You know those leftover tortillas you swore you were going to eat? Yep, you haven’t eaten them.
And you’re here wondering: have my tortilla wraps gone off, and how am I even meant to store these?
Look no further. Today, we’re breaking down how to tell if a tortilla is inedible, as well as your storage options and different types of tortillas’ shelf lives.
How To Tell If A Tortilla Has Gone Bad
If your tortilla has started going moldy, it’s probably because you’ve forgotten about it for quite a few weeks. However old the packet is, chuck the whole thing out.
Before the point of developing mold, your tortilla isn’t inedible, it’s just dry and not particularly tasty.
It’s not all bad! Slightly rigid tortillas can be revived with a sprinkle of water and a minute in the oven.
How To Store Tortillas
When it comes to tortillas, there are loads of varieties with different ingredient lists and levels of preservative use.
That means ideal storage methods vary between brand and type of tortilla. You should follow the instructions on the pack first and foremost.
With unopened tortillas, you should store them according to the pack instructions. If you can’t find any information on that, your best bet is to store the pack in a similar way you found it in the store.
Tortillas do well in cool, dry environments with little temperature change. This is because temperature changes cause moisture in the air to condensate inside the plastic tortilla packages, encouraging mold to grow.
Therefore, keeping the temperature constant, even before your tortilla packet is open, is important to keep them fresh for longer.
One place the temperature is really constant? The middle shelf of your fridge.
Whether your tortillas are open or unopened, you can put them in an airtight container before placing them in the fridge. The airtight container will ensure moisture stays out.
For any tortillas that are labeled preservative-free, skip the pantry and put them straight in the fridge. Preservative-free food isn’t great once it’s gone bad!
As for freezing, check the packet to see if it’s suitable for home freezing. Keep in mind that freezing may change the texture of the wrap, making it more rigid and dry.
Make sure your tortilla wraps don’t freeze together by adding a sheet of cling film or aluminum foil between each wrap. You should also wrap the whole thing tightly to protect the tortillas from harsh cold air.
How Long Tortillas Last
In the fridge, your tortillas should last right up until their best before date, even if they’re opened. That’s only if you store them in an airtight container, though.
To preserve unopened packets of tortillas, you can pop them in the fridge and extend their best-before date by:
- 3-4 weeks for flour tortillas
- 6-8 weeks for corn tortillas
- 3-4 weeks for wholewheat tortillas
Want them to last even longer? Freeze unopened packets of tortillas to extend best-before dates by 6-8 months.
Once opened, if you follow the instructions we’ve given above, tortillas will last 3-4 months in the freezer.
The Verdict
Tortillas may become dry and crispy before they spoil, so it’s unlikely that you accidentally consumed an ancient moldy one.
If there are no packet instructions on how to store your wraps, the refrigerator is your safest bet.
