drying corn in oven

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I just picked some open pollinated corn and want to grind it for corn meal. It is gumming up my grinder. does anyone know how hot and how long I can put corn in the oven so it will grind better?

Thanks

-- phillip (raines@rainesridgefarm.com), October 21, 2001

Answers

Hi, Phil! Norm just told me the other day (he's picking corn all this week) that he grabs about 5 ears and dumps them in a 5-gallon bucket of water - if they float, the corn is dry enough to pick. If they sink, it's too wet to pick!!

As for drying, is the corn shelled? Could you put it in a food dehydrator for awhile? Do you have a gas oven with a pilot light so you could lay the kernels on a cookie sheet and dry them overnight or longer? If you take a hammer and smash a kernel, is it powdery or gummy? Want to use a hairdryer???(Just kidding) I don't think I'd go over 140 degrees in an oven, and most ovens won't hold that heat consistently, will they?? Good luck!

-- Bonnie (chilton@stateline-isp.com), October 21, 2001.


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