Jamaican Hominy Corn Porridge Recipe

Watch our step-by-step video for this recipe below

 
Hominy Corn Porridge: Do you have a food that you didn’t like as a child but fell in love with as an adult? Well, for me that food is Jamaican Hominy Corn Porridge. When I was growing up it was my least favourite of all the Jamaican porridges. And there are many: peanut, green banana, rice, cornmeal, oatmeal and so on. Now don’t mistake Hominy Corn Porridge for Cornmeal Porridge. Coconut milk is used to make hominy porridge so they actually have different flavours as well as textures.

Hominy corn is basically dried corn kernels. In the U.S. it’s coursely ground to make hominy grits. In Jamaica, it’s used mostly to make porridge, but is also ground. When I was young hominy corn kernals would be soaked overnight in lye water made with ashes and water. The solution would remove the skin from the kernels. However today you can buy them peeled, dried and ready to cook. You can also buy them whole or cracked, but I like to use the cracked kernals for this recipe because they cook quicker.

Traditionally condensed milk is used to sweeten the porridge … and I love it! But you can use sugar instead, or a combination of the two. If you like a creamy yet textured porridge  (the cooked kernals are chewy), you’ll love the sweet and simple flavours of this delicately spiced porridge. Today I have a whole new appreciation of Hominy Corn Porridge, a dish that makes a mighty good way to start the day.

Ingredients

1 cup Hominy Corn
6 cups Water
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Cinnamon Stick
2 cups Coconut Milk
1/2 cup Corn Starch
1/2 tsp Nutmeg, grated
2 tsp Vanilla flavouring
1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
1/2 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk

Method

1. Rinse the corn, place in a pot and soak overnight in 6 cups of water.
2. In same pot,  boil corn for 20 to 30 minutes with salt and cinnamon stick  until tender; lower heat
3. In a small bowl, dissolve corn starch by mixing it with some coconut milk; stir into remaining coconut milk
4. Turn stove to High and add the coconut milk with starch to pot;  stir porridge until thickened
5. Add nutmeg, vanilla and evaporated milk, stirring after each addition
6. Add condensed milk to sweeten the porridge, or sugar to taste

Serves 4

How to make Traditional Coconut Milk
1. Using a food processor or hand grater, grate the flesh of 1 coconut
2. In a bowl, add 2 cups of water to the grated coconut and squeeze
3. Pour the mixture into a large strainer and press coconut to extract 2 cups of milk

Substitution Tips: If using canned coconut milk, combine 1 cup coconut milk with 1 cup water to make 2 cups. You can use either whole or cracked hominy corn kernals. Whole kernals take longer to cook. The timing for the recipe is based on using cracked corn.

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breakfastgold plusHominy corn porridge
Comments (13)
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  • freda

    Hi Faye,
    i would like to try this receipe, but it is hard to find hominy corn here. Can corn on the cob be used as a substitute?
    Look forward to hearing from you.

  • LaTisha

    Thank you so much. I requested this recipe about the time that I joined your blog. So thank you very much for doing this. Will try very soon.

  • Dee

    Love this porrige. Have not made it in a long while.

  • Maria

    Does your final product still have the hull on? Even some of the canned hominy available in ethnic foods sections has the hull. Trying to make it just like my Jamaican husband loves. Thanks for helping me learn.

    • Cook Like A Jamaican

      Hi Maria,
      Thank you for getting in touch. You don’t want the hull to still be on the corn. I explain in the video that when I was young it was removed by soaking it a water solution. However, today you can buy dried hominy corn with the hull removed. You may also find it also called cracked corn. Blessings, Fay

  • LadyBugCurves

    Ms. Fay,
    I just want to thank you so much for this website. Being half Jamaican and not being able to grow up with my Jamaican dad who passed away when I was young left a void of this part of my life.
    I have been with a full blooded Jamaican man for 10 years now and have slowly learned how to cook authentic dishes. Your website touches on all the dishes I like and he misses!…. I LOVE surprising him with these meals!…. THANK YOU so much…
    Prayers of blessing be on to you…..

  • debbie

    If you’re in Canada…Bulk Barn stores have the yellow Jamaican type of hominy. I believe there are Bulk Barns in almost every province

  • Natasha

    Its just delicious

  • NATALIE WALKER

    I made this porridge this morning 1st time ever it came out pretty good as per my son since he’s the only one who eats it. The recipe called for 1/2 c of corn starch . I only used about 2 tablespoons, was your 1/2 c correct

    • Fay & Angela

      This recipe is correct. It calls for 1/2 cup of corn starch. But if you prefer using less that’s fine. Blessings, Fay

    • Beverley Jensen

      I, too, found it a bit thick with that much corn starch, so I just diluted it a little with some more evaporated milk. Delicious porridge, but will use less cornstarch the next time. This was my first time ever making it, and my Mom said it was delicious.

  • Donna

    Hi Ms. Fay, I have canned Hominy corn, can it be used to make the Hiking porridge. Thanks in Advance

    • Fay & Angela

      Hi Donna,
      Yes, the canned Hominy corn should work fine and save you time since you won’t have to soak the corn overnight.