About Tortilla Storage
Sitting down to a spicy Mexican meal is a treat for the senses. The spiciness of the meats and the colors of the vegetables mixed with the hot sauces and smooth sour cream all wrapped up in a soft tortilla is just wonderful. Knowing store the tortillas during the meal and afterwards is important to keeping them fresh and tasty.
Function
The whole reason for the proper storage of tortillas is to keep them soft so they can wrap around various fillings. Improper storage will cause stiffness and cracking, so that the whole thing will just fall apart in your hands. Of course, if you want a hard and tough tortilla (for soups or baking into chips) then leaving them out to dry is another matter.
History
Traditionally, tortillas were made fresh for every meal. Without refrigeration, they were always at room temperature. Leftovers were covered in a towel and eaten at the next meal. Tortillas were eaten at every gathering, and children would take a stuffed tortilla to school wrapped in a simple cloth napkin. Husbands would leave for work carrying their specially made tortillas wrapped in a colorful cloth.
Types
There are basically two types of tortillas: corn and flour. Of the flour type, some are made with leavening and and some without. Corn tortillas do not store very well after being cooked, as they become very hard and brittle, which is why they are always sold uncooked (unless sold as taco shells). However, the hard cooked corn tortilla can be used in dishes that have moisture in the cooking process, thereby softening the tortilla. The cooked flour tortilla made without leavening stores the best as it has the highest moisture content. The leavened tortilla is softer initially, as it has air pockets formed by the baking powder that lift it during cooking process, but then dries out quickly unless wrapped well and frozen.
Effects
Air has the greatest effect on the storage of tortillas. If they are allowed to sit out just for a few minutes, especially just after being warmed, they will stiffen up and become brittle around the edges at first and then in the middle as time progresses. Refrigeration also has a negative effect on the storage and flavor of tortillas, as the starch molecules will change and stiffen over time, faster than if left at room temperature (however, mold may grow faster at room temperature). Heat will initially soften the tortilla as the oils and proteins warm up, but the process will also cause faster evaporation of the water content, leaving the tortilla dry and brittle.
Identification
If you see a round clay pot that sits totally flat with a close-fitting lid about 6 to 10 inches in diameter with a shiny glaze on the outside but a rough surface on the inside, it is probably a traditional Mexican tortilla holder. The moist tortillas were placed in these for storage, and the clay held enough moisture to keep them from drying out. Another easy storage device is the resin tortilla holder that is used in restaurants and homes. It has the convenience of being microwave-safe so the tortillas can have a short blast of heat from the center without getting dried out.
Considerations
The modern approach to tortilla storage is to simply to place them into a sealable baggie with a clean cloth such as a cotton kitchen towel. The towel absorbs extra moisture and keeps them from getting stale or moldy, while the plastic bag keeps the moisture in and the refrigerator odors out. They can keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, although they will not taste nearly as good as when they were fresh. Freezing will stop the deterioration process, but again, they will not taste fresh. It is recommended that stored tortillas be filled with a hot and spicy filling to compensate for the lack of freshness in the shell.
Tags: room temperature, they will, after being, cooking process, effect storage, keep them
