Abstract: A process for obtaining a dry lime pre-cooked corn grain, stable for storage at room temperature involving (a) mixing corn and water in a pressurized container at a temperature of 15.degree. to 35.degree. to form a corn-water mixture; (b) adding an aqueous lime solution to the corn-water mixture to form a corn-water-lime mixture having a pH of 11 to 122 (c) heating, by adding steam, the corn-water-lime mixture at a rate of 1.5.degree. to 6.degree. C. per minute until a lime cooking temperature of the corn-water-lime mixture is reached; (d) lime cooking the corn-water-lime mixture at a lime cooking temperature of at least 85.degree. to no more than 100.degree. C. for 5 to 20 minutes to form lime pre-cooked corn and depressuring the container over a period of 4 to 10 minutes; and (i) drying the lime pre-cooked corn wherein the temperature of the lime pre-cooked corn is less than or equal to 70.degree. C.