Tortillas are a food staple for many people around the world. They’re easy to prepare and affordable. Usually, when you are making tortillas at home, you will make extra tortillas all the time. But can we store them to use on a later day? I know this question has come across your mind whenever there are tortilla leftovers.
What if you freeze the tortilla? Can you do it? Let’s try to find some answers to those questions through this article.
So, can you freeze tortillas? Yes, you can freeze tortillas like many other foods to preserve them. Some tortillas are meant for freezing, but not all. There are some precautions you’ll need to take in order to properly freeze tortillas so they don’t get freezer burnt or fall apart when you attempt to cook them. To prevent freezer burn to your tortilla, it’s important that it’s stored in an airtight container or freezer bag. Properly stored, tortillas will last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
What Are Tortillas?
Tortillas are thin, circular flatbread made with different flour types. The reason I told different flour types is that you can go with any choice of flour for a tortilla. But wheat flour is favored by many in the present.
Did you know that tortillas have a long history? There are records about tortillas found in the history of the Mayan Civilization. That is about 12,000 years back. It is not easy to continue being popular throughout history as a food.
There are many ways that you can eat a tortilla. The most simple way I can think of is eating a tortilla directly with a curry. You can fill a tortilla with any filling and eat it like a burrito. Another way to add tortillas into your meal is by breaking them into pieces and mixing them with rice.
Are you curious about the nutrients contained in the tortilla? Fiber is the main ingredient that you can find in the tortilla. But surprisingly it does not have the ingredients that direct you to gain more weight. This is a positive sign telling that tortillas are not bad for your health.
Does Tortillas Freeze Well?
Tortillas are one of the best food items that respond well to freezing. Ingredients that are used to make them must be the reason for that. They all are somewhat resistant to expiring. Anyway, when you freeze tortillas, you will not see any discoloration in them.
Bad smells or fungi will not build on the tortillas while in the freezer. I’m saying these assuming you will not freeze them for too long. As you know there is a “best before” date for tortillas as well for freezing.
How To Freeze Tortillas?
When it comes to freezing tortillas, it’s pretty straightforward and doesn’t require a lot of time.
All you need is aluminum foil and a large freezer bag. Once you have all of that, follow the simple steps below to freezing your tortillas:
Step 1: Allow To Cool Down
After the tortilla is cooked, allow it to cool down first. It will take some time for it to cool down.
Avoid trying to store the tortilla while it’s still hot or warm. Doing so will cause condensation to form. The moisture from the condensation will damage your tortilla, leaving it soggy when thawed.
Step 2: Separating Them
With aluminum foil, place each of them between each tortilla. This will help keep them from sticking during freezing. Stack them together, but make sure the stack is not too high that it will not fit in the freezer bag.
Step 3: Storage Bag
Once you have a stack of tortilla, transfer them to a freezer bag. Press on the bag to remove any excess air before sealing it.
Step 4: Label and Freeze
With a marker, write the date of freezing and the content on the freezer bag. Then place them into the freezer for storage.
How Long Can You Freeze Tortillas?
The freezer is an excellent place to store tortillas. They can be individually wrapped in plastic and placed in the freezer for up to 3 months. If they are not individually wrapped, then you can stack them inside of a sealed ziplock bag for freezing instead.
The first thing you want to make sure of is that they’re completely dry. You can do this by patting them with a paper towel or allow them to sit out at room temperature for one hour before freezing them. If you don’t dry the tortillas properly, they can get freezer burn and lose their flavor and will not last very long in the freezer.
How Do You Defrost Tortillas?
To thaw your frozen tortillas, simply remove them from their packaging and let them sit on the counter until they reach room temperature (about 20 minutes). You will want to keep the thawed tortillas covered with plastic wrap or foil so that they don’t dry out or get soggy.
Can You Refreeze Tortillas?
Yes, but try to avoid refreezing tortillas. When you freeze flour-based food they start to deteriorate faster than other food. So you will not be able to store them for long if you refreeze them. Instead, you take out only the required amount of tortillas from the freezer.
Conclusion
Tortillas are a versatile food that we can eat in many different ways. But it is easy to make lots of tortillas at once and save them for later uses. For that, you can freeze tortillas until next time. It can add a couple of months to the tortillas’ lifetime. But be mindful to follow the proper instructions when freezing them.