Cornmeal Mush

Sometimes, like right now, I suddenly get a hankering for fried mush, Mom style. Nothing special, just the Jackson processed product in the plastic tube, sliced, dipped in milk and cornmeal/flour mix, fried up and served with some butter and syrup. Anyway, when I first moved to Chicago in '91, it wasn't too hard to find Jackson mush at Jewel or elsewhere. Now, it has all but disappeared. I suppose Whole Foods sells an "unflavored polenta" at $4.98 a pound, but does anyone have suggestions on where to find the basic, Jackson yellow cornmeal, extruded mush cylinder or an equivalent substitute? (And no, I don't consider making my own scratch mush to be an equivalent substitute, not only on account of the labor, but also because it always lacks that firm, cornmeal terrine texture of the packaged stuff.)

They used to sell it at the Omni on Clybourn, which became a Dominicks and dot dot dot.

You want the refrigerated product, right?

Haven't seen it on the north side in 3-4 years. Nor country ham, which that self-same Dominicks used to stock, but no more.

I have not had the time/money/opportunity to enjoy and further explore the neighborhoods on the South Side where I used to work. Perhaps it is still available there, but the Food Exchange has closed and that was my primary source.

Sigh.

JimInLoganSquare wrote: (And no, I don't consider making my own scratch mush to be an equivalent substitute, not only on account of the labor, but also because it always lacks that firm, cornmeal terrine texture of the packaged stuff.)

JiLS,

I know exactly what you mean. When we make polenta, I usually end up frying some of the leftovers the next day, and it never holds together or crisps up the way the tube stuff used to (I've always attributed this to lard content in the tube stuff, though I could be wrong).

I have seen the tube locally within the past 12 months, and if I can remember where, I will post about it (Caputo's? Maybe. I'll check next time I'm there).

Hammond

The Jewel on Broadway near Addison carried as recently as a year or two ago (as well as sliced country ham). I haven't been in there in a while.

I don't have firsthand knowledge, but I'd bet a grocer like Moo 'n Oink would carry it.

I've seen tubes of polenta at Jewel, not refrigerated, not Jackson brand, though I somehow doubt that's what you're looking for.

That's interesting. I used to buy the "mush" at Jewel on Ashland/Diversey because it was not worse than, and probably better than, the much more expensive "tubed" polenta. Also, I believe white corn or hominy was used, whereas most intubated polenta is yellow.

Polenta in tubes is pretty widely available, usually in the "Italain" section of the grocery store.

As regards country ham, of course they always have it at Paulina. Also, there among the Balkan, Asian and Mexican cured meats at Devon Market (across from La Unica) they sell small packs of "scraps" from very credible Tennessee country hams. I need to get back up there to replenish my supply.

No lard is used in the tubed stuff. I simply think that time physics force the much into a form that stands up to frying better than what one can do at home with loose mush.

I've had mush on my mind lately. I picked up a bag of Goya yellow cornmeal, the perfect grind for a Cuban tamal en cazuela. El Mercado on Southport has a wide variety of non-Mexican-masa corn products from South America and Italy. Don't know about tube, though.