How to cook Grits from scratch while camping

How to make Cheese Grits while on a Tour. (With a Jet Boil stove) What’s a grit? A few years ago, I met Jake from the Sacred Sun Farm and Cooperative out of Lawrence, Kansas. Jake and I got along well, and I noticed he sold 2 lbs. bags of corn grits, Masa (finer ground corn), and wheat flour milled at the farm. I had always been curious about grits, just seemed cool, but somewhat confusing, so I bought a bag of grits and went on to learn and experiment. Here is what I found: All grits are just ground up corn. Fresh ground grits, organically grown, are the best in texture and flavor. Store bought grits, such as Bobs are a second choice. I did try the cheap bags of cornmeal, they were ok, GMO corn, definitely more processed, and had a different flavor. The boxes of grits and instant grits in stores are very processed, but still just cornmeal. A little unknown history When explorers like Daniel Boone were expanding the western frontiers, they would take a pouch of ground cooked corn kernels with them to supplement their diet if game was scarce; a trick learned from the Native Americans. They would have a spoonful and some water, and it was said to sustain them for hours especially when game was scarce: they called this Rock-a-hominy. Additionally during the early days of our country, a popular food staple was Johnny Cakes, Especially in New England, basically cornmeal, hot water, salt, made into a small pancake like cake and fried in butter, lard or bacon fat, they could be for any meal, and traveled well. Baja Tamales In Mexico, tamales, made with Masa are a staple, and travel well for the workers. I was on a cycling trip down Baja Mexico and was hosted via Warm Showers by a Mexican family, the Marquez’s, who made a batch of tamales on Christmas Eve. I carried ten of the tamales with me for a few days as I traveled through the rugged landscape. They gave me amazing energy. Making Tamales in Baja with Mara Marquez and friends. In Italy, Polenta, dubbed the poor folk pasta, is used in many ways. Many families use this thick cornmeal instead of bread to supplement and enhance their diet. Basic Corn Grits- coarsely ground: Add grits of a saucepan full of water, boiling or not, stir, toss in some sea salt, olive oil or dab of butter (or both). Once the grits start to thicken and boil, turn it to a low heat and stir every few minutes. Good grits take time, but you can eat them in a few minutes, but may be a little crunchy, best to let them cook slowly for 40+ minutes, even better a few hours later. From the market you can add meats, bacon, various veggies, honey, herbs, fermented hot sauces, but combinations are endless. While on my Bicycle Tour on the Trans America Trail from Kansas City, MO to Yorktown, Va, I took a 2 Lbs. bag of grits from Jake's farm and cooked them using my Jet Boil Stove. Although I was not able to cook them for 40 minutes as suggested, they were still excellent. I just did not want to use the fuel. And like on any bikepacking trip where you are cooking, I modified it to use what ingredients I had available. Here is a short video I did, spur of the moment and a little messy, where I made some cheese grits. The Recipe: Fresh ground cornmeal, olive oil, foraged dandelion greens, dried sage, fresh garlic, hot sauce, and mozzarella cheese (cheddar is better). Like this? Tell me about your experiences cooking form the road! Bill Poindexter is a KC based writer. Over the last 24 years Bill has traveled over 100, 000 miles by bicycle, either traveling or commuting. Bill wrote the book, Bikepacking School-What ‘they’ don’t tell you in the guidebooks, and the 2nd expanded edition will be out in April.