Tortillas usually come in packs of about a dozen.
While that’s great if you’re feeding a big family, you may find that you’re always left with a couple of tortillas.
So now you’re wondering: can I save my tortillas by freezing them?
The short answer: yes.
You probably have flour or corn tortillas, though there’s also the lesser-known nopaltilla, which is made of cactus corn!
Whichever type you have, freezing instructions are the same across the board, and you can expect your frozen tortillas to last for 6-8 months.
How To Freeze Tortillas
If you purchased many discounted tortilla packages and won’t use them within a month, but plan to consume an entire pack at once, freezing the tortillas is a simple solution.
For tortillas you’re planning to use all in one go, chuck the unopened package straight in the freezer!
If you’re freezing a whole pack of tortillas, allow two hours of thawing time on the countertop.
If you only need a few tortilla wraps at a time, open up the package and slip parchment/baking paper between each tortilla, then double-wrap that in a freezer bag or airtight container.
Double-wrapping will help protect your tortillas from the freezing cold air, and the parchment paper will ensure your tortillas don’t stick together.
For thawing individual tortillas, you only need 20 minutes on the countertop.
One last thing – to get your tortillas nice and soft again, pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds.
However, don’t thaw your tortillas in the microwave – it will make them go hard.
How Long Will My Tortillas Last In The Freezer?
Expect your tortillas to last for 6-8 months in the freezer, whether you’ve frozen the whole packet or individual tortillas.
Other Storage Methods For Tortillas
Before you open your packet of tortillas, you can store them in the same way they were stored at the grocery store, which is probably unrefrigerated.
That means you can store unopened tortillas in a cool, dark, dry kitchen cabinet that’s away from heat sources.
Most tortillas are sold unrefrigerated because they contain preservatives. On the other hand, organic tortillas should be stored in the refrigerator, even before opening.
With all that said, to be on the safe side, you can always store your unopened tortillas in the refrigerator, whether they’re organic or not.
In fact, by storing unopened tortillas in the refrigerator when it’s not necessitated by the storage instructions on the packaging, you can extend the best by date by another four weeks!
Once you’ve opened your packet of tortillas, transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator.
Once opened, your tortillas won’t go bad any faster, but they will dry, so make sure you always keep them in an airtight container!
In terms of how long you can expect your tortillas to last, you should go by the best-before date, which is usually in about one week, though you can extend this by four weeks if you store unopened tortillas with preservatives in the refrigerator.
How To Tell If Your Tortillas Have Gone Bad
Before you freeze or eat your tortillas, you should check if they show any signs of spoilage. Here are the signs:
- Mold. This will look like blue and green spots where moisture has come into contact with your tortillas, or the mold will be white, which is a little harder to notice.
- Unusual smell.
- Unusual taste. If there are no visible signs of spoilage, and you can’t smell anything out of the ordinary, but you’re still suspicious, try a little tortilla. Having a little bad tortilla won’t do you any harm, but chuck it if you taste anything unusual!
Another thing: you may notice your tortillas have gone dry. Although they may not have gone bad, these tortillas won’t be too nice to eat!
Freezing Tortillas: The Summary
Now you know everything you need about freezing tortillas, which were first made by the peoples of Mesoamerica before colonization, as early as 500BC.
Here’s a quick recap if you need it:
- Freeze your tortillas in their original unopened packaging if you’re planning to use them all up in one go.
- Open your packet and place baking paper between each tortilla if you know you’ll only eat a few tortillas at a time.
- Frozen tortillas will last in your freezer for up to eight months.
