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blue corn on the cob, blue corn off the cob, and a stack of blue corn tortillas

Homemade Masa and Corn Tortillas

Turn your corn into a delicious and nutritious staple: homemade masa. Plus, make corn tortillas with it!
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Prep Time 11 hours
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups whole dent corn
  • 2 tbsp calcium hydroxide (also called cal, or pickling lime – sometimes found in the canning aisle at the supermarket)
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 tsp salt

Equipment

  • 1 food processor
  • 1 tortilla press
  • plastic wrap

Method
 

Homemade Masa
  1. Rinse your corn and put it in a saucepan over medium heat with the calcium hydroxide/pickling lime and water. Slowly bring it to a boil over a period of 20 minutes or so.
  2. Let it continue to boil for 10-15 minutes, then remove from heat.
  3. Let it sit undisturbed overnight or for at least 8 hours. This is when the magic happens — the chemical reaction that changes the nutrients in the corn so that they can be absorbed by the human digestive tract.
  4. When the allotted time has past, the pericarp, the outside bit of the corn, will have loosened considerably. Put the corn in a colander and rinse with cool running water as you rub the corn with your hands. Keep rubbing and rinsing the corn until all traces of lime and pericarp are washed away.
  5. Place the corn, now technically nixtamal,  in the food processor with the salt. Process on High until the corn is at the proper consistency – it should be chopped up finely enough that it can be formed into balls. Sometimes I have to add as much as 3-4 tablespoons of additional water to get it the proper consistency.
    homemade blue masa
Corn Tortillas
  1. Line your tortilla press with plastic wrap to keep the masa from sticking.
  2. Place a small portion (about 2-3 tablespoons worth) in the tortilla press and press. Remember you made a dough in the last masa-making step.
  3. Cook about 1 minute on each side on a HOT griddle or skillet.

Notes

  • If the masa is too dry, add a little bit of water at a time to the masa, kneading it until it reaches the desired consistency.
  • If your masa is too wet, add a bit more corn flour or masa harina to absorb the excess moisture. Knead until the desired consistency is reached.
  • To prevent tortillas from sticking to the griddle or tortilla press, grease it well. You can also use parchment paper or plastic wrap.
  • Tortillas that tear easily may be a little dry. Add a little water and knead until it’s pliable. Also, ensure you’re rolling the tortilla out gently and evenly.