Satisfying, versatile cornmeal
This article was originally published in September 2014
A staple in the South (grits) and indispensible in areas of Italy (polenta), cornmeal can be incorporated into many different dishes. It adds texture to muffins and breads, adds flavor and thickness to soups, and adds crunch to batter for breading.
Simply, cornmeal is dried corn that’s been ground down into smaller, coarser bits. How much it’s ground (fine, medium or coarse) and the variety of corn (yellow, white or blue) can vary. At PCC, you’ll find two different kinds of cornmeal in bulk.
Organic Cornmeal
From Fairhaven Organic Flour Mill in Bellingham, Wash., comes from a combination of whole yellow and blue corn, with the germ and bran included. It features a wide range of particle sizes — coarse to fine — mixed together and unsifted. This results in a fuller, richer taste and is more nutritional than degerminated cornmeal.
Bob’s Red Mill Organic Polenta Corn Grits
Made using certified organic yellow corn that’s coarsely ground. We also carry prepackaged options from Bob’s Red Mill on our grocery shelves, including Organic Medium Grind Cornmeal, Gluten-free Masa Harina Golden Corn Flour, and Gluten-free Stone Ground Whole Grain Cornmeal.
Storage
For the best flavor and to keep it from going rancid, store cornmeal in the refrigerator.