Do Corn Tortillas Need To Be Refrigerated? (How To Store Properly?)

The best quality tortillas only have a few choice ingredients, but does it mean that corn tortillas need to be refrigerated?

Once you open the package, you should store the corn tortillas in the refrigerator. This will keep them from drying out in the pantry. The refrigerator will keep them fresh for approximately one week. Manufactured tortillas contain preservatives, so they last longer than homemade or fresh tortillas.

It’s well-known that astronauts have tortillas on the space station to enjoy as a food source. In 1985, Rodolfo Neri Vela flew in a space shuttle and introduced tortillas as food for the space program. These days they know how to formulate tortillas in space without mold growth, ensuring that the tortillas stay fresher for longer. But what about here on earth?

Why Do Corn Tortillas Need To Be Refrigerated?

Corn tortillas’ typical shelf life is between sixteen to forty-five days and a little longer than those stored in the refrigerated section of the store.

Once you open the package, you can keep corn tortillas in either the pantry or the refrigerator until the best-before date.

That doesn’t mean that the pantry is the best option, though.

• If corn tortillas are unopened, they can stay fresh in the pantry even for up to seven days after the best before date.
• If you refrigerate unopened tortillas, you can keep them fresh for up to three to four weeks.
• Keeping unopened corn tortillas in the freezer will keep them fresh for six to eight months.

Corn tortillas that are safe for consumption should be slightly dry and crispy, with a very subtle smell.

If your tortillas are slimy, have signs of mold, or have any kind of strong smell, you should best throw them out.

These are signs that the tortillas were left inside the refrigerator for too long and have gone bad.

Do Homemade Corn Tortillas Need To Be Refrigerated?

To prevent homemade tortillas from becoming stale and dried out, it’s always best to refrigerate them.

Homemade tortillas don’t contain the preservatives that you get with store-bought tortillas, so they can only be kept fresh in the fridge for about a week.

Any food made with corn or wheat flour and water must be refrigerated or frozen to prevent it from getting moldy.

If there’s even a slim chance that you will not finish all of the tortillas that you have made within five to seven days, it’s better to freeze them.

In the freezer, they will last for six to eight months if stored appropriately.

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How To Properly Store Fresh Homemade Corn Tortillas?

• Completely cool your corn tortillas to room temperature before storing them.
• If warm tortillas are exposed to a sudden drop in temperature, it can change the texture and fresh flavor of the corn.
• Keep the tortillas between sheets of parchment paper to prevent them from sticking to one another. Depending on how many there are, you can stack them in piles of ten, then seal them in an airtight freezer bag. Make sure that all air is out of the bag.
• You can also keep the tortillas from sticking to one another with wax paper if you don’t have parchment handy.
• It’s even possible to freeze uncooked tortillas. Simply prepare the stack of tortillas with parchment paper between each tortilla.
• By freezing them, you can extend the shelf life of corn tortillas. Just make sure that fresh homemade corn tortillas have cooled down completely before freezing.
• Defrost the tortillas to room temperature.

Do White Corn Tortillas Need To Be Refrigerated?

White corn tortillas don’t need to be refrigerated, but you can preserve the quality of the tortillas three to four times longer by refrigerating them.

Once the tortilla package is open, it’s best to store it in the refrigerator.

That way, it will stay fresh for five to seven days. You can keep them stored for even longer in the freezer.

Do Mission Corn Tortillas Need To Be Refrigerated?

You can store Mission corn tortillas in dry, refrigerated, or freezer storage.

Dry Storage

Store in a cool, dry place.

Keep the tortillas away from any heat source while in storage, and avoid stacking any other foods on top of the tortillas if they are removed from their original box.

Refrigerated Storage

Mission corn tortillas can be refrigerated between 35°F to 40°F in the original packaging.

Refrigerating the tortillas will not affect the quality of the product in any way.

Freezer Storage

As with any other product, it’s safe to freeze Mission corn tortillas.

You can preserve the tortillas and make them last longer by freezing them.

Only use what you need and freeze what’s left.

Do Mission Yellow Corn Tortillas Need To Be Refrigerated?

Procedures for the storage for Mission yellow corn tortillas are exactly the same as for other Mission corn tortillas.

You can store them in a cool, dry place, refrigerate them between 35°F to 40°F, or freeze them to prolong their shelf life.

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How To Tell If Tortillas Are Bad?

To keep corn tortillas fresh for longer, it’s essential to protect them from the air.

When tortillas are exposed to air, they dry out, and though they may still be edible, they won’t be fresh and tasty anymore.

Storing them in airtight containers or zip-sealed bags and removing any air possible will help prevent bacterial growth on the tortillas.

This will also stop them from drying out.

• Tortillas could have spots of mold on them when they are beyond their expiration date or if they are not safe for consumption anymore.
• If tortillas don’t show any mold, but they feel slimy in any way, it’s best not to eat them. This could be an indication of bacterial growth.
• Tortillas that are fresh and safe to consume will not have any discoloration on them. If you see any kind of green or neon tinge on them, it’s time to discard your tortillas.
• If there’s any bad smell coming from the tortillas or the package, get rid of them immediately. They are no longer the tasty snacks they used to be.

As mentioned before, older tortillas will dry out and start to stiffen, but they are still edible within a day.

However, if any other signs become visible on the tortillas, it’s time to discard them immediately.