The origin of grits

[Couger]

 
Not a Johnny Reb here (altho I'd be a likely sympathizer    ,  I favor states' rights!).
 
When growing up my teen years in NW Florida and surrounding Southern states,  whenever I was served grits used to like to mix my egg yolks (over-easy, sunnyside up!) with my grits.
 
Not as hearty as hash browns, but still pretty good!

[gstewart44]

I had heard that "grits" was a Native American food staple "discovered" when the Europeans settled here.    If SpiritHawk jumps into this thread I 'd be curious as to what his ancestors called 'grits'......

[blind ear]

Ways to Eat Leftover Grits:
(Leftover grits are extremely rare) Spread them in the bottom of a casserole dish, Cover and place them in
the refrigerator overnight. The Grits will congeal into a gelatinous mass. Next morning, slice the Grits into squares and fry them in 1/2" of cooking oil and butter  until they turn a golden brown. Many people are tempted to pour syrup onto Grits served this way. This is, of course, unacceptable.

You'll never guess what I have in my lunch bag to go with my hamburger!     Grits from Sunday morning.  Kathie won't eat them; she's from PA...    Well I take that back!  She does like cheese grits!  and maybe sausage grits...  and maybe plain grits once and a while...   with butter of course!      And my second boy loves shrimp and grits! 
 
And I saw Polenta in the grocery store the other day!  I always hated that word... reminds me of afterbirth... not something I would associate with food...    Anyway, these are nothing more then store bought grit rolls!     I'm gonna buy a roll and prepare it as suggested above to see if it's any different from what I make from scratch!  i.e. No instant grits!   

-
Mario Batali says to make polenta, make grits and pour them in a sheet pan and spread them out and let them set and get stiff. Then you can cut them as needed and fry (saute) them in whatever or put sauce on them and then you don't have to pay $16 a plate for grits. ear

[nw_hunter]

I eat grits for breakfast every morning. There's grits and then there's hominy, two different things.

You better go back to school   Grits are made from dried Hominy. Which is alkalized corn.
 

[Bob Riebe]

Grits are some thing one throws on icy walks but I have heard some folks boils them in water when they cant get cream of wheat.

I use it for kitty litter or  put it in shotgun shells and give it to city folks when I send them out snipe hunting.

[boomerralph]

I have it on good authority that backwoods alchemists in this part of the country bleach coffee grounds to sell to tourists    Thats why yankees don't like grits

[Ranger99]

hominy isn't a variety of corn, it's
corn processed with lye that makes it swell
and turn white. grits are made from dried
hominy. or made into pasole or sofkee or
just eaten as hominy. or i believe some
here would do, used as fishbait or slingshot ammo

[Oldshooter]

In the south, growing up poor, grits were "egg extenders." You mixed them with scrambled eggs so the "Jethro" sittin' across from you would leave you some.

You got that right.......Grits to us were "meal extenders"...... My mom, grandma, aunts and cousins would often offer up grits with any meal when the whole family was together at holiday time.    Grits/redeye gravy and one egg was breakfast staple  ,  slice of fried baloney, green beans and grits at lunch,     then fried catfish and cheese grits for dinner........

I was reading that and a tear came to my eye. I started many a morning with fried baloney and grits. I won't eat baloney these days. But I didn't know any better then. 

[gstewart44]

I have it on good authority that backwoods alchemists in this part of the country bleach coffee grounds to sell to tourists    Thats why yankees don't like grits

Yup - and we used to sell them sandspurs as porcupine eggs....

[williamlayton]

My grandmother made hominy when she made lye soap.
Grits with susage--eggs (at least 3) sunny side up and runny, BUTTER, andy kind of buscuit or toast--COFFEE and leave me alone.
You ever washed with lye soap---refreshing.
Blessings

[Oldshooter]

You ever washed with lye soap---refreshing

Didn't know there was any other kind till I was 12 or 13 

[gstewart44]

not quite of topic but a parallel track.......the best movie scene with "grits" has to be "My Cousin Vinnie" where Joe Pesci examines the diner cook and asks him how long it takes to cook "a GRIT"   

[hillbill]

id like to try some grits.is there a certain brand name of grits that are better than others?or are they pretty much all the same?
 
can you fry your leftover grits in bacon grease?
 
say i made my own hominy, could i then run it thru a grain mill to make grits?
 
sorry for all the questions. im yankee by birth, german by heritage and a missourian by choice.

[gstewart44]

Stay far away from "INSTANT" grits......

[Oldshooter]

id like to try some grits.is there a certain brand name of grits that are better than others?or are they pretty much all the same?
 
can you fry your leftover grits in bacon grease?
 
say i made my own hominy, could i then run it thru a grain mill to make grits?
 
sorry for all the questions. im yankee by birth, german by heritage and a missourian by choice.

You can fry em in bacon grease that's used to be the grease we had.


I dunno about hominy.


We won't hold being Yankee by birth against you     You moved didn't you.   

[gstewart44]

My grandma    used to cook a local brand back in the '50s up in NC.      My wife is partial to "Old School Stone Ground" organic grits.   She picks them up when visiting Carolina but I think you can order em online as well.   They are pretty darn good when she cooks em up. 

[powderman]

Stay far away from "INSTANT" grits......

 
Thats all there is around here. POWDERMAN. 

[gstewart44]

Stay far away from "INSTANT" grits......

 
Thats all there is around here. POWDERMAN. 

Sorry Charlie,  that is sad fo sho.....

[clum sum]

We ate many a pound of Dixie Lilly grits, Daddy drove a truck for them and sold around Lake Okeechobee. All the big towns Bean City,Bear Beach, Little Bear Beach,Lake Port, Canal Point. Don't know if they are still in business, they sure had good grits ,flour and beans of all kinds.

[P.A. Myers]

I reallly like food threads. I read of so many new things to eat.  I have always liked yellow corn in its many forms. My Granma used to serve cooked whole dried corn and red beans. So much butter it was a fire hazard. Around here the only source of grits is wrapped around a  hotdog. Most of the usual gypsy faggots get all moony about sweet white corn on the cob. I'll take the mature yello cob, plenty of butter and popcorn salt [it sticks]. Jeeez I want some NOW but the cobs won't be ready for about 6 month. If I just had a cure ham.

              P.A.

[Victor3]

...not something I would associate with food...    Anyway, these are nothing more then store bought grit rolls!      

 No wonder I wasn't getting it. We must be talking about the rolled-up belts I get at Home Depot to use on my sander, right? 60 grit, 120 grit, etc...


 

[Brett]

All this talk about grits I just had to have some for breakfast this morning.  Had them with plenty of butter, a little season salt and a couple of over easy eggs.  Yum. 

Had my coffee in a mug tho not on my grits.
 

[powderman]

Stay far away from "INSTANT" grits......

 
Thats all there is around here. POWDERMAN. 

Sorry Charlie,  that is sad fo sho.....

 
Don't know how I overlooked it before but our local Kroger DOES carry real hominy grits, I bought a box. Grits fer breakfast in the morning. POWDERMAN. 

[bkraft]

Put some ketchup on them grits,serve with a cold bologna sandwich and a cup of hot tea!!(That outta light them southern boys up )

[Oldshooter]

Put some ketchup on them grits,serve with a cold bologna sandwich and a cup of hot tea!!(That outta light them southern boys up )

Ketchup.....ketchup .!!....are you kiddn or is something wrong with your taste buds, might as well just eat ketchup, that's you're gonna taste anywho.

[bkraft]

Couldn't resist,   I do like a little butter and red pepper flakes, the bologna sandwich and hot tea was the real deal. Good meal on a cold day.

[AtlLaw]

Put some ketchup on them grits,

Now I heared of a lot of things, but ketchup on grits!?     Never!
 
I was havin breakfast with a South Jawja farmer back in the 70's while we was discussin leasing his farm for huntin.  he mixed up peanut butter with his grits... 

[Brett]

Couldn't resist,   I do like a little butter and red pepper flakes, the bologna sandwich and hot tea was the real deal. Good meal on a cold day.

Fry the bologna add a little hot sauce and a slice of raw onion.  Ditch the hot tea (it's for Limies) and fix yourself an iced tea or better yet poor yourself a good dark brewsky. 

[Oldshooter]

  he mixed up peanut butter with his grits... 

You Georgia boys are really into them peanuts huh? Wouldn't say I wouldn't eat that blend but I just haven't been that hungry yet.   

[gstewart44]

Maybe off topic BUT since you done brung it up.....YES - there ain't much better when at the camp in Sou' Jawja than a quart ziploc bag full of steaming hot "Green Bolled Pnuts"   and a cold brew to warsh it down.....