Cal in Etla

Each week a group of women assembles on the south wall of the market in Etla to sell cal and ocote, the resinous pine pieces that folks use to start their charcoal fires.  It burns like crazy and works like a charm.  However, I always focus on the cal or lime, the white swath in front of me as the powdered cal covers the stairs.

And it is the sound that always gets me.  Lots of little pings and dings as they hit the hard rock-like cal. The women all have little hammers that they use to to break the cal apart.  The cal has several uses, one of which, is to prepare corn and turn it into masa, which in turn gets made into so many tasty things, tortillas, tamales, etc...

a recipe from My Humble Kitchen

Nixtamal
Ingredients:

1. 2 quarts organic field corn
2. 5 tbls Lime/Cal
3. 4 quarts filtered water

Method:

1. Rinse corn and remove any chaff.  Drain through a colander.
2. In a non-reactive pot, mix water and lime over high heat until lime is dissolved.
3. Add the corn and bring to a boil for 15 – 20 minutes.
4. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let soak overnight.
5. The next day, drain the corn through a colander and rinse.  If making hominy for posole, remove hulls at this time. The hulls are the little brown tips which can be rubbed or picked off.
6. Place corn in a bowl and cover with water.  Allow to soak for 5 – 10 minutes moving the corn kernels with your fingers and then rinse again.  Repeat this process one more time.  This will ensure all traces of lime are washed away.
7. Drain the corn through a colander and your done.  Homemade nixtamal!

- See more at: http://www.myhumblekitchen.com/2009/12/nixtamal-preparing-corn-for-tortillas/#sthash.GinaHUku.dpuf

Nixtamal
Ingredients:

1. 2 quarts organic field corn
2. 5 tbls Lime/Cal
3. 4 quarts filtered water

Method:

1. Rinse corn and remove any chaff.  Drain through a colander.
2. In a non-reactive pot, mix water and lime over high heat until lime is dissolved.
3. Add the corn and bring to a boil for 15 – 20 minutes.
4. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let soak overnight.
5. The next day, drain the corn through a colander and rinse.  If making hominy for posole, remove hulls at this time. The hulls are the little brown tips which can be rubbed or picked off.
6. Place corn in a bowl and cover with water.  Allow to soak for 5 – 10 minutes moving the corn kernels with your fingers and then rinse again.  Repeat this process one more time.  This will ensure all traces of lime are washed away.
7. Drain the corn through a colander and your done.  Homemade nixtamal!

- See more at: http://www.myhumblekitchen.com/2009/12/nixtamal-preparing-corn-for-tortillas/#sthash.GinaHUku.dpuf

Nixtamal
Ingredients:

1. 2 quarts organic field corn
2. 5 tbls Lime/Cal
3. 4 quarts filtered water

Method:

1. Rinse corn and remove any chaff.  Drain through a colander.
2. In a non-reactive pot, mix water and lime over high heat until lime is dissolved.
3. Add the corn and bring to a boil for 15 – 20 minutes.
4. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let soak overnight.
5. The next day, drain the corn through a colander and rinse.  If making hominy for posole, remove hulls at this time. The hulls are the little brown tips which can be rubbed or picked off.
6. Place corn in a bowl and cover with water.  Allow to soak for 5 – 10 minutes moving the corn kernels with your fingers and then rinse again.  Repeat this process one more time.  This will ensure all traces of lime are washed away.
7. Drain the corn through a colander and your done.  Homemade nixtamal!

- See more at: http://www.myhumblekitchen.com/2009/12/nixtamal-preparing-corn-for-tortillas/#sthash.GinaHUku.dpuf

Nixtamal
Ingredients:

1. 2 quarts organic field corn
2. 5 tbls Lime/Cal
3. 4 quarts filtered water

Method:

1. Rinse corn and remove any chaff.  Drain through a colander.
2. In a non-reactive pot, mix water and lime over high heat until lime is dissolved.
3. Add the corn and bring to a boil for 15 – 20 minutes.
4. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let soak overnight.
5. The next day, drain the corn through a colander and rinse.  If making hominy for posole, remove hulls at this time. The hulls are the little brown tips which can be rubbed or picked off.
6. Place corn in a bowl and cover with water.  Allow to soak for 5 – 10 minutes moving the corn kernels with your fingers and then rinse again.  Repeat this process one more time.  This will ensure all traces of lime are washed away.
7. Drain the corn through a colander and your done.  Homemade nixtamal!

- See more at: http://www.myhumblekitchen.com/2009/12/nixtamal-preparing-corn-for-tortillas/#sthash.GinaHUku.dpuf

Nixtamal
Ingredients:

1. 2 quarts organic field corn
2. 5 tbls Lime/Cal
3. 4 quarts filtered water

Method:

1. Rinse corn and remove any chaff.  Drain through a colander.
2. In a non-reactive pot, mix water and lime over high heat until lime is dissolved.
3. Add the corn and bring to a boil for 15 – 20 minutes.
4. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let soak overnight.
5. The next day, drain the corn through a colander and rinse.  If making hominy for posole, remove hulls at this time. The hulls are the little brown tips which can be rubbed or picked off.
6. Place corn in a bowl and cover with water.  Allow to soak for 5 – 10 minutes moving the corn kernels with your fingers and then rinse again.  Repeat this process one more time.  This will ensure all traces of lime are washed away.
7. Drain the corn through a colander and your done.  Homemade nixtamal!

- See more at: http://www.myhumblekitchen.com/2009/12/nixtamal-preparing-corn-for-tortillas/#sthash.GinaHUku.dpuf

Nixtamal
Ingredients:

1. 2 quarts organic field corn
2. 5 tbls Lime/Cal
3. 4 quarts filtered water

Method:

1. Rinse corn and remove any chaff.  Drain through a colander.
2. In a non-reactive pot, mix water and lime over high heat until lime is dissolved.
3. Add the corn and bring to a boil for 15 – 20 minutes.
4. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let soak overnight.
5. The next day, drain the corn through a colander and rinse.  If making hominy for posole, remove hulls at this time. The hulls are the little brown tips which can be rubbed or picked off.
6. Place corn in a bowl and cover with water.  Allow to soak for 5 – 10 minutes moving the corn kernels with your fingers and then rinse again.  Repeat this process one more time.  This will ensure all traces of lime are washed away.
7. Drain the corn through a colander and your done.  Homemade nixtamal!

- See more at: http://www.myhumblekitchen.com/2009/12/nixtamal-preparing-corn-for-tortillas/#sthash.GinaHUku.dpuf