Growing Heirloom Gourdseed Corn

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The old name of this bread is spider corn bread, spider being the early American term for a frying pan with three legs and a long handle.
The old name of this bread is spider corn bread, spider being the early American term for a frying pan with three legs and a long handle.
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Heirloom gourdseed corn is a practical, flavorful, and visually intriguing addition to kitchen gardens.
Heirloom gourdseed corn is a practical, flavorful, and visually intriguing addition to kitchen gardens.
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Gourdseed corn plants grow tall, with two ears held high on each stalk, denying raccoons their favorite sweet nighttime treat.  
Gourdseed corn plants grow tall, with two ears held high on each stalk, denying raccoons their favorite sweet nighttime treat.  
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Gourdseed corn’s unique attributes can make it a great addition to centerpieces and recipes.
Gourdseed corn’s unique attributes can make it a great addition to centerpieces and recipes.

Gourdseed Corn Recipe

Gourdseed Skillet Corn Bread Recipe

Growing Heirloom Gourdseed Corn

Anyone looking for the old-fashioned taste that made Southern corn bread famous need look no further than the Old South dent corn called “gourdseed.” With flat, cream-colored kernels that resemble skinny pumpkin seeds — some Native Americans referred to them as “teeth” — this is a soft-kernelled, late-maturing variety with rich flavor. Its texture is ideal for dumplings, puddings, flat breads and even pound cake, provided it’s sifted well.

Prior to the Civil War, this was the most widespread type of corn grown in the South, but it was eventually replaced by grittier hybrids that required baking powder or other chemical leaveners to make them light. That two-for-one “improvement,” a corn for grits as well as bread, appealed to commercial growers and processing mills, but at a cost to quality and flavor. Most of all, we lost the silken texture that gave old-time corn breads their delightful character.

  • Published on Aug 25, 2008
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