ground maize is unable by itself to form a dough on addition of water, nixtamalized cornmeal will form a dough, called #masa. These benefits make nixtamalization a crucial preliminary step for further processing of maize into food products, and the process is employed using both traditional and industrial methods in the production of #tortillas and #TortillaChips (but not corn chips), #tamales, #hominy, and many other foodstuffs.
Etymology
"In the #Aztec language Nahuatl, the word for the product of this procedure is #nixtamalli or #nextamalli (pronounced [niʃtaˈmalːi] or [neʃtaˈmalːi]), which in turn has yielded Mexican Spanish #nixtamal ([nistaˈmal]). The Nahuatl word is a compound of nextli "lime ashes" and tamalli "unformed/cooked corn dough, tamal". The term #nixtamalization can also be used to describe the removal of the pericarp from any grain by an #alkali process, including maize, #sorghum, and others. When the unaltered Spanish spelling nixtamalización is used in written English, however, it almost exclusively refers to maize.
"The labels on packages of commercially sold tortillas prepared with nixtamalized maize usually list corn treated with #lime as an ingredient in English, while the Spanish versions list maíz nixtamalizado.
Impact on health
"The primary nutritional benefits of nixtamalization arise from the alkaline processing involved. The processing renders the protein more digestible, allowing tryptophan to be absorbed by humans. Humans can convert tryptophan into niacin, thus helping to prevent pellagra. Other measures of protein quality are also improved. It was originally thought that the anti-pellagra action stems from increased availability of niacin (compared to a hemicellulose-bound form called "niacytin"), but multiple experiments have disproven this theory.
"Secondary benefits can arise from the grain's absorption of minerals from the alkali used or from the vessels used in preparation. These effects can increase #calcium (by 750%, with 85% available for absorption), iron, copper, and zinc.[4]
"Nixtamalization significantly deactivates #mycotoxins which are putative carcinogens. #Aflatoxins are reduced by 90–94%. Fumonisins are reduced by 82%."
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixtamalization
#SolarPunkSunday #NativeAmericanFoods #NativeAmericanHistory #Corn #BlueCorn #MesoAmerica #TraditionalFoods #CulinaryAsh #CalciumCarbonate #History #FoodHistory #Corn #PlantAshes
#AnasaziBean planting & care
"Looking to grow beautiful, healthy Anasazi beans in your garden? This guide covers planting, support, watering, and harvesting so you can enjoy them as fresh #SnapBeans or fully dried #StorageBeans.
QUICK FACTS
Sun: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained soil
Planting: After all danger of frost has passed
Spacing: Sow about 2 in. apart; thin to 4 in. apart
Support: Trellis or fence recommended (vigorous climber)
Harvest (dry beans): When pods are brown and fully dry
ANASAZI BEANS PLANTING & CARE
Anasazi beans are a striking maroon-and-white variety with a sweet, nutty flavour and a hearty texture. They’re excellent in baked beans, Tex-Mex dishes, and alongside rice. They’re also drought-tolerant once established and often cook faster than pinto beans (many cooks find they require less soaking).
With successive plantings, Anasazi beans can be enjoyed as green beans or left to mature for dried beans.
PLANTING
- Choose a location with full sun and well-drained soil.
- Plant after the risk of frost has passed and soil has warmed.
- Sow seeds 1–1.5 in. deep, spacing about 2 in. apart.
- Water after planting to settle soil; keep soil lightly moist (not soaked) until germination.
- Thin seedlings to about 4 in. apart once they are established.
- Provide a trellis, fence, or stakes—Anasazi beans are vigorous climbers.
- As vines grow, gently guide them onto the support to encourage upward growth.
CARE TIPS
Watering: Water deeply 1–2 times per week depending on heat and rainfall. Keep soil evenly moist, but avoid waterlogging.
Support: A trellis improves airflow, keeps pods cleaner, and makes harvesting easier.
Fertilizing: Beans fix their own nitrogen. If your soil is poor, add compost before planting or use a light, balanced fertilizer early in growth—avoid heavy nitrogen, which can reduce pod production.
HARVESTING
- For fresh eating (green beans): Harvest pods young and tender.
- For dried beans: Leave pods on the plant until they turn brown and dry.
- Harvest plants or pick pods before prolonged wet weather to reduce mould risk.
- Shell beans and allow them to dry completely before storage.
- Store fully dried beans in a cool, dry place in an airtight container."
Source:
https://ttseeds.com/blogs/vegetable-growing/t-and-t-anasazi-beans
#SolarPunkSunday #DroughtResistantCrops #Beans #Resiliency #FoodSecurity
#NativeSeeds #NativeAmericanFoods #ClimateChangeGardening
Some good info here... One of the varieties I'm growing this year is the #AnasaziBean -- also known as #AnasaziCaveBeans -- famous for long-lasting storage and being tasty and filling! Black Turtle beans are another favorite! But I have not yet tried Hopi Lima beans. Maybe next year...
6 #DroughtTolerant Dried Bean Varieties for a #ResilientGarden
Build a resilient garden with 6 drought-tolerant dried beans. These varieties thrive in dry conditions, ensuring a reliable, protein-rich harvest.
Learn more:
https://www.farmstandapp.com/224055/6-drought-tolerant-dried-bean-varieties-for-a-resilient-garden/
#SolarPunkSunday #DroughtResistantCrops #Beans #Resiliency #FoodSecurity #NativeSeeds #NativeAmericanFoods #ClimateChangeGardening
Recipe: #Squash and Apple Soup with Fresh Cranberry Sauce
November 15, 2018 / 2:22 PM EST / CBS News
"A #NativeAmerican recipe from #SeanSherman, author of "#TheSiouxChef's Indigenous Kitchen," winner of the 2018 James Beard Foundation Book Award for Best American Cookbook.
"Sherman says, 'This rich, flavorful soup has a creamy texture without cream. We use the small, tart crab apples that grow in backyards and along the borders of farm fields.'
Squash and Apple Soup with Fresh Cranberry Sauce
(Wagmú na Tȟaspáŋ Waháŋpi nakúŋ Watȟókeča T'áǧa Yužápi)
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons sunflower oil
1 wild onion, chopped, or ¼ cup chopped shallot
2 pounds winter squash, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tart apple, cored and chopped
1 cup cider
3 cups Corn Stock (see below) or vegetable stock
1 Tablespoon maple syrup or more to taste
Salt to taste
Sumac to taste
Cranberry Sauce (see below) or chopped fresh cranberries for garnish
Instructions:
Heat the oil in a deep, heavy saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onion, squash, and apple until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cider and stock, increase the heat, and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.
With an immersion blender or working in batches with a blender, puree the soup and return to the pot to warm.
Season to taste with maple syrup, salt, and sumac. Serve with a dollop of Cranberry Sauce.
Save the #corncobs after you've enjoyed boiled or roasted corn on the cob, or you've cut the kernels for use in a recipe. Put the corncobs into a pot and cover with water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil and partially cover. Reduce the heat and simmer until the stock tastes "corny," about 1 hour.
Discard the cobs, and store the stock in a covered container in the refrigerator or freezer.
#CranberrySauce
Makes 1½ cups
Use this to drizzle over roasted squash or turkey, or for a dessert sauce.
Ingredients:
1½ cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
¼ cup cider
¼ cup maple syrup
Salt to taste
Crushed juniper to taste
Put all the ingredients into a saucepan and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook until the cranberries have popped and the mixture is thick. Remove from the heat and put into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Press the mixture firmly with the back of a spoon and scrape the underside of the sieve to capture all of the fruit pulp. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve warm or cool."
#SolarPunkSunday #Vegan #Recipes
#IndigenousFoods #IndigenousCookbooks #NativeAmericanFoods #VeganRecipes #WinterSquash #VegetarianRecipes
The incredible, edible #nut. Here's a look at the 8,000-year history of the #pecan
by Shelly Mitchell, Oklahoma State University/Special to Wisconsin State Farmer, Nov. 26, 2025
Excerpt: "The pecan derives its name from the #Algonquin '#pakani,' which means 'a nut too hard to crack by hand.' Rich in fat and easy to transport, pecans traveled with #NativeAmericans throughout what is now the southern United States. They were used for food, #medicine and trade as early as 8,000 years ago.
"Pecans are native to the southern United States, and while they had previously spread along travel and trade routes, the first documented purposeful planting of a pecan tree was in New York in 1722. Three years later, George Washington’s estate, Mount Vernon, had some planted pecans. Washington loved pecans, and Revolutionary War soldiers said he was constantly eating them.
"Meanwhile, no one needed to plant pecans in the South, since they naturally grew along riverbanks and in groves. Pecan trees are alternate bearing: They will have a very large crop one year, followed by one or two very small crops. But because they naturally produced a harvest with no input from farmers, people did not need to actively cultivate them. Locals would harvest nuts for themselves but otherwise ignored the self-sufficient trees.
"It wasn’t until the late 1800s that people in the pecan’s native range realized the pecan’s potential worth for income and trade. Harvesting pecans became competitive, and young boys would climb onto precarious tree branches. One girl was lifted by a hot air balloon so she could beat on the upper branches of trees and let them fall to collectors below. Pecan poaching was a problem in natural groves on private property.
"Even with so obvious a demand, cultivated orchards in the South were still rare into the 1900s. Pecan trees don’t produce nuts for several years after planting, so their future quality is unknown.
"To guarantee quality nuts, farmers began using a technique called grafting; they’d join branches from quality trees to another pecan tree’s trunk. The first attempt at grafting pecans was in 1822, but the attempts weren’t very successful.
"Grafting pecans became popular after an enslaved man named Antoine who lived on a Louisiana plantation successfully produced large pecans with tender shells by grafting, around 1846. His pecans became the first widely available improved pecan variety.
"The variety was named Centennial because it was introduced to the public 30 years later at the Philadelphia Centennial Expedition in 1876, alongside the telephone, Heinz ketchup and the right arm of the Statue of Liberty.
"This technique also sped up the production process. To keep pecan quality up and produce consistent annual harvests, today’s pecan growers shake the trees while the nuts are still growing, until about half of the pecans fall off. This reduces the number of nuts so that the tree can put more energy into fewer pecans, which leads to better quality. Shaking also evens out the yield, so that the alternate-bearing characteristic doesn’t create a boom-bust cycle."
In #SeanSherman's book, #TheSiouxChef #IndigenousKitchen, he suggests using a mixture of berries - blackberries, strawberries, cranberries, raspberries, blueberries, elderberries -- pretty much anything you have on hand -- if one can't find chokecherries (which is what was used originally)
What is #wojape? A simple and delicious #NativeAmerican recipe for cranberry sauce
Ronnie Koenig, Updated Wed, November 10, 2021
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/wojape-simple-delicious-native-american-153702849.html
#NativeAmericanRecipes #SiouxChef #IndigenousFood #Berries #MapleSyrup #NativeAmericanFoods
#TheSiouxChef - Máǧaksiča Tȟaspáŋnhaŋpi Akáštaŋpi
Seared Duck Breast with Cider Glaze
Serves 4-6
In this recipe, the duck breast is barely cooked, seared under a maple glaze, and served over a griddled corn cake with wild mushrooms and a wild pesto. It's a simple plate that makes a stunning entree. Unless you hunt or know someone who does, find duck breasts in the freezer section of most grocery stores. The sear on high heats gets the skin nice and crispy. Serve on Corn Cakes or Wild Rice Pilaf.
1 teaspoon coarse mineral salt
Pinch sumac
Pinch crushed juniper
2 to 3 pounds duck breasts, skin on.
1 to 2 tablespoons sunflower or hazelnut oil
1 cup cider
1 tablespoon chopped sage
1 tablespoon maple vinegar (maple syrup mixed with apple cider vinegar can be substituted)
1 tablespoon maple syrup, or to taste
Wojape (chokecherry sauce) for garnish
In a large, self-sealing plastic bag, shake the salt, sumac and juniper together, then add the duck breasts and shake to coat with the mix. Seal and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 400 F. In a large ovenproof saute pan, add enough oil to generously cover the pan and set over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches so not to crow the pan, sear the duck breasts, skin side down, for about 5 minutes. Turn and sear the other side for 5 minutes. Place the pan in the over and roast for about 5 to 7 minutes for medium rare. Transfer the breasts to a plate and tent to keep warm.
Pour all but about 1 teaspoon of fat from the pan and reserve for another use. Return the pan to medium heat, add the cider, and scrap up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the sage. Simmer the cider to reduce by half. Add the maple vinegar and cook to reduce for several more minutes. Season with the maple syrup. Cut the duck breasts into 1-inch thick diagonal slices and serve drizzled with the Wojape sauce.
Source: #TheSiouxChef’s Indigenous Kitchen, by #SeanSherman with Beth Dooley.
#SiouxChef #IndigenousKitchen #IndigenousCookbooks #NativeAmericanFoods #DuckRecipes #AnimalProducts
Re-connected with a dear friend (who is like a younger sister to me) tonight. We will be doing genealogy research on our #NativeAmerican ancestors, sharing #NativeAmericanFoods and recipes, and re-learning and learning new dances for upcoming #Powwows! To reconnecting with #Sisters!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbrvwaVXJ48
#Halluci_Nation #ATribeCalledRed #NativeAmericans #Indigiqueer #SharingInformation #SharingKnowledge #Connection #CommunityFirst
A Tribe Called Red- Sisters ft Northern Voice(2013) A Tribe Called Red / Tribal Spirit Music / Pirates BlendBuy on iTunes: http://bit.ly/1gxWTEr www.atribeca...
Psíŋ na Čhaŋnákpa na Úma Čheúŋpapi na Watȟónkeča T’áǧa
#WildRice Pilaf with Wild Mushrooms, Roasted Chestnuts, and Dried Cranberries
Serves 4 to 6
Wild rice is a flavorful and remarkably satisfying food. The mushrooms add a dark, meaty flavor and texture, while the chestnuts are creamy (and high in protein). This meatless dish will appeal to omnivore and vegetarian alike. Cooked wild rice will keep several weeks in the refrigerator and for at least a year when frozen in a plastic freezer bag.
2 tablespoons sunflower or walnut oil
1 pound assorted mushrooms, cleaned
1 tablespoon chopped sage
½ cup chopped wild onion or shallots
1/2cup Corn Stock, or vegetable stock
2 cups cooked wild rice
½ cup dried cranberries
1 cup roasted, peeled, chopped chestnuts
1 tablespoon maple syrup to taste
½ to 1 teaspoon smoked salt to taste
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms, sage, and onion. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are nicely browned and the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the stock, wild rice, and cranberries and cook until the liquid is nearly evaporated. Stir in the roasted chestnuts. Season with maple syrup and smoked salt to taste.
Source: #TheSiouxChef’s Indigenous Kitchen, by #SeanSherman with Beth Dooley.
#SolarPunkSunday #Vegan #IndigenousFoods #IndigenousCookbooks #NativeAmericanFoods #VeganRecipes #WildRiceRecipes #VegetarianRecipes
DoomsdaysCW
