Alkalinity helps dissolve hemicellulose, the major glue-like component of the maize cell walls, loosens the hulls from the kernels, and softens the corn. Also, soaking the corn in lye kills the seed’s germ, which keeps it from sprouting while in storage.Click to see full answer. Likewise, people ask, is the lye in Hominy bad for you?Lye is certainly nasty stuff. It is poisonous, it turns fat into soap and if given the chance it will dissolve your skin. It opens drains both by converting grease to soap and by dissolving hair. But if you soak corn kernels in a weak solution of lye, it loosens the tough cellulose hulls.Similarly, why is hominy so big? Hominy is basically dried corn that has been soaked in a mineral lime bath. This alkali process, known as nixtamalization, loosens the hulls from the kernels and softens the kernels themselves. The process can cause the kernels to double in size, which is why hominy can look a little scary. In this way, what is the difference between corn and hominy? Hominy is corn. The difference between maize and hominy is that hominy has to be processed a special way to be called hominy and to get that puffed-meaty texture that’s similar to a bean, yet tougher. Hominy has to be nixtamalized. Nixtamalization is not some scary genetic modification or corn-torturing process.Why is corn soaked in lime?The kernels are soaked in an alkali solution of either lime (the mineral, not the fruit) or lye, which is a process called nixtamalization. The corrosive nature of the solution removes the hull and germ of the corn and causes the grain itself to puff up to about twice its normal size.
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