Production of Pre‐cooked Corn Flours for Arepa Making Using an Extrusion Cooker

Abstract

A comniercially available extrusion cooker was successfully used to produce pre-cooked corn flours for use in making arepas, a thick unsalted unleavened corn cake worked by hand into small patties and. then roasted. Sixteen trials were run and eight flour samples were obtained that formed a consistent dough that was easy to shape into arepas. The arepas were roasted and observed from l-20 hr afterwards and no change was noted in sensory or textural properties. This extrusion cooker can be used for elaborating pre-cooked corn flour for arepa production.

Physicochemical characterization of traditional and commercial instant corn flours prepared with threshed white corn

“…There are simple methods, which only adjust moisture in the corn, after that the corn is cooked above 1008C, then, the corn is grinded and finally its moisture is reduced for packing them (Gould & Swartz, 1965). Smith, de Buckle, de Sandoval, and Gonzalez (1979) proposed an alternative method for production of arepa flour by extrusion cooking moist corn grits followed by drying, grinding, sieving, and packing. Nowadays, there are other more complex methods which involve acid-cooking and the grinding and drying processes are carried out in a superheated stream of air (Rubio, Contreras, & Arroyo, 2001).…”

Quality of Arepas Made From Commercial Flours or Homemade Masa

“…Masa should be soft, cohesive, homogeneous and nonsticky (Smith et al 1979). Not all corn meals will produce an acceptable tortilla or arepa.…”

“…Arepas can be prepared in the home from masa, a dough made from precooked, washed and milled corn (Bressani et al 1958;Katz et al 1974) or from a packaged flour sold commercially. Masa should be soft, cohesive, homogeneous and nonsticky (Smith et al 1979). Not all corn meals will produce an acceptable tortilla or arepa.…”