Top-Rated Flour Corns You Need to Know About

If you want to grow your own corn flour, you’ll first need to choose the right variety of corn to plant. Several corn types are suitable for making flour, especially flour corn hybrids that are hardier, mature faster and have higher yields. In this article, we’ll discuss the top flour corn varieties for your garden.

Yellow Flint Corn
Flint corn (Zea mays indurata) has hard, flinty kernels that are ideal for grinding into cornmeal and flour. They have very little starch so the resulting flour has a longer shelf life. Yellow Flint corn is a popular choice for flour corn. Varieties to consider:

Hopi Blue: An heirloom variety with yellow kernels that turn blue when dried. High yielding, matures in 90 – 100 days and shells easily.

Dakota Black: Medium sized ears with black-colored kernels when dried. Matures in 100 days. Very high yield.

Painted Mountain: A multi-colored flint corn with red, blue and yellow kernels on the same cob!

Argent: A newer hybrid flint corn known for its high yields, early maturity of 90 days and resistance to corn earworms and stalk rot.

Dent Corn
Dent corn varieties are also suitable for corn flour though yield slightly less flour per ear compared to flint types. They mature faster. Consider:

Howenda: A semi-flint dent corn with yellow kernels. Very early maturing at 80-85 days. Great for cooler climates.

Neverdull: A popular dent corn that yields high flour volumes. Matures 85-95 days.

Hard White Wheat Spelled Corn
Not technically a dent or flint corn, this heirloom wheat-like corn variety has large, broad white kernels that produce a soft, creamy flour. It matures in 100-110 days and shells easily. Perfect for fresh cornmeal and cornbread.

Raw Flour Corn Hybrids
Many hybrid corn varieties are specifically bred for corn flour production with traits like:

Higher protein content for more gluten and better rising power.
Harder shells that don’t stick during processing.
Uniform kernel shape and size that produce more consistent flour.
Higher lutein, lycopene and beta-carotene for nutritious flour.
Acres Homestead and Kings Flour are top raw flour corn hybrid options. Choose varieties tailored for your climate, ideal soil conditions and pest/disease concerns. Talk to your local extension agent or seed company experts for recommendations.

Growing & Harvesting for Flour
To maximize flour yield:

Plant corn in blocks rather than rows for easier machine harvesting.
Wait until corn is fully mature and black layer has formed at base of kernels before harvesting. Immature corn has less starch converted to sugars.
Dry corn indoors till it reaches 14-15% moisture content for long-term storage. Higher moisture corn flour will quickly spoil.
Then grind your dried corn into cornmeal or corn flour using a grain mill, high speed blender or food processor. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator or freezer for freshness.

I hope this information helps you choose the best flour corn varieties for your garden and begin producing your own nutritious, wholesome corn flour at home. Let me know if you have any other questions!