How to make incredible tortillas from scratch-- from cheap field/feed corn!

[@Ben-kv7wr]

This is the most thorough video on hand patting I’ve seen. They come out so much more moist that with a press!

[@telejeff]

Thank you! They come out more moist, and we've also found out that the bumps from hand patting form tiny contact points with the pan that keep it from stickig or bubbling up from underneath--the flat surface of a tortilla-pressed disk tends to stick more to the pan and form a seal that creates a bubble underneath.

[@OCSTRETRACER]

These are some of the best videos. No expensive camera, no fancy kitchen, no fat guy in a robe who claims to be a chef. Just a man & his hands passing on a skill.

[@telejeff]

Thanks! I try to be informative, but I definitely don't have the budget or time to do anything fancy.

[@yolandahebert2350]

You make these look so easy and I am certain it is after a bit of practice. You're amazed for sharing this unadulterated method of preparation. We all need it now more than ever! Thank you!!! ❤️

[@hoshumberry]

Just to let you know I followed your recipe to the " T"...worked absolutely perfectly. Last time I had tortillas like this was in Oaxaca in the 80's. The washing process was much more involved. The tip I was given while in Mexico was to test the corn after 24 hrs and 4 rinses, if there is the slightest " burn" on the lips, you need to keep rinsing even though the water may be clear. Thanks for sharing that " magic", its nice to have it back at home again. Suerte y agradecido!

[@telejeff]

That's a good tip about the burn. You definitely want to get excess lime out. I usually wash in the morning, and then let it sit in water all day and make the tortillas for dinner the next evening. I wonder if that's equivalent of doing a few extra washes?

[@edfoley575]

Cool

[@sophied4031]

What a brilliant and useful comment you've left here - thank you!

[@BobbiWeb]

Most beautiful art I ever ate

[@THCMusicBlog]

This is the only true from- scratch how-to tortilla videos on youtube- thank you!

[@joeprimal2044]

Purple / blue corn is important. The blue color is a substance called flavanol, which is essential for many biological processes, like forming memories. It's the same as is found in blueberries. As a person with a not so good memory I can attest to the fact that eating foods with flavanol seems to have a significant difference in my memory. Many of our foods once had flavanol, like purple cabbage and corn, but we breed them out because companies thought the yellow and green colors were more appealing to consumers. Thanks for this vid, this is exactly what I was looking for.

[@sheryliheanachor2953]

Why? It hurts me to find out that food is no longer 100% real ..no matter the culture! Now I'm awake ...Stores know that they are selling rubbish. SMH

[@wilsons2882]

everything primal and natural is important.

[@marisolcorona9728]

Joe Primal thank you for the facts, very interesting!

[@marisolcorona9728]

Awesome video, thank you so much for taking the time and explaining with details. I don’t know how I missed this video for so long, can’t wait to try my first batch of tortillas:)

[@ogadlogadl490]

Purple was the original color of carrots. There are purple potatoes and interestingly purple yams that The blue zone people of Okinawa eat in large quantities.

[@estrellacocina]

Perfect! Como debe ser. Mejor explicado que cualquier otra receta de tortillas que publicara cualquier mexicano. Gracias. Perfect!

[@vic82ism]

Wow my goal has been to make as much of my family's food from scratch ....I'm going to give this a go,Thank you

[@telejeff]

Glad to help. Tell me how it works out for you!

[@tatianathompson2118]

Absolutely awesome, the whole process is the best explanation I've seen, and I'm Costa Rican and been taught by my aunt's. Congrats. I finally understand. Thank you.

[@telejeff]

Thanks, and I'm glad it was useful!

[@tamahanatamatoa]

es el mejor video de hacer tortillas que he visto, felicidades y gracias por compartir!

[@telejeff]

me alegra mucho que le haya gustado, gracias por mirar.

[@kristinwright6632]

I've watched a number of videos on how to do tortillas from scratch and went to Bob's Red Mill store a couple of days ago to obtain their non-GMO dent corn. It is bubbling away on the stove but I got confused about how long to cook. Your explanation of this along with every other part of this video cleared up all my questions. I also want to make posole and tamales. I saw your explanation on the difference for tamale dough and I have home-rendered pastured lard for that project. I'm excited that I now have enough information to be successful. Thank you so much for all your work on this!

[@telejeff]

Great! I hoped it worked out well. All of those things, tortillas, tamales, and pozole are better with home-prepared corn. It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it.

[@galekeeler3125]

We made these following your video step by step. They turned out a little to thick, but my husband loved them. I will use more water next time to thin out the masa to make them thinner. It was fun as we did the whole process together.

[@telejeff]

Thanks for the story, I'm glad to have played a small role in it!

[@srremm]

Minute 14... the clue to avoid the surface of the tortilla (as you showed with the yellow corn tortilla), is to make put the disk on the pan, then, just waith the the edges begin to dry up; it's cooking, don't wait long, just try to lift it, if it is not stuck on the pan, it means that is ready to flip it on the other side, then continue watching, when the lower side is getting golden, you flip it again. Avoid flipping too often, that's the secret. Yet, mexican tortillas are usually thin..Thanks! nice video and amazing your learning. thumbs up!

[@jubjuicebruin2741]

The reason I searched this was because I had a vague memory of my grandmother making tortillas this way. Leaving the corn overnight to soak up the water and then grinding the next day. When I heard the sound of the manual grinder in this vid a flood of memories came to me .I could even recall the smells. Thank you for this video.

[@telejeff]

You're very welcome, glad you enjoyed it!

[@nickzee7723]

A true labor of love. They look so delicious. I am just beginning to make tortillas from scratch. Made my first batch just 2 days ago and they were wonderful. This here is a magnitude higher of time, skill, and love. That is a beautiful thing. As my skills grow, I will look to this video as a goal to achieve. Thank you so much for posting.

[@janicat8989]

Not sure if I already commented on this, but I never get tired of watching this, the best video ever about how to make tortillas, I was born in Central America but never made tortillas or learned how to cook the corn, until now. Many thanks 🙏 👏 I’m going to start making my own tortillas 🎊 🎉

[@telejeff]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed and I hope it helps you out. Cheers!

[@adelorenita6085]

Excelente explicación! Muchas gracias, todos los detalles de cómo hacerlas!

[@telejeff]

Siempre es un placer!

[@Blue-hf7xt]

AstroJeff, I finally got everything together and made my first batch of masa. I bought corn from a local garden/farm store, but it turned out to be not the best quality due to cracked and broken pieces of corn. It took too long to sort thru it. I believe this is why my tortillas didn't come out well. I will use the masa for tamales I did go to the link for buying corn. And I didn't see a Whole Grain Corn Chicken Feed. They do have a Whole Grain Corn, but they don't sell it on-line. My daughter joined me in this first experiment and we are both eager to continue and achieve corn tortillas like you make. The 2 times of grinding the corn method seem to be a secret few know about.

[@telejeff]

For the specific corn source I use, I believe you have to go through a distributor--you can't buy it directly online, unfortunately. There are gourmet sources of corn online, but they tend to be expensive, and the results are not always as good for tortillas. Look up dent corn or field corn, ask around at feed stores, ask a farmer. Also be aware that a lot of corn is GMO and uses lots of pesticides, so be aware of what you are buying. I wish I had a better source that everyone could use, but I haven't found it yet. Please post if you do find one!

[@BevmoClerk]

Can't wait to try this, I feed scratch and peck to my chickens and must say I really like it and so do they. My mom has made homemade tortillas but it was always with premade masa from a bakery around the corner of where we used to live, can't believe it never crossed my mind to ask my feed store to order some corn for me to try my hand at making them. Also my mom always used a wood tortilla press to make them as well, and my girlfriends mom would make them with beer bottles as a roller LOL or press them by hand like that. My mom would only make them without the press when making gorditas or sopes. Oh man, Eating them homemade was always the best...

[@telejeff]

+Jose Zamarripa The nicaraguan style ones are thicker, more like gorditas, so that makes sense. The press seems better for making thin, mexican-style tortillas, which are also good. You can also set a big, flat pan on top of the tortilla to flatten them.

[@DadianSystemsLLC]

Just fantastic to watch...thank you for taking the time to put this video together!

[@kristinwright6632]

Since I visited Mexico for the first time recently I've been searching for how to make corn tortillas as delicate and pliable as they did. I got a lot of inspiration here. First I do have a masa grinder but didn't understand I needed to grind twice! And second I've been assuming I needed to make my tortillas thinner. Now I think I just need to make them more even. I also think I've been overcooking. Thank you so much! Time to get my Bob's Red Mill feed corn out of the freezer again.

[@telejeff]

If you make them thick, it's nice if they puff to if you want really soft tortillas (thinner, mexican style tortillas are usually not puffed). Puffing seems to include a "magic" combination of the right kind of corn (some brands of seemingly the same dent/field corn react very differently), the right water content, and not only the right temperature, but the right timing of the flips. And they need to be even in terms of not having really thin and really thick parts, but it's ok (and some argue even good) to have bumps on the surface from your hand prints. They say it helps them not stick as much (less surface area touching the comal), and I wonder if the bumps influence the puffing? The bumps certainly turn into the little browned spots of the finished tortilla. Good luck and experiment around a little! Look at how bumpy the experts make them in my video from the people who taught me: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kH66qKWDgbRgi9k

[@telejeff]

I have also consistently had better luck with the cheapest feed corn I can find as compared to specialty gourmet-style corns sold for human consumption. I don't know why this is, except that it may have to do with the exact strain or hybrid of corn being used? I haven't tried Bob's, so that would be interesting to do as a comparison. I really want to know where professional tortilla places get their corn sourced!

[@kristinwright6632]

Thanks for all the good information. I just realized I was a bit effulgent in my posting. It just shows how excited I am to try this. I really want to be able to make corn tortillas as magnificent as what I ate in Mexico. I've bookmarked your video and hope to get back with a comment on my results. Thanks again!

[@kristinwright6632]

Thank you for that input. I've saved off that link to check it out.

[@barpoe1]

Those are the most beautiful tortillas I've ever seen.

[@andreaperalta3362]

the original color of corn is actually purple... I am Nicaraguense/Mexican and I love those tortillas!!

[@broadcasttttable]

Don't know if you're still answering comments, but here's my two cents (waiting for change): Great video, love the painstaking detail. Very impressed how you also take the time to give thoughtful, detailed answers to almost every comment posted here. Shows a passion, and a sincere interest in helping your fellow man/woman. Kudos!

[@telejeff]

Thanks, it’s been a while since I have had time to make videos, but I appreciate all the comments! Thanks for watching!

[@broadcasttttable]

@@telejeff While I got you here, AJ,...(lol), if I freeze this dough, how do I thaw it in preparation for cooking? Room temp, or can I just throw it in hot skillet and cook it anyway? Does it become brittle, breaking into pieces, or does it retain its pliable, bendable form? Thanks again.

[@telejeff]

I would thaw it slowly and then probably add a bit of water to the masa if its too dry, then use as normal. Or, tortillas and tamales both freeze really well cooked. Just pluck a frozen tortilla off the pile and throw directly in a hot pan to revive.

[@noblehousefoundation1731]

Dude, I LOVE YOU, thank you for helping me get back my Mexican Roots, I have been trying to find this out! YOU are the BEST ! Hermano, realmente traes alegría a mi corazón y lágrimas a mis ojos. ¡Nunca te pagaré por mostrarme este antiguo secreto y arte sagrado azteca! bendiciones para ti mi amigo ~

[@telejeff]

Gracias hermano! Es un placer grabar y preservar esas tradiciones en video, y me alegre que pueda compartir ese conocimiento con el mundo. Aunque aprendi ese arte en Nicaragua, la gente y sus tradiciones pertenecen originalmente de los Azteca, quien influyeron profundamente a la cultura de Nicaragua.

[@Blue-hf7xt]

I can hardly wait to get all the supplies and tools to make these tortillas. THANK YOU

[@telejeff]

Tell us how it works out when you give it a try. Also remember that each type of corn is slightly different, so if it doesn't work out perfectly the first time, give it some room for experimentation.

[@Blue-hf7xt]

I will. I got my daughter in for the experiment.

[@ErrorInPerfection]

Wow! You have developed skills like an expert cook of S America and India where some flat breads (roti) are also rolled using hands.

[@markhan336]

Outstanding video. I always wondered how to make masa from scratch. Wonderfully presented as well. Thank you!

[@gacastillo21]

Beautiful! Thank you for showing us how all the process is done. Just like my grandma used to do in Mexico :) Gracias!

[@telejeff]

So glad you enjoyed!

[@Blue-hf7xt]

Hi AstroJeff, I have done my corn grinder homework. It resulted in 'I should have'. I thought others could benefit from my homework. The link you listed above is one of the good grinders, by Buffalo tools. It works for wet corn. Runs $38.99 Another good grinder is Victoria Grain Grinder, tin double coated, which works for the wet corn and masa. Victoria also has 2 types, a Commercial and Professional grade. The Professional runs $44.50 The Commercial runs $53.99 And they come with silicone/plastic protectors. Victoria's customer service is super excellent too. Stay away from the Ebay corn grain grinder for $15.99, it isn't double coated. I have had problems with it discoloring my masa.

[@telejeff]

Thanks for doing some research for us! It's true that you get what you pay for! That being said, if anyone has a grinder that discolors the masa, it's usually just the very first bit that comes out bad (sometimes I get some rust inside mine that turns the first couple spoonfuls rusty). I'm not too worried about that, and I just throw out the very first bit and the rest seems to be OK. I'll report back in 20 years if I develop some sort of chronic disease ;-)

[@Knadig4]

Necesitas un tortillador de mesquite para aplastar las tortillas :) We have made our tortillas just like that except we grew our own heirloom non-gmo corn, they taste delish.

[@karlarobleto6282]

Excellent, easy to follow recipe, thank you. I was touched by your enthusiasm, thanks for playing a beautiful song. It brings memories of my country, Nicaragua land of lakes and volcanoes. Greeting from Miami, Florida. 😀

[@telejeff]

You're welcome!

[@dianamartinez-pp3kt]

I am so happy I found your video. Those tortillas look delicious. I am a mexican living in USA and I can't find that type of tortilla here, so I decided to make my own.

[@telejeff]

That comment makes me happy!

[@lilianagonzalez1805]

That was amazing! One of the best vids I've seen on corn tortillas. Thank you so much!

[@telejeff]

Thanks, I'm so glad you enjoyed!

[@karlbe8414]

I just bought a corn tortilla press for under 20 bucks, including shipping on ebay. Thanks for the demo.

[@kurtis3971]

Seme antojaron !they look so soft and delicious. Finally I found the authentic recipe....thank you!

[@sickid41]

Looks delicious tortillas yummy.l am hungry now.

[@hugosapien3705]

I really appreciate the level of detail you provide. I've watched numerous ladies, but there's a lot of "feel" they just don't explain. I wanted to lear nixtamalization to make corn for pozole.

[@telejeff]

Thanks for watching! I'm so glad to hear that it showed you the detail you wanted--that was definitely my intention, to help with all those little things that are hard to see in a 5-minute video. Cheers!

[@mcAnthony1000]

My mouth is watering right now thanks to you.

[@whiterabbit201]

Thank you so much for the video. I have the same grinder (Corona) and picked up 50lbs of dent feed corn yesterday. I made corn meal and now I'll try making masa and your tortillas. Fun with food! LOL!

[@telejeff]

+Mike White Awesome! Let me know how it works out. Read some of the other comments below, too, just to understand the variability of results. It sometimes takes a little experimenting around to get things right, but it's worth it in my opinion!

[@justin7sanchez]

Any update on where you buy your corn these days? I noticed that information isn't actually found in the description any longer. Many many thanks for this video! very well done.

[@janicat8989]

Finally! After looking for weeks, I found your video. Thank you so much

[@robdawson2]

awesome, feed corn is dirt cheap here in Hungary. I will try this out soon. No blue corn though...

[@telejeff]

Tell me how it works out for you!

[@bennieperea3979]

tan lindo,,,,, esa es la manera tradicional de mi mexico querido

[@emsee8432]

I didn't see the link/ model no. for the grinder. I loved the method for patting out a thick tortilla.

[@telejeff]

Right below the video, click on where it says "show me more" and there's a lot of info about grinders and such.

[@amywalker7515]

A few years ago I made corn tortillas from scratch with instructions I got elsewhere. I don't recall the extra rinses or removing the skins (I just ran it under the water till it ran clear), the second grinding or the pre-frying of the tortillas. Mine turned out intensely orange with an incredible flavor. Since I made so much in one batch, I made my little balls about the size of ping pong balls, put them in a bag, froze them till I was ready to use and pressed them right before cooking. I have a tortilla press to make the final construction occur faster. Am still wondering why mine turned out so orange. Thanks for the detailed video. You just made me want to get out my equipment and make them again. I also wonder why we never see yellow corn tortillas in stores anymore.

[@telejeff]

I don't know why we don't see yellow tortillas as often, either, but I suppose it has to do with the appearance--white probably sells better. The lime definitely changes the color of the corn--purple corn turns blue, blue corn turns green, white corn often turns yellow, and yellow corn turns darker yellow/orange. Must be a chemical reaction. There are many ways to nixtamalize and rinse; I usually let mine soak in clean water for a few hours bettween cleaning and grinding to really get all the lime out. I just learned a new technique that involves boiling in lime and then immediately cleaning, then it is boiled in clean water again until it is soft and starting to break open, and then soaked overnight in water and ground the next morning. It was for tamales, so I don't know how it would work for tortillas. I'm gonna try that next to see how it compares. I will have a new video up about that method fairly soon.

[@Automedon2]

I really enjoyed watching the process and the way you explained it. Thanks.

[@esmeraldab11]

Yo también hago mis propias tortillas, me sorprende k lo expliques muy bien, mi problema es no consigo el maíz orgánico y el que yo encuentro esta muy quebrado....donde tu lo compras que tal esta

[@telejeff]

esmeraldab11 me la compre de Scratch and Peck Feeds: www.scratchandpeck.com/store-locator/

[@cronicasurbanas.9925]

Ok, saludos..

[@jonesperkins1382]

This is the first video I have watched on this topic. I just want to say. It seems like there are content creators for everyone

[@sheepseven7588]

You can boil it as well it works well

[@mildredz7777]

Muchas gracias por compartir !

[@jennifferperezr7013]

That song brought me beautiful memories from my country 😍

[@btpuppy2]

These are fantastic, you are so impressive! Such hard work but wow, what a result!

[@mbenz9389]

Well now that's a genuine tortilla. Well done and thank you.

[@carllove3705]

They look good. You should invest in a comal, or griddle. They are not expensive.

[@telejeff]

+Carl Love Yeah, you're right. I'm a migrant worker (I move by car with my wife every 6 months), so I have very little room for new stuff and I end up using what comes supplied in employee housing. Occasionally we get something new and useful, but when we buy one new thing, we have to decide what we will get rid of to make up for it. I suppose a comal wouldn't take up that much room, though...

[@AllahisAkbar1]

That song took me back home 🇳🇮

[@telejeff]

+Kandie Kane I love that song too, it does sound like Nicaragua!

[@EHCBunny4real]

You can use Kitchenaid's food grinder attachment to make masa. Just grind it twice. Once with the coarse plate and twice with the fine plate

[@telejeff]

Cool, I'll have to look into that!

[@johndem4192]

thank you astrojeff! Didn't know where I can find whole corn in my country until now!

[@telejeff]

Great, hope you can find it now!

[@jennifermcferran2296]

Wow - I loved your video! Thank you so much - it looks like a time consuming job, but one that will be worth it in the end. I'm inspired to try it!

[@telejeff]

It does take advance planning and then one dedicated evening to complete, but if you freeze the tortillas, they last for over a month, and you can pop one frozen tortilla off the stack, heat it in a frying pan and have a wonderful lunch ready in minutes, which ends up saving time in the long run on lunches. Yes you could just buy tortillas too (or buy lunch), but they're not as good, and these ones are thicker and more filling.

[@vek0vek0]

Thanks for the video.

[@raybenash8347]

Hello and thanks for the great video and full details. Will be working this solution with my Nixtamatic. Shortly. Just got my white dent, waiting for the pickling lime. Just to be sure you simmer until the skin rubs off easily then soak overnight. And - if I want to make masa para taml - I would just do a single grind then do the "preparada".

[@telejeff]

+Ray Benash Wow, the nixtamatic looks like a super grinder! Where'd you get your white dent corn from? I've never been able to find a white corn that makes a white tortilla like the ones I had in Nicaragua. Even the white corn nixtamalizes to a yellow color, and the white corn I've been able to order online did not make good tortillas. Feed corn has always worked the best for me! And yes, that's how I check my corn--skins rub off easily, and then only one grind for tamales, and two for tortillas. Can you adjust the tension on the nixtamatic? On my hand grinder, I do the first run on lower tension, and the second run on higher tension. And it sounds like you have prior knowledge, but if it's your first time, remember to experiment around a little, as resullts vary depending on a lot of factors!

[@thehurricanerider]

thanks for the great video . love the idea. everything fresh at the source. inspiring and grounding. treat the amazing corn the universe gave man with respect

[@carmensmith9220]

Thank you for teaching the nixtamal process.

[@galekeeler3125]

I just made these last night. I had to purchase 50, yes 50 pounds of chicken feed corn from the feed store. But I did it. And these tortillas were the best tasting corn tortillas ever. Im going to make them again, again and again because I have 40 pounds of chicken feed corn leftover. Hahaha.

[@telejeff]

awesome! Corn is so cheap that you can make a ridiculous amount of tortillas for very cheap, all it takes is a lot of work. Glad it worked out for you!

[@jeffcorbin9967]

I am just starting to get into this. I started with setting food aside in mylar bags and then I thought about other things I could do. Your video has shown me some fun things to do.

[@telejeff]

Corn stores really well, and as long as you have the time, making tortillas is a great way to use the corn. Tamales are also easy to make. Make masa with a rougher grind (only grind once in the hand mill), and then add fat and broth to the mix.

[@aricelis736]

I remember when my mom will make me fresh homemade tortillas

[@orchidmoon6327]

Wondering if you have tried fresh field corn in the husk just before turning into hardened seed , shucking the corn and processing in a blender without the lime cooking? Preparing this way allows the dough to be spread out on a griddle with a spoon and the aroma, taste and texture is a phenomenal experience...

[@telejeff]

Sounds like how the make guirillas, the sweet/fresh corn tortillas. I've never tried it before, but I've had tortillas and tamales like this. So many amazing options with corn!

[@theehappyhousewife908]

they are really beautiful and great idea with the ziplock cut out, i dont own nor do i want to own a tortilla press

[@telejeff]

+Kizze Harris I learned it all from my host family in Nicaragua. They don't actually use ziplocks, but I noticed that that's the desired size.

[@K8Nicole]

Thank you for the nice calm video and recipe.

[@johnbrauchi9370]

Thank you. I've been looking for ways to make the perfect fish taco starting with the thick home made tortilla. These tortillas will be the foundation. Very excited!

[@telejeff]

Well, tell us how they turn out!

[@zzanzak]

I’ve been watching videos on this all day, this is by far the best one I’ve stumbled across. Thank you for all the information!! This is so awesome I’m going to try it!

[@telejeff]

Awesome, thank you!

[@Michigansnowpony]

Thank you so much for this video! I grow my own organic, heirloom corn which I dehydrate and make my own corn meal from, but I'd love to be able to use it to make tortillas as well and your video was an excellent tutorial to that end!

[@telejeff]

Cool! lots of good stuff you can do with home grown corn. Tamales are fun and easy, too, and you only need to grind once.

[@David-kd5mf]

Great video. Probably one of the best ones on nixtamalized corn tortillas on youtube. Heating up the water right now. Got the calcium hydroxide at the ready. Using a grain corn multicolored variety out of homestead in Kentucky.

[@eyeonart6865]

All thar rinsing water you should save to water plants with. Good for plants and not wasting water. Great video

[@oxnard_raider8909]

After boiling the corn with the pickling lime, you let it sit in the same water over night then rinse it before using?

[@telejeff]

Sorry I missed this comment earlier! Yes, I let it sit in the lime water overnight and then wash it the next morning. after I wash it, it let it sit in fresh water for a few hours to continue leaching out the lime.

[@Melloshroom]

Great Video. In the past I have made tortillas with store bought masa flour many times. Always pretty much unimpressive. I followed everything you did.I even bought a Chamba comal. Unfortunately the results were still not good. No puffing!! I really want to overcome my tortilla curse. I live near WPB maybe we can get together for a taco making gathering, and you can show me where I go wrong. Thanks, Danny

[@telejeff]

Danny Pardo Glad you are interested in trying! I'm only in FL (everglades) during the winter, but I'll be back next winter, so send me a message in November to remind me. I'm still experimenting and learning as I go along, and getting tortillas to puff seems more like an art than a science. The type of corn does seem to make a difference, so one thing to try is buying from a few different sources and different types of corn until you find one that works better for you. Strangely, I have had bad luck with "gourmet" corn, and better luck with the cheap feed corn. Results will also depend a little on how long you cook and soak the corn, which also depends on the type of corn. I typically boil for 1/2 hour and soak overnight, but boiling time varies, some corns I have used need an hour. The masa texture will vary from quite powdery feeling (nixtamalized not enough), to slimy and sticky (nixtamalized a little too much) Other important factors in getting tortillas to puff: the amount of water in the masa (more water tends to make tortillas puff more), the temperature of the comal (on the hotter side, just under the temp that burns the tortillas black), and exactly how long you leave the tortilla on the pan for the first flip. Sometimes the masa sucks up the water and acts drier as you go along--I sometimes pat a little water on the tortilla and then let is sit before cooking it to get them to puff more. Once you find the right corn, then you can standardize your methods and get more consistent results. I still wish I could find corn like they have in Nicaragua, though! Anyway, if you do keep experimenting, tell me what kind of results you get so that we can all learn. Or tell me if you find any good sources for corn. I love the corn from Scratch and Peck Feeds, but it's hard to get except on the West Coast.

[@Melloshroom]

Hey Jeff, I know it's been 5 years ready, but if you're still out there maybe we can talk.?

[@edog1955]

Nice editing...I like that you start with the finished product and some music. Very engaging!

[@enaibee1661]

BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!! im wondering if the mexican style is any different. i dont think so. WONDERFULLY DONE. it was therapeutic tbh

[@telejeff]

Not necessarily, except that modern mexican food is often made with machine-pressed tortillas, which are thinner than hand-pressed ones. But people have told me that some traditional families still hand-press thick tortillas in Mexico.

[@volcanowb]

Sorry I was late to the show! How interesting and fun! Very, very clear production, btw.

[@ALPHAJACK78]

I had to watch this again the video was so good, thank you can’t wait to try it

[@telejeff]

Thanks for all the views and comments. FYI, I am practicing the hand-pressed method here. You can use a tortilla press, especially for thinner tortillas, but many people enjoy the fun of patting tortillas by hand, a method that is still commonly practiced in Nicaragua where I live during part of the year. Hand-formed tortillas are slightly bumpy, which adds to their style and affects the way they cook. If you want to discuss tortilla presses versus hand-pressed tortillas, scroll down and comment on an existing thread! No need for more new comments about tortilla presses :-) BTW, Check out my newest video about making Nicaraguan Nacatamales: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aae2eGmqhKyKn68. One thing to note is this shows the nixtamalization process with ashes. I noticed that they cleaned the corn immediately and then reboiled in water, then soaked overnight. I'd like to try this with the lime method and compare to soaking in lime water all night, versus boiling in clean water and soaking. I might try a comparison some day and see which method works better! Or if anyone out there wants to try it and report back to us, that would be amazing!

[@willhelmberkly3025]

Hey Astrojeff, I love your video on tortilla making, it was just swell! One quick question though, I am trying to replicate as closely as possible the techniques used by ancient tortilla eating cultures and I have come across several web sites which claim that these cultures soaked the cooked corn in lime water anywhere from 10-14 days. Any thoughts on this?

[@telejeff]

Sorry, I missed this comment somehow--that's a really interesting question, but I don't know the answer, unfortunately. As far as I know, this is how it's done in more modern times, but maybe there are advantages to doing it slower? It's not like they lacked the technology for cooking back then or anything. Any chance that's using limestone water as opposed to lime water? The pH would be much lower, making the process take a lot longer. Making lime from limestone requires a kiln and it is a bit of a technological jump. When people don't have lime, however, they just use ashes instead, which is pretty low tech. Maybe we should give it a try with some different types of lime and limestone and ashes and soak corn for a week or two and see what happens? Maybe it tastes different or it gets a different texture like that. Maybe it starts germinating or the starches start breaking down or converting to sugar over longer time periods. Who knows?

[@eyesofthecervino3366]

Thank you so much for this video! I know I'm very, _very_ late, but if you're still available I do have one question. Is there any part of this that can be done ahead of time and either fridged or frozen? I'm trying to make more of my own food, but I often only have the time to cook about once a week, and then just package and eat off of that for the rest of the week. Thanks!

[@telejeff]

@@eyesofthecervino3366 Hi, we have frozen the masa before and it generally works out OK. The masa tends to be a little more crumbly and harder to work with, you add a little more water before making tortillas, but its possible. The other thing is you can make a huge stack of tortillas and then freeze them and put them in a bag. You can crack off 1 tortilla at a time from the frozen bunch, and the rest last for about a month before getting freezer burn. You definitely have to reheat the tortillas or they will be very rubbery. You can splash them with a little water and fry them up and theyre almost as good as fresh, not quite as soft, but still really good.

[@eyesofthecervino3366]

@@telejeff Thank you so much! I'm definitely going to have to try this :D

[@ilici_]

Am so in love with this. Thank you, sir.

[@telejeff]

Glad you enjoyed; thanks for watching!

[@ilici_]

astrojeff thank you for sharing & making it seem super easy!! Saludos✌

[@fish4free1]

Great instructional vid. I might suggest that you might have done a yellow corn, white corn, then combined the two at 50/50 and reviewed those different tortillas as the flavors of each are different and can be used with different proteins.

[@gwilson7663]

Beautiful tortillas, thanks for sharing this video.

[@smallfootprint2961]

I so appreciate you showing the details of how this is done. I've heard about it but this is the first time seeing it. They look so good. I do have a question though. I like the idea of getting the feed corn but wonder how contaminated it might be with chemicals used in growing. Pesticides, anti mold/fungals, for example, and what about the sprays they use after picked? Do you know any details about how it's handled? Thanks again for your demonstration.

[@telejeff]

It's good to be concerned about that. I wouldn't just buy any feed corn, and I'll try to be more specific about that in the future. You should look into your source and get an organic feed corn, something that's not contaminated by pesticides or chemicals. Consider this: we should only be feeding clean food to the animals we eat--if we're feeding poison to our chickens and cows, then we're only poisoning ourselves when we eat them! My point is that there is a lot of "gourmet corn" that is way overpriced, and it's not the right kind of corn for something simple like tortillas. Corn is inherently cheap, and we are paying a lot to have it processed for us, or for it to be packaged as a gourmet product. We don't need that processing; we can do it ourselves. Yes, there is feed corn that is likely contaminated with chemicals and I wouldn't eat that corn, NOR feed it to animals I plan on eating. What we really need is a source of cheap "field corn," i.e. one of the non-sweet, dent-corn varieties, but it's extremely hard to find and purchase that as a consumer. So I have resorted to buying feed corn to get the right kind of corn. I personally trust the source I quote in the video, Scratch and Peck Feed, which is organic and non GMO. It's twice the price of most feed corn, but it's a quarter the price of gourmet corn! I encourage you to do your own research and be skeptical of any claims, including my own. I just want people to have good information to make informed decisions. Thanks again for your good questions!

[@smallfootprint2961]

Love the traditional foods and your clear demo. Thanks for that answer. Organic is the way to go if you eat meat or not so I'll look for that.

[@MultiBee79]

Ooooohh nicely puffed up with purple corn tortilla.... 😘

[@jonathanzschoche7852]

So awesome. Thank you for demostrating such a beautiful process.

[@telejeff]

So glad you enjoyed it!

[@himo62]

Hello, great clips. Was wondering whats the best way to make the masa in advance and keep for use on other days.

[@telejeff]

You can refrigerate it for a couple days. It goes bad pretty quickly, though, so if you're not going to use it right away, you can also freeze it for longer. After it's been chilled, you need to warm it back to room temperature before making tortillas, and then typically you have to add a little water to the masa, otherwise it ends up being very crumbly. For me, even after adding water, the masa is always a little more crumbly after being refrigerated/frozen, it's slightly harder to make nice-looking tortillas, but the tortillas taste just as good.

[@cjohnsonbb61120]

Wow. Those are so beautiful. Love it.

[@magicbuskey]

These videos are great! Please make more!

[@telejeff]

I'm running out of unique stuff to make. Everything else I do has hundreds of videos already made, so I think twice about taking the time to make a video. But I'm glad to be encouraged, and I'll think of something for another video.

[@bigjuan2001]

Jeff, I hope you're not using the spatula anymore to flip them. Lol! This is probably the best video out for this, thank you so much can't wait to try to make them myself!

[@ernestosoriano42]

Amo este video, Gracias!!!

[@totasunshine7993]

great thanks alot .BUT PLEASE COULD YOU TELL ME HOW to keep this masa for long time if not used for now

[@telejeff]

tota sunshine You can refrigerate it for about a day or two. It goes bad quickly, though, since it is a raw and unpasteurized product. You can also freeze it, and it will last longer, maybe a couple weeks. When you warm up either frozen or refrigerated masa, it's usually more crumbly and dry than before. Just add a little water to make it workable again.

[@totasunshine7993]

thanx a lot .

[@mandimolina324]

So much passion in the process love your video

[@telejeff]

Its a lot of work, so you have to be passionate to want to do it!

[@sourwes0001]

Now THOSE are some fine corn tortillas!

[@danylopez9146]

wow te quedaron tan bien..se ven riquisimas. aunque las tortillas son al estilo 100% mexicano, puesto que es exactamente el mismo procedimiento y también las hacemos de forma más tradicional, que ya seria moler el maiz con metate que es como lo hacían nuestros antepasados.. pero como te repito el origen de la tortilla de nixtamal es 100% MEXICANA pero de aquí se extendió a otras regiones que copiaron el mismo proceso.. Así que si es tortilla es Mexicana y todo mundo lo sabe, así como los tacos y el tamal. perdón si me extendí pero me indigna que se apropien de algo tan nuestro como si lo hubieran creado. no hay tal como " estilo nicaragüense".. la historia respalda nuestra cocina milenaria.

[@telejeff]

No hay que indignarse tanto sobre eso. Hoy en dia hay Pizza estilo Chicago y estilo Neoyorquino, pero los italianos no tienen que quejarse sobre eso tampoco. Pienso que los Aztecas o alguien asi inventaron el nixtamal y las tortillas, y eso fue mucho antes de la existencia de Mexico. Eso si era parte de Centroamerica, y algunos de los Aztecas mas tarde se hicieron Mexicanos y otros se hicieron Nicaraguenses. Asi que deberiamos llamarlas tortillas Aztecas o tortillas centroamericanas.

[@worm777]

I'll have to try this. I make them often but I use the already ground masa I can buy at the store. Also I use a tortilla press is there a difference when you just press them out by hand?

[@telejeff]

Definitely try it with fresh masa. I use maseca sometimes when I can't find the right ingredients, but it doesn't taste the same. A tortilla press typically makes thinner tortillas. Pressing by hand takes more practice, but it's the traditional way in many places. Since the hand-pressed tortilla tends to be a bit bumpier, it can actually tend to stick less in a pan, but with modern no-stick pans, it doesn't make a difference. Try them in the press and by hand and tell us what you think!

[@kairomon4344]

Wow they look great.

[@lesliedavis4949]

Best video I’ve seen! Great job explaining, thank you for sharing! Gracias!