so is nixtamalized corn "pre-soaked"? (NT)

595 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Hibou, Mar 31, 2006

Hibou

Discussion Starter · Mar 29, 2006

I bought some nixtamalized corn. (Never bought it before.) Nix'd means it's pre-soaked in lime, right? Or do I have to soak it again?

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It just means that it's been partially cooked with a lime solution to de-husk it. No soaking, unless you've made it yourself from soaked corn.

Most likely the phytase has been removed by the cooking/lime water process, so you would not be gaining anything by soaking the stuff you have.

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Hibou

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 30, 2006

Thanks toraji!

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PumpkinSeeds

· #4 · Mar 30, 2006

I'm so jealous. I would love to have a hunk of nixtamal for making tortillas....

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carnelian

· #5 · Mar 31, 2006

I thought soaking cornmeal in lime released nicotinamide (B3) which would otherwise remain bound up in the grain. I think it also improves the amino acid quality of proteins inside the germ. Hmm, toraji knows her stuff tho

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toraji

· #6 · Mar 31, 2006

Actually the credit for this bit of info comes from my DH!

As far as I understand what he said, it does release niacin that would normally not be available without the lime treatment. But I think the problem is with commercially made nixtamal which would be quick cooked and thus bypassing any phytate reduction. If you made nixtamal yourself from soaked corn then you'd get the phytate reduction, plus the niacin vitamin release, which is how I think they traditionally prepared it.

Gale Force could probably weigh in too, she is the queen of phytate reduction info right now...

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Hibou

Discussion Starter · #7 · Mar 31, 2006

Okay...here's what I did...
I tried to make tortillas using just the nixtamalized corn mixed with water. Having never done this before I found my hands incredibly clumsy and my tortillas kept ripping, so I added more water and some whole wheat flour (about 1/3 part) and made a soft dough that I let sit on the counter overnight. I rolled them out today and they turned out quite nice. so in spite of everything, I imagine doing the dough overnight would have reduced the phytates.

I'm still not sure whether the niacin was released or not.

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