Why Are Conventional Tortillas Unhealthy
Conventional tortillas are made from white flour or corn flour. I typically choose not to use these ingredients in my cooking for a few reasons. For one thing, most white flours are bleached, contain gluten and are hard on your digestive system. For this reason, I like to choose from the number of healthy gluten-free flours that are available, like coconut flour, which I use in this Paleo tortilla recipe.
I also stay away from most products made with corn. Although the nutritional value of corn thats unprocessed, organic and non-GMO isnt necessary bad for you and has been eaten for thousands of years, the types of corn used to make foods today are so overly modified that it negates its health benefits. Its unfortunate that most corn and corn products that we eat today are genetically modified and go through so much processing that theyre barely recognizable.
Besides using coconut flour in my paleo tortillas recipe, I use arrowroot starch, a gluten-free, GMO-free and healthier alternative to cornstarch. Arrowroot starch is also beneficial for sensitive digestive systems, as its one of the easiest starches for the body to digest.
How To Make Ahead And Store
Make ahead: To prepare this corn tortilla recipe in advance, prepare and wrap the dough well and store it within the fridge for 2-3 days. Any time you want some, just grab the portion from the dough and press and cook it for fresh homemade corn tortillas in minutes.
If the dough seems a little dry when you first get it out of the fridge, add a little splash of water and re-knead it lightly.
Store: The prepared and cooked corn tortillas can be stored in an airtight bag or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap/beeswax wrap in the fridge for up to 5 days or within the freezer for 3 months. Allow the frozen tortillas to thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Organize For Success Corn Tortillas
I store my tortilla press, sheets of wax paper, plastic zip bags and the masa harina all together in a clear container with fairly high sides. This recipe is on the bag of masa harina but I even printed it out, a full recipe and a half recipe, in large print and taped it to the side of the bucket. Okay, I didnt do that the first time I made these. This is the kind of idea I want to share with my readers, so obviously I had to go from idea to action and do it myself. And Im pretty happy about that. Now I can pull it out and quickly make tortillas whenever I want.
As you can see by the photos these are the simple steps:
- Mix masa harina, salt and water into a ball.
- Divide the dough ball into smaller balls the size of golf balls.
- Place the ball on the tortilla press between 2 sheets of waxed paper and gently push to flatten.
- Close the press to evenly flatten the dough ball. Lift and rotate if not even.
- Gently transfer to a tray separating tortillas between waxed paper. Keep covered with a damp cloth while you continue making them.
Id love to hear if you make your own corn tortillas. Is your set up working for you? Please let me know in the comments below.
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How Long Are Corn Tortillas Good For
So youve just finished your weekly shopping and popped your corn tortillas in the pantry. As long as you havent been opened, tortillas will keep for around a week past their best before date, and up to two months if theyre kept in the refrigerator. If the texture is slightly different upon opening, its likely they wont waste as good as usual. But if youre happy to eat them eat away. Its highly unlikely to be ill from eating corn tortillas past their expiration date. As long as they dont appear spoiled, theyll be safe for consumption.
The Best Tortilla Press
This tortilla press has a story behind it. Debbie and I were in a restaurant in Puerto Vallarta and we saw a woman making tortillas in a big huge wooden press. They came out perfect!
We searched high and low for a wooden tortilla press in Puerto Vallarta and eventually on the last day, Debbie and Mark found one! We were pretty surprised how hard it was to find.
I have tried those aluminum tortilla presses that are easy to find and for some reason they just dont work. Maybe I havent tried the right one, but anyways
This tortilla press rocks!
We realize that it might be tough for you to get to Mexico to get one for yourself, but we found a very similar wooden tortilla press on Amazon and it looks like it works just the same. We recommend getting one if you like to make homemade tortillas in your house.
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Are Corn Tortillas Better Than Bread
breadCorn tortillastortillasReal Simple’s Favorite Grocery-Store Tortillas
Can You Freeze Homemade Corn Tortillas
Yes! Our corn tortilla recipe is perfect for freezing. Press your tortillas, lightly cook them, then store them in a suitable freezer container.
We recommend using a ziplock, freezer bag, to keep in the most taste and flavor. You can freeze corn tortillas for up to 8 months if you have to, although they will start to lose their freshness by this point.
Corn tortillas thaw quickly, just by leaving them on the side. Once they have defrosted, you can reheat them in a pan or in the oven.
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La Banderita Corn Tortillas
La Banderita corn tortillas are absolutely the softest packaged corn tortillas Ive ever seen . I honestly dont think you really need to heat them at all before eating them unless you want to heat whatever youre putting inside of them.
They do have a slightly unpleasant aftertaste, though. Theyre my 4th choice of any tortillas in this category for that reason. But its truly amazing how pillow-soft they are!
If youre strictly gluten free , you might hesitate before purchasing La Banderita corn tortillas. The package states that they are made in a facility that also processes wheat . We havent ever had a problem with them, but please make the choice that is best for your family.
Here are the other details:
- Size of tortilla and package: 5-inch diameter tortillas, various package sizes
- Price you should expect to pay: $3.30 for 20.
- Shelf-stable when unopened, but only closes with a twist-tie. Refrigerate after opening.
- Availability: Good. In my local area, La Banderita used to be more widely available, much like Guerrero. Lately, theyve become a bit harder to find.
- Ingredients: whole grain corn, water, gums, preservatives , lime.
- Heating instructions: warm one tortilla at a time in a pre-heated skillet.
Which Is Healthier Corn Or Flour Tortillas
When it comes to nutrition, whole-grain corn tortillas have the advantage of being made from whole grains and having fewer calories with less sodium but more fiber than flour ones. They can also be gluten free if you eat them on a regular basis without any other wheat products in your diet for at least two weeks before trying this new alternative or else risk getting sick again!
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Are Corn Tortillas Gluten Free
Ever wondered if corn tortillas are gluten free? They sound like they should be, but the truth is in the labeling.
Corn Tortillas To be certain if your package of corn tortillas is in fact gluten free, you must review the packaging and ingredients. While the simple name corn tortilla should indicate that it is gluten free, nowadays, corn tortillas are actually made from wheat. As a result, we cannot say that all corn tortillas are gluten free.
The best way to determine if your brand of corn tortillas is gluten free is to read the packaging. Some brands state in big bold letters that the product is gluten free, however, some brands do not. The most recommended brands of gluten free corn tortillas is the Mission Brand Corn Tortilla. This brand promises gluten free products with no wheat found in the tortillas.
For those concerned about eating a gluten-free diet, some opt to make corn tortillas at home to ensure there is no gluten found in the product. Simple recipes for gluten free tortillas can be found on the internet or in bookstores with a gluten free recipe section.
If you require gluten free foods, check your local health food store for options and available foods. Many times gluten free tortillas can be found right along side the gluten free cereal and breads.
Corn Tortilla Vs Flour Tortilla: What’s Better
Corn tortillas are much healthier than flour tortillas. Corn tortillas have fewer calories, fewer carbs, and due to the cooking process, have many more nutrients than flour tortillas.
When we were answering the question, do tortillas have gluten, we already mentioned how corn tortillas are gluten-free, whereas flour tortillas are not!
Voilà, you have just made your first batch of homemade tortillas! It’s time to invite your friends for a long-overdue catch-up and some heartwarming Mexican food. Why not bookmark our naturally gluten free, homemade corn tortilla recipe for later?
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What Happens If You Eat Expired Tortillas
If youre a tortilla lover like me, Im sure that the thought of moldy bread makes your stomach turn. But what if its not just bad luck or chance could there really be something wrong with how long ago they were stored for? Yes! When food sits too long its nutrients begin breaking down and losing its vitamins which can lead to rancidity because certain molecules have been changed by those changes over time such as fats turning greasy-perhaps even creating Wrinkles on someone elses face while we watch in horrorthis would make them go off tasting awful regardless no matter whether bacteria are present .
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What Isnt Included In This List
Unlike when I reviewed the best packaged gluten free flour tortillas, none of the brands of corn tortillas that I tried in preparation of this best-of list were truly awful. Corn tortillas have been around for a long, long time, and have been perfected by many major brands. Many of those brands were likely always gluten free, and are just now advertising their product as gluten free to capture our attention.
One glaring omission from this list is Vista Hermosa brand corn tortillas. I have heard how great they are but had the hardest time locating them.
The Vista Hermosa website isnt very helpful in locating individual products as opposed to stores that simply carry their brand . I finally contacted them through their website after searching at the two Whole Foods stores within driving distance.
Vista Hermosa was able to explain that their corn tortilla wrap products at Whole Foods are usually displayed separately, next to the avocados in the produce section. They even emailed me a photo of the display, so I know theyre there. If I purchase and try them, I will update this post with my review.
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Is Corn Tortilla Gluten Free
Corn tortillas are a healthier alternative to flour. They provide more whole grains and have built-in portion control, as theyre typically smaller than the larger counterparts of this type which means you can enjoy them guilt free! With their gluten-free nature also comes many health benefits for those who cannot tolerate wheat or other allergens found in traditional flat breads such tacos .
La Tortilla Factory Organic Yellow Corn Tortillas
With La Tortilla Factory corn tortillas, we begin talking about our category. Like most of the others in this category, these are thicker, and not flexible until heated.
They do smell and taste heavenly, just like masa. In fact, La Tortilla Factory does have the most flavor of all of them. Theyre expensive, though, and not widely available.
I do think that these corn tortillas are truly the best substitute for freshly homemade corn tortillas. So theyre kind of hard to resist.
Here are the other details:
- Size of tortilla and package: 5-inch diameter tortillas, 8 tortillas per package
- Price you should expect to pay: $17.95 for 16 on Amazon .
- Shelf-stable, but refrigerate once opened.
- Availability: Poor. I can only seem to find them on Amazon.com, and the price is not good.
- Ingredients: water, stoneground organic yellow corn masa flour, organic guar gum, lime.
- Heating instructions: Microwave one at a time for 20 to 25 seconds or until warm. Heat one at a time in a medium-hot, ungreased skillet for 10 to 15 seconds per side until warm and soft.
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How To Make Corn Tortillas Without A Press
The main differences between rolling out corn tortillas with a press and rolling them out without one are the amount of time it takes, and the bother. Its quite easy to roll them out either way, but given the texture of the masa dough, a tortilla press just works so well.
To roll them out without a press, you simply place the same ball of masa dough between two sheets of unbleached parchment paper. Unbleached parchment is more flexible than the bleached kind, and its more stable than plastic wrap.
The paper will wrinkle when you roll out the dough, so your tortillas will have some wrinkles that you can smooth out with wet fingers if that sort of thing bothers you.
Remember that a rolling pin is just that, a rolling pin. Not a pressing pin. A rolling motion, with light, even pressure does the work. The harder you press, the more uneven your raw tortilla will be.
Why Make Homemade Corn Tortillas
Have you ever made fresh gluten free tortillas of any sort? They are a really, really important staple in my house.
Need to take the simplest meal and make it 100 times more special? Wrap it in a tortilla. Have to serve dinner on-the-go? Wrap it in a tortilla. Tired of sandwich bread for school lunches? You get the idea.
There are plenty of varieties of packaged gluten free corn tortillas available, and some of them are really quite good. Store-bought tortillas, gluten free or not, do tend to break when were counting on them to bend.
These fresh gluten free corn tortillas are perhaps the simplest recipe youll find . Make them once and I dare you not to become obsessed with them, like I am with basically all of the gluten free flatbread recipes.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Im a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Feel free to shop around, though, as always.
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