Where to Find Cornmeal in Grocery Store?

Originally posted on December 5, 2021 @ 1:00 pm

Where to find cornmeal in grocery store

Cornmeal is a flour commonly used in recipes today because the texture and taste of corn in the dough is still retained. So what is cornstarch actually? What grocery stores and aisles can you find this cornmeal in grocery store? How can we use this cornstarch? Let’s find out through the information below.

What is cornmeal?

Cornmeal is a coarsely ground form of corn, made by crushing the corn husks. Cornmeal is a very popular ingredient in the United States, often used to make corn breads as well as tortillas in South America. Cornmeal can also be mixed with flour to make bread or sometimes even used to make cakes.

There are many types of cornmeal:

• Steel-ground yellow cornmeal: this is the most popular cornmeal in the USA. Steel-ground yellow cornmeal has removed almost all of the germ and husk of the kernel of maize . It can be used and stored for about 1 year if you put it in an airtight container and place it in a cool, dry environment.
• Blue cornmeal: This type of cornmeal has a light blue or violet color. It is made by grounding the whole blue corn and it has a sweet flavor. This cornmeal consists of dried corn kernels which have been ground to  medium or fine size of flour.
• White cornmeal (also called mielie-meal): This one is made from white corn, and it is more popular in many areas of Africa. It is also common in the Southern United States where local people use it to make cornbread.
• Stone-ground cornmeal: It is another kind of cornmeal which still keeps some of the germ and hull for the product. Consequently, bringing back a little more taste and nutrition for meals which use this type of cornmeal. Although it is easier to be perishable, you can prolong its use by storing it in refrigerated. However, it still can be in a good form for many months if it is kept in a cool place reasonably.

Where to find cornmeal in grocery store?

First of all, you can check this product in the baking aisle because this is a common ingredient in baking, especially baking bread (cornbread). In the baking aisle, find the area of gluten-free product (if the grocery store that you go to has separate a specific area for this item) and flours. It will be quite easy because they look quite different from each other, except you are looking for white cornmeal which has a white color, but its texture can still distinguish it from the others.

For another way of storing and ranging goods from the grocery store, you can find cornmeal at the rice and grains aisle because corn is a kind of grain, so the products which are made from corn will be classified to be in this aisle.

Moreover, the grocery stores also often place cornmeal in the bulk area like other wholesale products.

What Grocery Store Sells Cornmeal?

Cornmeal is a common ingredient for cooks all around the world, so this product can be found easily in almost any grocery store. Moreover, thanks to the development of agriculture and production methods presently, as well as the increase of commercial transactions, buying and selling, especially e-commerce, cornmeal, now,  can be ordered online, and then it will be delivered to the customer’s door. 

There are many supermarket online where you can find this item: 

• Amazon: One of the top e-commerce and shopping sites in the US and some other countries. Go to Amazon’s site, click search at the top of page, and type in the keyword “cornmeal”, a list of cornmeal which is provided by a variety of vendors with publicly listed prices will appear for you to choose from.
• Taobao: Check the product’s detailed information in the online store of this site and buy cornmeal whenever you need it with a reasonable price.
• Ebay: this is another site with a lot of cornmeal’s brands that are provided for customers, like the two letter sites, it also has a suitable cost to purchase.
• Instead of shopping online, you can also go to the chain of grocery stores if you like the feel of going through the aisles in grocery stores, touching in order to see the products you want to buy in real life. There are some suggestion for you:
• Walmart: one of the biggest chain grocery stores in the USA as well as in many others countries. Walmart also has a website for customers to check the recent goods that their local Walmart has.
• Whole Foods Market is also a good suggestion for you to go there and check by following the above suggestion and get the true type of cornmeal that you want.

Other grocery stores that you can decide to go to if they have stores in your area like: Your Local Health Food Store, Publix, Ethnic Markets,…

Some exciting ways of using cornmeal

As mentioned above, cornstarch is a very popular cooking ingredient, so there are many ways to make this food delicious. Here are some suggestions for you:

Cornmeal Pancakes: Instead of the usual flours used, try making a cornmeal with a ratio of 1-1/3 all-purpose flour: 2 cornmeal and other ingredients according to the recipes. A delicious corn-flavored pancake will make you have a new experience with this classic dish.

• Citrus Cornmeal Cake_ a cornmeal cake with citrus aroma that can make for a wonderful afternoon tea.
• Shrimp Corn Cakes can also be a unique choice for the main course in your meal. Try searching online for the recipe and start making it
• Po’Boy Tacos with cornmeal crust is also an experience worth trying

Moreover, there are many other recipes that you can try, like cornmeal bread_ one of the most common recipes.

What is a good substitute for cornmeal? 

Corn flour is often used to create dishes that need the aroma and appeal of corn, so you should not substitute cornstarch for regular all-purpose flours because it will lose the flavor and texture of the dish. If you need an alternative, you can use corn grits to preserve the corn flavor, or modify it with ground oats, breadcrumbs, and semolina for similar texture.

Also, wheat flour, rice flour can also be used in case of force majeure but your product will taste and texture according to the type of flour you use, not cornflakes anymore.

FAQs about cornmeal in grocery store

How long does cornmeal last?

Cornmeal is usually sold in pre-packaged bags that hold about 5 pounds. It is recommended to use for about one year under proper storage conditions, when cornmeal quality is likely to be at its best according to manufacturers. However, if stored in a cool, dry place, free from mold as well as moisture-damaging insects, the shelf life can be extended further. Usually it will be about 18 months for cornmeal stored in the cooler and about 24 months for storing in the freezer.

How to store cornmeal?

Cornmeal should be stored in a dry and cool place, avoiding sunshine. Do not leave it in places that may come into contact with water, such as near the floor of the dishwasher or next to the refrigerator, water can splash, making the cornmeal moldy, damaged and unusable. High humidity and temperature are also favorable environments for insects to multiply and develop, this is also a major cause of cornmeal spoilage.

After unpacking for first use, unused portions should be transferred to an airtight zip-lock bag or other sealed container, expel all air, and can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer to extend shelf life. Or just keeping it in a cool, dry place is also an optimal way to preserve this material. You can also use desiccant bags to put in the bag of cornmeal that needs to be preserved to prevent it from getting moldy.

Distinguish between cornmeal and cornstarch

Cornstarch is also made from corn, but it doesn’t have a cornmeal flavor like cornmeal but has a slight starchy smell, and it also disappears when you cook the flour itself. As for cornmeal, it is basically corn flour, but has a coarser texture, and also retains the flavor of the raw dry corn. Thus, cornmeal is used more in recipes that require a corn flavor like cornbread while cornstarch_ has a finer texture_ is more commonly used as a thickener in sauces or soups.

Which cornmeal is the best?

While cornmeal comes in many varieties, most recipes that list cornmeal as cornmeal will typically use a flour that is either moderately milled or slightly coarsely ground (fine or medium grind size) and that is also the common sale-cornmeal. 

How to Make Homemade Cornmeal

Major ingredient: Corn_ The best choice is fresh corn picked from the cob, or for more convenience, you can use frozen corn instead, but try not using canned corn for this homemade cornmeal.

For fresh corn: 

– Wash them carefully, then remove the thick stem but still keep the husks.

– Cook your corn, make sure you don’t make it overcook

– Allow the corn to cool, remove the husks, remove the kernels from the cob and remove the water with a dehydrator (temperature about 125 – 135°F) for about 8-12 hours, be sure to check while dehydrating to make sure corn does not stick to the tray nor stick together in large patches.

For frozen corn: 

– Start from the step 3 for fresh corn 

Then, for both fresh and frozen corn, make sure they are all totally dry, and put them to a processor, grind it up until the texture you want.

Conclusion

Cornmeal is a familiar and popular material around the world. You can find cornmeal in the ingredient counters, or in the grocery aisle for rice and other grains, and it’s even easier when you can find and buy them. on e-commerce sites.

Thank you read about ” Where to find cornmeal in grocery store?” article.