PROCESS FOR PRODUCING NIXTAMALIZED AND DEHYDRATED CRACKED CORN

摘要

The invention relates to a novel process for the production of nixtamalized cracked corn in which no nexayote or residual liquid is produced and the mass resulting from milling the nixtamalized cracked corn has improved properties. The main advantage of said process is that it makes possible to carry out a nixtamalization process to obtain nixtamalized, dehydrated cracked corn having a long shelf life, which does not become rancid and in which no fungi are reproduced while enabling adequate rehydration of said corn, which yields a mass having optimum characteristics once rehydrated and milled. Once said corn is rehydrated and milled, it yields a mass that retains water and does not form a layer of dried mass on its outer layer. The nixtamalizing process basically involves the following steps: 1) adding 0.6 to 1.0 % lime relative to the amount of corn to a given amount of cracked corn, 2) adding 35 to 65 % weight/volume of water relative to the amount of corn to be nixtamalized at a temperature of 70° C; and 3) keeping the temperature at 70° C for a period of 35 to 120 minutes while continuously stirring the corn-water-lime mixture.