Where to Find Hominy in Grocery Store?

Originally posted on February 18, 2022 @ 3:36 am

Hominy is a type of corn that has been dried and then treated with an alkali, such as lime. This process removes the hull and germ, and gives hominy its characteristic enlarged kernels. Hominy can be found in the ethnic food aisle of most grocery stores, or online. It can be used in a variety of dishes, including soups, stews, and chilis. Here are some tips on how to select and where to find hominy in grocery store.

What is hominy?

Hominy is a type of maize which has been treated to remove the hull and germ. After the process, hominy looks similar to white pearl tapioca or large grits. It can be ground into masa, the dough used for making tortillas, tamales, pozole, chili dishes and other Mexican cuisine staples.

One story says that it was first used by American Indians in North America as food that could be stored over winter months to prevent starvation. Since then hominy has become popular across Latin America and Southern U.S., with many kinds of recipes using this ingredient including soups, salads and casseroles. It is also sold commercially under various brand names such as “Posole” (in Mexico) and “grits” (in the United States).

Hominy is prepared by adding a strong alkali, such as quicklime or slaked lime, to hulled maize kernels. This process is known as nixtamalization and it is widely used in Mesoamerica where many pre-Hispanic cultures made this type of product from corn. In comparison to other types of maize, hominy has a greater crop yield per unit area due to its shorter growing season .

It also grows well in waterlogged soil which limits the production of other cereal crops. The plant serves as an excellent rotational crop with soybeans since it enriches the soil with nitrogen. Both crops are usually sold at a premium by farmers due to their high protein content and amino acid composition, which makes them a nutritious food source for humans.

Hominy from maize is rich in soluble dietary fiber, vitamins A, B6 and E, magnesium, potassium and niacin. It is also the only cereal with the necessary properties to be used as a thickener or binder in many recipes. This makes it a common ingredient in soups such as pozole.

In Mexico, hominy is frequently eaten with chicken during breakfast whereas in Brazil they serve it either fried or boiled with dried meat in a stew called moqueca. In Colombia, hominy is known as chiguire and its dried form is in a soup called bandeja paisa, which includes meat, beans and rice.

Hominy is also used as an ingredient in making masa for tortilla production. In Mexico it is widely known as nixtamal. It was first produced by Olmec cultures nearly 3,000 years ago.

Tortillas are one of the most important staples in Mexican culture that are consumed at all times of the day including breakfast, lunch and dinner. They can be made by simply adding fresh water to hominy or dried whole kernels can be ground into corn flour.

Hominy Used For:

1. To make the corn easier to grind and process;

2. To make it less likely that people will choke on the kernels (avoiding certain kinds of food is a common cause of choking in children);

3. For its nutritional value: hominy has fiber, which promotes healthy digestion, and vitamins B6 and folate, which can help reduce levels of homocysteine. Hominy is also high in thiamin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and manganese.

4. Hominy is used in recipes for baked goods, side dishes and main courses.

5. In the preparation of masa, or cornmeal, which is used to make tortillas, tamales and other Mexican dishes.

6. Hominy is a necessary ingredient in some candies and desserts.

7. To create a dish called “posole,” a traditional Mexican soup made with pork, chiles and vegetables such as carrots, onions and garlic.

8. To create a dish called “pozole,” a popular party food in Mexico that is usually eaten around Christmas season.

In conclusion: The hominy is used for many purposes such as to avoid choking , for its nutritional value , In the preparation of masa , to create a dish called “posole,” a traditional Mexican soup made with pork, chiles and vegetables such as carrots, onions and garlic, to create a dish called “pozole,” a popular party food in Mexico that is usually eaten around Christmas season.

It also used for different cooking recipes. It can be use in baking it can be used in making side dishes and main courses. The hominy has nutritional value like fiber which promotes healthy digestion and vitamins B6 and folate which reduce levels of homocysteine.

Hominy has uses beyond just food. The thick fiber found inside the kernel makes an excellent additive for animal feed, helping to promote healthy coats and growth rates in livestock. Hominy itself is often fed to livestock, especially when there’s not much else available—during times when corn crops are struggling or during droughts, for example. When added to animal feed pellets , hominy can help increase the fiber content of the pellets, as well as their production volume.

Hominy used NOT for:

While there’s no denying that hominy is a great source of many important nutrients–like fiber!–it should not be one’s sole source of nutrition. The National Institutes of Health, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and numerous other health agencies recommend that people eat a variety of healthy foods in moderation. What this means is that while hominy can be part of a nutritious diet, it’s not the only thing one should eat.

Where to buy hominy near me?

The question that’s been on everyone’s minds since they’ve heard the word. In the same way, it has been a topic of discussion for people who have heard of hominy and are interested in trying it but don’t know where to get started.

We are here to help you answer the question “Where can I buy hominy near me?”

Where to Find Hominy in Grocery Store?

The first place where you can find hominy in grocery store is at the canned goods section, specifically the canned vegetables aisle. You need to look for white hominy with dried kernels.

Apart from being sold canned, it is mostly found frozen or packaged in bags at Mexican markets and certain parts of the United States that have substantial Hispanic population. 

Unfortunately, even though it’s 2015 there is still a good number of grocery stores that don’t carry hominy because not many people buy them so those stores either dropped them from their inventory rotation or they have been discontinued from the store. If you can’t locate them at your local grocery store, Mexican groceries or Latin American markets will carry them as well as some online suppliers of dry and canned food.

What Grocery Store Sells Hominy?

Amazon – This is one of the easiest ways to buy anything you can’t get locally.. Please do a search for “hominy” and you’ll find them at the very top of the list. Hominy is also sold by various food producers, but most don’t package it in small batches like you’d buy at grocery stores.

Just go to amazon and do a search for hominy and click on any product that has good reviews, read them before buying though. Again, when searching for “hominy”, look through the entire list of results because they range from whole corn kernels with no preservatives to canned hominy with flavorings.

Walmart – Look fo frozenr hominy in the frozen vegetables section of your local Walmart. They come in 10oz and 14oz bags, but not all Walmarts carry them. You can also find packages of dried whole hominy kernels at some Walmarts.. Again, you need to look through the entire store before finding it because these products are sometimes discontinued.

Sams Club – Sam’s club carries both canned and frozen hominy . You can click here to check which local Sam’s Club store near you has it in stock right now.

Save Mart Supermarkets: These supermarkets have a good selection of Hispanic foods , so if they don’t carry hominy locally, be sure ask for it at their deli counter or customer service desk so they’ll know to keep it in stock.

Safeway / Vons – These stores carry both dry (in the Mexican food section) and frozen (in the frozen foods section)products. If you don’t see them on the shelf, just ask one of their employees to help you find it.

Harris Teeter: While not all locations carry hominy, those that do are likely to keep this product stocked because it is pretty popular among Mexican communities. Customers that shop at Harris Teeter’s should be able to locate canned and frozen products in both areas. Look for dry (in the Hispanic section) packages of whole hominy kernels too.

Common Types of Hominy?

Dried hominy, which can be ground into masa flour or soaked overnight for extended use in certain dishes Fresh canned hominy, which is used for quick preparation Mexican-style stewed white hominy White kernel canned hominy Chow-chow style canned green whole kernel hominy Canned yellow kernel whole grain hominy Whole kernel canned yellow Homemade canned whole grain yellow Homemade canned white Mixed hominy, which is a combination of white and yellow kernel hominy.

If you’re not making it yourself from scratch, hominy generally comes dried or in cans. It is most commonly available in white or golden (yellow) varieties, with golden hominy being the sweeter of the two. You can also buy purple hominy.

Substitute for White Hominy?

I was looking for a substitute for hominy or rather maize, as I cannot eat corn and need to make a dish with maize flour as the main ingredient (corn is not an option). In your recipes you use mainly polenta and buckwheat, but neither of those work well in my case because they are both already cooked products that can’t be used as-is to replace tortillas/masa harina/masa de maiz, etc., which is what I need to make my special dish.

1. Chickpeas: also known as garbanzo beans, are a good option for mimicking the flavor of hominy.

2. Corn: neither cornflour nor maize meal will work in place of masa harina/masa de maiz, which is a flour made from corn treated with lime and then ground into fine powder. If you do not want to use hominy or maize in your recipe requiring maize, try using polenta (corn grits) or dried corn, which can be ground into a fine texture. You should note that polenta (corn grits) and dried corn need to be cooked prior to use, whereas maize needs only to be soaked for about 10 minutes before cooking.

3. Buckwheat grits: buckwheat flour is also known as kasha

4. Polenta meal: this is a coarse form of cornmeal.

5. Dried Beans: chili, ancho and morita chiles can all be used as a substitute for chipotles in adobo sauce.

6. Polenta meal: this is a coarse form of cornmeal.

7. Grits: this term can refer to several varieties of coarsely-ground maize or cornmeal.

How To Use Hominy

Use hominy as a thickening agent for soups and stews. To use, first rinse hominy thoroughly in a fine mesh strainer to remove excess starches and any dirt. Add directly to soups and stews at the end of cooking time.

You can also mix up a quick cornbread by adding 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of oil or butter, and 1/2 cup milk as well as 2 cups of rinsed hominy. Mix until smooth and cook in a greased skillet for 5 minutes per side!

Finally, you can stir fry it with some veggies for a tasty side dish.

Use hominy to make hominy grits. To make grits, add 1 cup of grits (not instant) to 4 cups of boiling water and salt to taste. Let simmer for 30 minutes until softened and most of the liquid is absorbed.

Use hominy to make atole, a traditional Mexican drink. To make, add 1 cup of atole mix to 3 cups of cold water and stir. Heat in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil, then remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

Make Vegan Pozole by substituting 1 can of hominy for an equal portion of pork in this vegan version.

Make Vegan Cachupa by substituting 1 can of hominy for an equal portion of Portuguese sausage in this vegan version.

Use hominy as part of your Thanksgiving stuffing recipe or season and bake on its own for a tasty side dish!

To make, add 4 cups fresh corn kernels to boiling water followed by 1 cup rinsed hominy. Cook until tender and serve with butter and salt as desired.

Add 2 cups rinsed prepared hominy to your favorite chili or taco soup recipe as a thickening agent. To prepare, simply rinse the dried white corn under cold running water for about 3 minutes and then let sit in warm water for 10-15 minutes before adding to recipes.

You can also substitute it into any traditional cornbread recipe: just replace 1 cup of flour with 1 cup of hominy.

Full Recipe: How To Use Hominy

How To Make Cornbread With Hominy – Vegan & Gluten-free!

This recipe makes about 10 servings. You can easily half the recipe, but the baking time will be longer. 

INGREDIENTS

2 cups water

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegan buttery spread 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup fine ground yellow cornmeal (note: NOT coarse stone ground)

Do not use regular white cornmeal for this recipe, it does not work well 1/4 cup arrowroot starch 3 tablespoons tapioca starch or potato starch 1/2 cup sorghum flour 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 3 tablespoons maple syrup Do not use any other sweetener, it will not work. 

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line an 8″x8″ pan with parchment paper and grease well. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar or lemon juice with the oil or vegan buttery spread and set aside. Mix together all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just mixed (do not overmix). Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake for 40-45 minutes until top is firm when touched. Let cool in the pan, then cut into squares and serve with vegan butter or jam.

Hominy FAQs:

Q: What is hominy?

A: It’s corn kernels soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution (usually lye) which makes the hulls slip off, and after a final rinse with water, they’re ready to eat as grits or boiled. They can also be roasted as pop-corn or ground into masa flour for making tortillas. 

Some people keep some on hand for snacking! There are also canned versions of hominy available throughout the world. Fresh hominy lasts up to two days if stored properly and covered in cold water at all times so it doesn’t become dry and brittle. You can freeze it whole or cut it off the cob after blanching it first. Canned hominy needs no presoaking and should be boiled for 15-20 minutes to heat it thoroughly.

Q: What is masa?

A: It’s a dough made from ground corn kernels–the same as hominy, but dried rather than fresh. Masa harina is the flour form of masa used to make tortillas. Fresh masa can also be used to make tamales, pupusas and other Latin American specialties. 

You can substitute 1 cup of masa for each pound of cornmeal in any recipe calling for cooked grits or polenta . If you’re buying packaged masa harina, look for Maseca brand if possible–it’s what we use down here! We’ve found that Bob’s Red Mill brand makes a tasty masa too.

Q: How do you cook hominy?

A: Hominy is usually boiled for about 30 minutes in plain water (or chicken broth if you like). Drain well, cover with cold water and let it sit for about 10 minutes to cool down–so the kernels won’t break as easily when you cut them up. Then “cut” or mash/chop into pieces that are about 1/2 inch long and set aside. Discard any broken or crushed pieces (or feed to your pets!) 

Cut fresh green onions into 1/2 inch lengths and add to the corn along with your favorite seasonings such as salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin , chili powder , oregano , parsley and/or any other seasoning you like on corn-on-the-cob. You can add cheddar or monterey jack cheese too, if you’d like.

Q: How do I make hominy grits?

A: First of all, know that dried hominy is *not* the same as dried corn kernels–hominy simply means “hulled corn.” You’ll want to use quick or instant dried hominy grits (cornmeal) for this; not regular dry yellow cornmeal . 

A tip from someone who’s made it the hard way: always stir the flour into a bit of cold water first before adding it into your boiling hot mixture to avoid lumps! (This also works for making gravy.) Just make sure you cook it long enough to get the right consistency.

Q: What is the best way to prepare instant hominy grits?

A: After stirring in the water, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir again; if it’s not thick enough, keep simmering until desired thickness has been reached. Season with salt and pepper or any other seasoning you prefer. If adding cheese, place on top of prepared grits just before serving . 

You can also pour the finished batch into a casserole dish, sprinkle some cheese over them, heat in an oven at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes to melt it. That makes a good accompaniment to all kinds of recipes.

Q: What does hominy grits taste like?

A: It’s like corn, but creamier…and it’s great with lots of butter and salt. (We don’t care about healthy eating here!) You can also buy seasoned ones that are flavored with jalapeno peppers or cheddar cheese, which is yummy! Hominy grits can be served as a side dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They’re also often used in making hoe cakes , spoon bread , hoppin’ john , baked beans and more.

Q: What is the best way to cook dried hominy?

A: Soak overnight in water to cover, then boil until soft–about 4-6 hours total.

Q: What’s the difference between canned and dried hominy?

A: They’re both made from white corn kernels that have been soaked or treated with an alkalizing solution such as lye, calcium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide to remove the hulls (or skins). The dry form is just more convenient since it doesn’t require so much preparation time–you only need to soak it for 15-30 minutes before cooking, usually in boiling water. Canned hominy has already been cooked and you can eat it right out of the can!

Q: Can you freeze hominy?

A: Yes, it should keep for up to six months in the freezer.

Conclusion

If you are looking for hominy in the grocery store, be sure to read our article on where to find hominy in grocery store. We have listed all of the stores that we know carry this product and some tips about how much to pay so you don’t overpay. Hominy is a versatile ingredient that can go well with many different dishes including black beans, cornbread, or chili con carne!

Refer: https://www.allrecipes.com/article/what-is-hominy/