How to Cook Glass Gem Corn

Dehydrating Corn

Blanch the corn for three to five minutes. Blanching the corn first will make the kernels easier to remove. Set a timer and blanch your corn for three to five minutes to start. To blanch the corn, you need to bring the water to a boil first. You can also add a few teaspoons of salt to the water. You should also have a bowl of ice water prepared. After blanching the corn for three to five minutes, remove it from the boiling water. Place it in the ice water until it's cool enough to touch.

Cut off the kernels. Hold each cob of corn on its side with one hand. With your other hand, take a sharp knife and slowly run it down the side of the corn. This should remove the kernels. Make sure to move slowly so most of the kernels stay intact. If the corn is slippery, pat it dry with paper towels to avoid an accident while cutting it.

Place the kernels on a dehydrator tray. You want to make sure you only have one single layer of kernels. You should spread them evenly over the dehydrator tray. If you notice any kernels stuck together, break them up before placing the kernels in a dehydrator.

Dehydrate the corn until crispy. The dehydrator should be set to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (about 49 degrees Celsius). Dehydrate your kernels until they're hard and crispy. How long this will take depends on how many kernels you're dehydrating, but it can take between 12 and 14 hours. Check on the kernels every hour or so and remove them when they're done.

Store your kernels. Kernels should be stored in an airtight container, such as a canning jar. You can keep kernels in a cabinet in your kitchen until you're ready to use them. If stored properly, popcorn kernels will last indefinitely. Once you pop them into popcorn, they should last two to three weeks.

Making Cornmeal

Place your kernels in a blender. As glass gem corn is a flint corn, you can use it to make cornmeal which can be used in meals likes grits. Use the strongest blender you have, as this will make the finest cornmeal. Add as many kernels as you want to your blender. It depends on how much cornmeal you want to make. More kernels will produce a greater amount of cornmeal. If you don't have a very strong blender, you may be unable to grind kernels fine enough for cornmeal. Consider splurging on a stronger blender if you want to make cornmeal with your glass gem corn.

Grind the kernels, increasing the speed gradually. Start at the lowest speed possible. After a few seconds, increase the speed to a medium level. After a few more seconds, increase the speed to high. Increasing the speed gradually will prevent kernels from clogging the blades.

Keep blending the kernels until they're the right texture. It usually takes around one minute for kernels to reach the right consistency. However, this may take longer with a weaker blender. When finished, you should be left with a sand-like substance that resembles store bought cornmeal.

Store your cornmeal. Store your cornmeal in a sealed glass container. You should keep in the refrigerator to extend its shelf life. Cornmeal keeps around a year.

Making Popcorn

Heat your oil. The dehydrated kernels from glass gem corn can be popped into popcorn. Use around three tablespoons of coconut, peanut, or canola oil. Place it in the bottom of a three quart sauce pan. Allow it to heat over medium-high heat. After a few minutes, place three to four kernels in the oil. If they pop, it's heated. If not, remove the kernels and try again in a few minutes. Your oil will be ready to use when a few kernels pop.

Add your popcorn. Once the oil is heated, add around 1/3 a cup of kernels to the oil. Cover the pan with a lid.

Remove the pot from the heat for 30 seconds. Once the pan is covered, you can remove the kernels from the heat. Count for 30 seconds or set a timer.

Return the pot to the heat. After 30 seconds have passed, place the kernels back on the heat. Keep the lid slightly ajar. The popcorn should start popping. Periodically shake the pan back and forth to help the kernels pop evenly.

Allow the popcorn to finish popping. Hold the pan over the heat. After awhile, the popping will slow down. Once it's slowed to the point several seconds pass between pops, carefully remove the lid. Unfortunately, glass gem corn does not retain its color after it pops.

Season with butter and salt. You can season the popcorn how you want to serve it. You can sprinkle on some salt and also melt some butter and pour it over the popcorn. You can also season the butter with things like parmesan cheese and garlic salt.