Corn chips, 2nd attempt

[juliebove]

I left out the nutritional yeast this time. They smelled good as they dehydrated. I froze the corn before I used it. They don't taste overly sweet. But then, the corn I used didn't taste overly sweet to start with either. The corn I used the first time actually did taste very sweet and after I mixed everything up, the mix tasted good. This time, it did not. Just tasted okay. I added a whole large onion (perhaps too much?), juice of a lime, drizzle of olive oil, 2 T. flax seeds, soaked, chili powder, salt and pepper. Used 5 ears of corn.

This time I made it thicker when I put it on the sheets. Before I had 4 1/2 trays. Only two trays this time.

Once again, I made the mistake of trying to flip the mixture too soon. It felt dry. The outside edges were dry. But it wasn't dry in the middle so that part kind of stuck. I scraped it off with a knife, put it on the mesh sheets and went to bed.

The result is a somewhat airy but crisp chip. But not crisp in a good way. I just don't like that light airy texture in food. And the taste still is not good. Doesn't taste anything at all like a corn chip. Or even corn for that matter. Doesn't taste like onions either. I'm not sure what it does taste like, but it's not yummy. Not really yucky either, but not something I'd go out of my way for or want to make again. I bought stuff to make pico de gallo. So I'll try that for my bedtime snack with the chips and see if they are any better with that on them.

Could the flax be the problem? I haven't tried making flax crackers. Perhaps I'll do that next. I have some that I bought at the health food store. They are light and airy and don't really taste like anything. I bought some others that are have seasoning in them like tomato powder and soy sauce. I haven't tried those because I'm trying to avoid soy. Don't even know why I bought them.

I don't want to use wheat berries or other forms of wheat because my daughter is allergic to wheat. I'm trying to find something we both can eat. How would the chips be if I used just corn? I get the feeling from the other posts I've read that they might be too chewy or sweet if I did that. That's why I didn't try it.

I'm starting to feel frustrated because I've always been known as a good cook and so far much of what I've tried in the dehyrator hasn't gone so well. The raisins were fine, as were the mushrooms I dehydrated. But those things aren't very exciting.

[luvnraw]

Juliebove ~ Of course everyones tastes vary as to what they like but I tried this recipe from a blog I read (very inspiring and yummy with great pics!). If you go to this link http://mawintheraw.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_mawintheraw_archive.html (Maw in the Raw Blog) and go to closer to the bottom of the page for the recipe. Its basically sweet corn and raw salsa in the vitamix. I tweaked it a little for myself as to what I had for the salsa and made them a little too thick but they were addictive for me! Hope this helps! ;)

[luvnraw]

Looks like I didn't do the link right? I will try again....
Maw in the Raw's Blog (http://mawintheraw.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_mawintheraw_archive.html)

[juliebove]

Thanks! I will try that next. Have to go to the store again tomorrow anyway because I forgot something. But they have a super good deal on salsa type stuff now like cilantro at 3 bunchs for $1! I don't have a Vitamix though. Would my regular food processor work?

The "tuna" salad made of walnuts sounds like it might be good too, although she put it on Ezekial bread and I don't think that is raw. Dang! I'm getting hungry after looking at all those foods pics. I think I'm going to go start dinner now even though my daughter said she wasn't hungry. I don't feel like making food twice.

[luvnraw]

Julieabove ~ Well I used a vitamix and it gets totally smooth but I would imagine if your processor worked on the corn for the other recipes that it would work, maybe a little more chunky? I can't say as I have not used the processor for that one! I hope it does work well for you!

No the ezekial bread is not raw.They also eat regular dill pickles and maple syrup neither which are raw. My assumption is they practice high raw so just know what you would substitute in the recipes to keep it 100% if you do 100%! Yes the pics do make you hungry! Hope you had a nice dinner with your daughter! :rolleyes:

[juliebove]

Julieabove ~ Well I used a vitamix and it gets totally smooth but I would imagine if your processor worked on the corn for the other recipes that it would work, maybe a little more chunky? I can't say as I have not used the processor for that one! I hope it does work well for you!

No the ezekial bread is not raw.They also eat regular dill pickles and maple syrup neither which are raw. My assumption is they practice high raw so just know what you would substitute in the recipes to keep it 100% if you do 100%! Yes the pics do make you hungry! Hope you had a nice dinner with your daughter! :rolleyes:

I am trying that recipe. Doesn't seem to taste any different than what I tried before. Although I used white corn this time and it tasted very sweet to start with. I tasted the mix and it tasted fine. Something is happening when it dehydrates and that is causing it to taste horrible. Not sure what the problem is. I've tried using a higher heat but that's not helping either. This batch is not done yet but the edge is somewhat dried so I pinched off a little piece and tried it. That's how I know it tastes the same as the other two batches.

[juliebove]

Well, this recipe wasn't a winner either! Although the taste isn't as horrid as my two previous attempts, it isn't really good either. It tastes neither or corn nor salsa. And there is nothing chip-like about the texture. They still have that really light, airy texture. Not crisp. Not chewy. More like a thin rice cake. There is no way to break or cut them into chip-like pieces. They just crumble and resemble some odd kind of cereal. Not pleasant!

[luvnraw]

I guess that shows every taste is different. I am not sure maybe its the vitamix I used to process it? To me when I made that recipe they were just a touch tougher/chewier then store bought chips but I did make them a bit too thick. I loved the taste though! Hope you do find one that works for you!

[luvmyfruit]

Juliebove, I keep watching this thread in hopes of improving my attempts at corn chips...Arrrrgh
Ya know what's funny is before going raw I didn't care for any type of chips at all, but know I'm on a mission to be able to make them :rolleyes:

[juliebove]

Juliebove, I keep watching this thread in hopes of improving my attempts at corn chips...Arrrrgh
Ya know what's funny is before going raw I didn't care for any type of chips at all, but know I'm on a mission to be able to make them :rolleyes:

I never was much of a chip eater although I do like Fritos and those plain tortilla type corn chips like you get in Mexican restaurants. I never did like flavored chips so perhaps this is one reason why I do not like the chips I've tried making. I am putting things in there that I don't like in a corn chip. Still, there is something in the dehydrating process that seems to kill the corn taste for me. I don't know what it is. They just take on an old, dead taste to me. That's the best way I can think to describe it.

[juliebove]

I guess that shows every taste is different. I am not sure maybe its the vitamix I used to process it? To me when I made that recipe they were just a touch tougher/chewier then store bought chips but I did make them a bit too thick. I loved the taste though! Hope you do find one that works for you!

When you say "store bought" chips, do you mean raw chips or the baked/fried kind? I have not tried any store bought raw corn chips. I did try flax crackers and didn't care for those either. However, I never liked SAD crackers much either. Every once in a while I'd buy them for some reason and they'd sit there, sometimes box unopened and I'd eventually have to throw away the stale ones.

[asil]

Hey, just wanted to mention that I've tried a bunch of corn chip recipes. The best one, IMO, the one that really tasted like a corn chip, was from Juliano's cookbook. It's his nacho cheese recipe. To make the nacho cheese, you dehydrate until soft and firm. For cornchips, until crispy. I've made it lots of times and always love it, although I vary my spices to suit my personal taste.

Hope you find something you like!

[rawpriestess]

I freeze the corn after it's cut off the cob, I also add olive oil, this makes the chips more crispy, I grind my flax seeds into meal, to make the batter more smooth, and I add a bunch of garlic, lime, chili powder and cayenne, I never liked chips of any kind, except fritos and tortilla chips too, but I love these, can't get enough when they are around.


I love them with salsa, and cashew sour cream, yummy

[juliebove]

I freeze the corn after it's cut off the cob, I also add olive oil, this makes the chips more crispy, I grind my flax seeds into meal, to make the batter more smooth, and I add a bunch of garlic, lime, chili powder and cayenne, I never liked chips of any kind, except fritos and tortilla chips too, but I love these, can't get enough when they are around.


I love them with salsa, and cashew sour cream, yummy

Well, I tried all of that stuff except for grinding the flax into meal. I think perhaps the soaked flax gave the chips the worst taste of all. And my corn never got really smooth. No matter how long I left it in the food processor, it remained a bit lumpy. The end result was something that was watery in places and more lumpy in places. But really, it is the taste that isn't good to me. Doesn't taste at all like corn or any of the seasonings I put in it. I doubt that I'd like cashew sour cream since I despise real sour cream and am not overly fond of cashews.

But the chips that you make... Do they actually taste like a tortilla chip? Mine do not. Not even close.

[juliebove]

Hey, just wanted to mention that I've tried a bunch of corn chip recipes. The best one, IMO, the one that really tasted like a corn chip, was from Juliano's cookbook. It's his nacho cheese recipe. To make the nacho cheese, you dehydrate until soft and firm. For cornchips, until crispy. I've made it lots of times and always love it, although I vary my spices to suit my personal taste.

Hope you find something you like!

I saw that one. I will look it up. I can't remember now what it had in it.

Just looked it up. That is pretty much what I put in it except for the garlic and orange juice. Despise the taste of garlic and was hesitant to use OJ because other people had posted that the OJ made the chips too sweet. I just can't see how this would taste like a cornchip because the others I made did not. The undehydrated mixture tasted good. I could have eaten it just like that. But the end result was vile!

[Sheryl]

I think what this is really about for many of us that have tried this recipe is that most people like the fat and seasonings on store bought corn chips just as much or more than the corn... and most commercial corn chips don't really taste like corn anyhow!

To get ones that taste like the ones in the store just add a few of the following:
Lactic Acid
Artificial Color
Disodium Inosinate
Disodium Guanylate

Scary eh?

I think lots of salt is another satiation factor for many when it comes to commercial chips.

This recipe may be too pure to satify people that loved commercial fried chips!

Cheers,
Sheryl

[juliebove]

I think what this is really about for many of us that have tried this recipe is that most people like the fat and seasonings on store bought corn chips just as much or more than the corn... and most commercial corn chips don't really taste like corn anyhow!

To get ones that taste like the ones in the store just add a few of the following:
Lactic Acid
Artificial Color
Disodium Inosinate
Disodium Guanylate

Scary eh?

I think lots of salt is another satiation factor for many when it comes to commercial chips.

This recipe may be too pure to satify people that loved commercial fried chips!

Cheers,
Sheryl


Nope. I just checked the bag of Fritos. Corn, corn oil and salt. The tortilla chips contain Organic Masa (organic yellow corn, organic sprouted yellow corn), Organic Expeller Pressed High Monousaturated Safflower and/or Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt and a Trace of Lime.

So really when I've been trying to make the dehydrated chips, I've been adding stuff I wouldn't normally eat in a chip.

[sibyl3]

i have a feeling this is the result of flax that is rancid. You might not notice when raw, but once it has been dehydrated, the bitter, bad flavours would be intensified. I have had the same issue. You might want to try them again, ensuring you buy flax that is as fresh as possible. If you buy from a high-volume bulk or health food store, you'll probably be in good shape. You might also want to buy the whole flax seeds and create the flax meal yourself when you are ready to make your chips.

Anyway... good luck. I have also heard some people just make their chips with corn blended with water. If you did that and just added spices you like, or maybe even no spice at all, you might like them better.

Good luck!