Homemade Corn Tortillas question

[maladroit]

When I was in kindergarten, so almost 50 years ago, I used to eat corn tortillas with butter and grape jelly, and they were fantastic! The thing is, I remember them as having a softer, more delicate texture than store bought corn tortillas (which remind me of beef jerky or fruit roll ups texture-wise). I remember them being sort of like pancakes in texture (not flavor). I was friends with a mexican family, the Ortegas, and their mom used to make these. I'd love to be able to make those sometime, but I'm not sure if I'm right that they were even corn tortillas, I just remember them all warm and oozy and rolled up, butter and jelly running out the bottom.

I guess my question is can anyone confirm that corn tortillas have a tender texture when they're homemade? I really don't think it was fry bread. They weren't that thick, they were a little thicker than crepes. IIRC (which I'm not sure I do) Sorry.

Or maybe there's someone who lived in Pontiac in the low 1960's that knows what those were?

[butler1850]

The few times that I've made them, they had a very nice soft tender texture. If I had a tortilla press (which is big on my list of kitchen tools I NEED), I'd make them much more often.

The store bought ones (supermarket) are made for shipping, not taste. If you're in a heavy latino area, or can get to one, the ones in the specialty stores may have better flavor/texture.

[maladroit]

Thanks Butler. I do have a nice market pretty close. I'll check there, or maybe I'll try making some. I've made pita and naan from scratch before, as well as fry bread. This could be fun.

I bought a stack from the grocery and have been frying them (corn tortillas). I guess that's why lately I keep thinking about the ones Mrs. Ortega used to make . You know, the good kind

[Athena]

What brand are you buying? I've found that there is a HUGE difference in corn tortilla quality across the various brands. I buy the ones in the Mexican food aisle that are made by smaller companies. They typically come 25 or 50 in a pack.

The mass-produced Azteca or similar brands are horrible, horrible things and should never be brought into your home.

Neither are as good as homemade, but homemade is a bit of a technique to learn, and you have to buy a press. If you're lucky enough to live in the southwest, you might find a local tortilla factory. But if you're like me, in the frozen north, just buy the equipment and figure it out, it's worth it even if you only do it once or twice a year.

[Carol the Impaler]

The texture difference is definitely plausible and still be a tortilla. I remember being amazed at the difference between homemade tortillas (much more like bread) and store bought tortillas. One of my best memories from my time in Mexico.

[MikeG]

Chicago also has great tortillerias. The Ortega and Aztec brands are just nasty, I'd rather eat Wonder bread. Look for a Mexican grocery store and then search for boxes of corn tortillas in front of the meat counter. My favorite store bought brand is Atotonilco but homemade are almost always better.

[Johnny L.A.]

When I was a kid, the monthly maid would make dinner. I'd come home from school and hear the slap-slap-slap of her making tortillas by hand. There was nothing like a fresh tortilla spread with butter!

[Huerta88]

Originally Posted by maladroit

I'm not sure if I'm right that they were even corn tortillas

It's possible they were flour tortillas, which are indeed much smoother (typically). What color were they? If whitish, then very likely flour. And while corn tortillas with jelly would suit me just fine, I'd think that especially a few decades ago most Americans might have found flour more suitable to jelly (the Mex-Am version of the Wonder Bread PBJ?).