Grits, polenta, and cornmeal are available in three colors—yellow, white, and blue—depending on the type of corn used. Yellow and white corn are most commonly used today. But for hundreds of years, Native Americans have been growing the ancient and revered blue corn. Small farmers in pueblos have hand-shelled, hand-shucked and hand-cleaned blue corn just as a farmer in Alabama might grow open-pollinated white corn for milling.

McEwen & Sons is pleased to have an agricultural source for organic blue corn, and many customers prefer the McEwens' blue grits and cornmeal to the more traditional white or yellow. Because it is an open-pollinated flint corn, blue corn is very hard and sweet. Blue corn has a higher protein content than other corns and is high in lysine, thereby making it a complete protein. That means, you can eat blue corn by itself for a complete protein without having to combine it with beans or eggs or cheese. Blue cornmeal has a gray-blue color, but when liquid is added, it turns a very pleasing violet color. The pancakes and cornbread made with blue cornmeal fade back to the original dry cornmeal color when cooked.