IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF TREATING HOMINY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE SAME
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, of the Firm of Harris
and Mills, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF TREATING
HOMINY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE SAME." A communication from abroad
by Willard Stephen Boon, Hominy Manufacturer, of St. Louis, in the State of
Missouri, Maitland Boon, Hominy Manufacturer, of Watertown, in the State
of New York, and Rozell Holden Hall, Leather Merchant, of Watertown, in
the State of New York all in the United States of Ama-ion
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard
Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd March
1881.
"
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 23,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MODE OF TREATING HOMINY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE
SAME. A communication from abroad by Willard Stephen Boon, Hominy
Manufacturer, of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, Maitland Boon, Hominy
Manufacturer, of Watertown, in the State of New York, and Rozell Holden
Hall, Leather Merchant, of Watertown, in the State of New York, all in the
United States of America.
Hominy, as is well known, is Indian corn or maize (zea mays) taken in its raw
state, hulled, and broken, cracked, or granulated.
This is the article of commerce, and as produced will after a short period of time
deteriorate, especially in the summer season. It is also as produced in condition to
attract weevils and other small insects.
The old way of hulling corn by the use of lye has been well known from the
earliest settlement of North America. The use of lye to remove the hulls was a
matter of necessity, as mills for grinding corn were scarce and it was absolutely
the only way that corn could be hulled, as the hulls had first to be removed from
Price 4d1

page_text: the kernals before the corn could be cooked soft. By this primitive and compulsory
manner of preparing corn for food, a natural taste has been created for hominy
flavoured with lye.
The hulling process as practised heretofore was as follows:-The common corn
was boiled in a very strong alkaline solution until the outer hull was entirely
eaten off by the lye. Then the corn was thoroughly washed in several waters, and
was boiled again, and again thoroughly washed, the same operation being per-
formed several times to get the strong lye out of the corn sufficiently to render it
palatable; then the corn was let boil until it became soft, the whole process
requiring from 14 to 18 hours. When the process was completed the corn was in
whole kernels. This hominy therefore as produced was in a cooked state.
This treatment forms no part of the present process, as the hominy herein
claimed has not had any heat at all applied to it before being taken in its raw
state from the hominy mill, and has not undergone any previous saturation
whatever.
The object of the present Invention is to treat the raw product with a
preservative so that it will keep for any length of time in any climate and
not be liable to be sought after by insects, beside producing a better article
of food with lye flavour, more digestible and palatable, and more easily and
quickly cooked.
To accomplish this the common hulled and cracked corn is taken in its raw
state as it comes from the hominy mill and saturated or wetted, either by
sprinkling or immersion with a weak solution of lye, left in that condition for
from 4 to 6 hours, and then placed in a drying room to restore it to a dry condition.
The room may have a perforated iron floor, a furnace underneath for heating, and
a large ventilator above to carry off the steam. This simple process imparts the
desired pure lye flavour to the hominy, and furnishes a superior article so far as
preserving and facility in cooking are concerned. The article treated as above
stated will retain its soundness, and will cook in about one sixth of the time
required to cook the old-fashioned lye hominy.
The alkaline solution may be used at any temperature which will not cook
the corn so as to injure the product, for if the corn is partly cooked it is subject to
deterioration.
'
In the present treatment (of the raw cracked hominy) it is preferred to use cold
lye made from hicory ashes and filtered; and to supply just sufficient lye to impart
at once the desired flavour and preservative qualities to the hominy.
It is stated that the alkali is never applied in sufficient quantity to injure the
digestive organs, but has a corrective effect in counteracting acidity of the stomach,
and has been recommended by the medical profession as a wholesome article of
diet.
This hominy is adapted to be crushed or ground so as to produce alkalized samp-
grits or corn-meal.
In place of lye made from ashes, potash may be used for the solution and the
hominy impregnated therewith.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd September 1881.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 23,
"IMPROVE-
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent.
MENTS IN THE MODE OF TREATING HOMINY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE
SAME A communication from abroad by Willard Stephen Boon, Hominy
Manufacturer, of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, Maitland Boon, Hominy
Manufacturer, of Watertown, in the State of New York, and Rozell Holden
Hall, Leather Merchant, of Watertown, in the State of New York, all in the
United States of America.
Hominy as is well known is Indian corn or maize (zea mays) taken in its raw
state, hulled and broken, cracked or granulated. This is the article of commerce,
and as produced will after a short period of time deteriorate, especially in the
summer season. It is also as produced in condition to attract weevils and other
small insects.
The old way of hulling corn by the use of lye has been well known from the
earliest settlement of North America. The use of lye to remove the hulls was a
matter of necessity, as mills for grinding corn were scarce and it was absolutely
the only way that corn could be hulled, as the hulls had first to be removed from
the kernels before the corn could be cooked soft. By this primitive and compulsory
manner of preparing corn for food a natural taste has been created for hominy.
flavored with lye. The hulling process as practised heretofore was as follows
The common corn was boiled in a very strong alkaline solution until the outer bull
was entirely eaten off by the lye. Then the corn was thoroughly washed in
several waters, and was boiled again and again thoroughly washed, the same
operation being performed several times to get the strong lye out of the corn
sufficiently to render it palatable; then the corn was let boil until it became soft
When the process was
the whole process requiring from 14 to 18 hours.
completed the corn was in whole kernals. This hominy therefore as produced was
in a cooked state.
This treatment forms no part of the present process, as the hominy herein
claimed has not had any heat at all applied to it before being taken in its raw
state from the hominy mill, and has not undergone any previous saturation.
whatever.
The object of the present Invention is to treat the raw product with a
preservative so that it will keep for any length of time in any climate and not
be liable to be sought after by insects, beside producing a better article of
food with lye flavour, more digestible and palatable, and more easily and quickly
cooked.
To accomplish this the common hulled and cracked corn is taken in its raw
state as it comes from the hominy mill, and saturated or wetted either by sprinkling
or immersion with a weak solution of lye, left in that condition for from 4 to 6
hours, and then placed in a drying room to restore it to a dry condition. The
room may have a perforated iron floor, a furnace underneath for heating, and a
large ventilator above to carry off the steam. This simple process imparts the
desired pure lye flavour to the hominy, and furnishes a superior article so far as
preserving and facility in cooking are concerned. The article treated as above
stated will retain its soundness, and will cook in about one sixth of the time
required to cook the old fashioned lye hominy.
The alkaline solution may be used at any temperature which will not cook
the corn so as to injure the product, for if the corn is partially cooked it is subject
to deterioration.

page_text: In the present treatment (of the raw cracked hominy) it is preferred to use cold
lye made from hickory ashes, and filtered, and to supply just sufficient lye to
impart at once the desired flavour and preservative qualities to the hominy.
•
It is stated that the alkali is never applied in sufficient quantity to injure the
digestive organs, but has a corrective effect in counteracting acidity of the stomach
and has been recommended by the medical profession as a wholesome article of
diet.
This hominy is adapted to be crushed or ground so as to produce alkalized samp-
grits or corn meal,
In place of lye made from ashes, potash may be used for the solution and the
hominy impregnated therewith.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the mode in
which the same is carried into effect, I would have it understood that what I
claim is,―
First. As a new article of food, alkalized raw hominy in contradistinction to
cooked and decorticated corn produced by boiling or scalding the same in lye.
Second. As a new article of manufacture, the herein described preserved hominy,
which consists of hulled, granulated, raw, alkalized dry kernals of corn.
Third. The process of preserving hominy, consisting of taking the hulled, raw,
dry kernels of corn as they come from the mill, and saturating or wetting them
with an alkaline solution and then drying without washing or cooking the same,
as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty third day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
TT T2