How to Make Cornstarch at Home

How to Make Cornstarch at Home – Homemade Cornstarch A step-By-Step Guide

Cornstarch is a versatile and commonly used thickening agent that is a staple in most kitchens. It is used to thicken sauce, soups, and gravy, and it is also a crucial ingredient in many baked foods.

Although cornstarch is easily accessible in stores, it can be quite expensive, especially for home cooks who frequently use it.

Making cornstarch at home is a cost-effective and easy alternative that can save you money in the long run. In this article, we’ll show you how to make cornstarch at home using corn kernels; we’ll also discuss its uses and benefits.

What is Cornstarch?

Cornstarch, also known as corn flour, is a fine, powdery substance made from the starch of maize (corn) kernels. In order to create a fine powder, the endosperm starches are removed, rinsed, dried, and milled.

It is commonly used as a thickening agent in cooking and baking, as well as in the production of various food products such as sauces, gravies, puddings, and cakes.

When heated in a liquid, the starch in cornstarch absorbs moisture and swells, thickening the mixture and creating a smoother, more uniform texture.

It is a popular alternative to flour for thickening because it is gluten free and can create a clearer, more translucent final product. Additionally, cornstarch has a neutral taste, which allows other flavors to shine through in a dish.

How to Make Cornstarch at Home – Homemade Cornstarch Recipe

Ingredients:

• Corn kernels (white corn or yellow corn)

Items needed for making Cornstarch

• Food processor or Blender
• Cheesecloth
• Water
• Strainer
• Bowls

Instructions on How to Make Cornstarch – Softening the Corn Kernels

1. Clean and the dry corn kernels: Remove the husk and silk if any from the corn kernels and rinse thoroughly under running water.
2. Soak in a bowl with a enough water for about 12 hour or overnight this will enable the corn soften. The next day remove from water and rinse ready to grind.
3. Grind the corn kernels: Place the corn kernels in a blender or food processor and grind them until they are fine ground with smooth texture. If your blender is not powerful enough to grind the corn kernels use industrial machine in the market to grind them.

How to Make Cornstarch at Home – Sieving Process

1. Add small amount of water to the paste if the paste is very thick and stir it, you can add more if you want a running consistency then proceed to sieving
2. Strain the mixture: Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the mixture through it. Use a spoon to push the mixture through the strainer and into the bowl. This will separate the pure starch from the mixture, leaving behind any coarse particles.
3. Spread a cheesecloth over a strainer and set it on top of a medium bowl to strain your cornstarch.
4. Bring all the ends of the materials together, and then strain the blended corn through the cheesecloth. Then use your hand in squeeze out all the liquid from the corn paste. Similar to how to make Ogi, Pap, or Akamu from scratch.
5. It’s crucial to let the corn mixture sit after sieving it for 2 – 4 hours so that the starch and water separate.
6. You can drain the water (pour out) from the basin once the cornstarch sediments.

How to Make Cornstarch at Home – Drying Process

1. Dry the starch: Spread the pure starch on a baking sheet or parchment paper and let it dry in the sun for hours or overnight. If you’re in a hurry, you can dry the starch in the oven at a low temperature (around 200°F) for about an hour. Once the starch is completely dry, it will turn into a fine white powder.
2. You can regrind it in a dry mill to have a fine powder that is smooth.
3. Store the cornstarch in an airtight container in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to use it.

Uses of Cornstarch and Benefits – Cornstarch Benefits

Cornstarch has many uses in the kitchen. It is commonly used as a thickening agent in sauces, gravies, and soups. It can also be used to thicken fruit fillings for pies and other baked goods. Additionally, cornstarch is a popular ingredient in fried foods, as it creates a crispy coating on the outside. It is also commonly used in stir-fry dishes, as it thickens the sauce and creates a smooth texture.

Making your own cornstarch at home has many benefits. Firstly, it is a cost-effective alternative to store bought cornstarch, especially if you frequently use it in your cooking.

Secondly, homemade cornstarch is pure and natural, without any additives or preservatives.

Thirdly, making your own cornstarch allows you to control the consistency of the final product. If you want a finer powder, you can grind the corn kernels for longer or use a finer mesh strainer. Additionally, you can adjust the amount of rice flour to achieve your desired level of thickness.

You can use corn flour to bind documents or schoolwork. Cornstarch thickens as much as flour, it a thickening power.

It can be utilized to coat fried chicken, fish, and some other fried foods.

Corn flour can be used to make pap or homemade custard powder because it is starchy and doesn’t have any flavor.

The corn starch can be combined with all-purpose flour or wheat flour for making recipes like pancakes, cakes, or muffins.

Cornstarch Alternatives – Best Substitutes for Corn starch

If you don’t have access to corn kernels, you can also make cornstarch using other starchy ingredients such as tapioca starch or potato starch. The process is similar, but the end product may have a slightly different texture and taste

• Potato starch
• Tapioca
• Rice flour
• Ground flaxseeds
• Glucomannan
• Psyllium husk
• Xanthan gum
• Guar gum
• Arrowroot
• Wheat flour – Wheat is ground into a refined powder to make wheat flour.

The Difference Between Cornstarch and Corn Flour

Cornstarch – the starch is extracted from the maize grain, more specifically from the endosperm of the kernel. It is almost entirely made of carbohydrate and contains no fiber, protein, fat, or other ingredients. When you rub it between your fingertips, the extremely fine white powder, it has a chalky appearance. When making sauces and custards, such as vanilla pastry cream, cornstarch is frequently used as a thickening ingredient.

Corn Flour – Whole dried corn kernels are ground into a fine powder to create corn flour. In essence, it is corn meal that has been ground extremely finely. It also has a small amount of fat, protein, fiber, and starch in addition to the starch. There are two varieties of maize flour: white corn flour, which is made from white corn kernels, and the more popular yellow corn flour, which is made from yellow corn. The two varieties are technically interchangeable.

Frequently Asked Question on Homemade Cornstarch

How to make cornstarch from cornmeal

Simply use a blender, food processor, or grain mill to grind cornmeal into a fine powder. The procedure should then be repeated until all of the maize has been used.

Add water and sieve with a cheese cloth to separate the starch from the roughage. After sieving allow to sit for few hours drain the water and sundry the corn starch.

How to make cornstarch with flour?

For thickening purposes, it is generally advised to use twice as much white flour as cornstarch. Therefore, substitute 2 teaspoons of white flour for 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.

How to make cornstarch in Nigeria?

Cooking Instructions

• Used dry corns or remove grains from corns husk, then wash and soak in water for about 2-3 hours.
• You may prolong the soaking period if the grains are tough.
• Now put half of the grains in a grinder add water, and process until they are smooth.
• Grind all the cereals. Next is to sieve using cheesecloth to remove the chaff form the cornstarch
• Lastly is to allow the filtered part to settle for some hours, drain water and dry your corn starch.

Is cornstarch same as flour?

Is Cornstarch Same As Flour? No! Although both cornstarch and flour are thickeners, they vary greatly from one another. When compared to cornstarch, which is essentially pure starch, flour is a complicated substance that contains significant amounts of protein, fat, and even sugar.

Is cornstarch basically baking soda?

As a leavening ingredient, baking soda is a kind of salt. A salty flavor is added to food when baking soda is incorporated because of its alkaline ph. From a corn kernel, cornstarch is produced. It primarily functions as a food thickener.

Can I use water and flour instead of cornstarch?

Yes! For every tablespoon of cornstarch called for in a recipe, You should use 2 tablespoons of flour and water.

Can you thicken without cornstarch?

Yes! Use wheat flour and all-purpose flour works well for sauce thickening. 2- 3 tablespoons of flour should be used for each tablespoon of cornstarch. In a small dish, combine flour and cold water to make a paste. Add the mixture to the simmering sauce. Flour flavor can be eliminated by cooking it in the marinade.

Are baking powder and cornstarch the same?

No! Baking powder is a typical ingredient in cakes, breads, pastries, while cornstarch is a white flour that is used to thicken sauces, gravy. However, cornstarch mix with baking powder can to help the mixture rise and give it a fluffy texture.