How to Store Tortillas: Keep Them Fresh For Longer

This post tells everything you need to learn about storing tortillas. Learn how to store tortillas in the fridge, freezer and even the pantry.

Do you love tortillas? It’s one of my favorite Mexican foods. I remember as a child having tortillas chips which my mom would willingly serve every weekend.

If you love tortillas, or you are developing a fondness for it, I can imagine you pondering about the best way to store it. Should you keep it in the refrigerator? Is it OK to store it in the cabinet? Or should you freeze it?

Read on and find out about storing tortillas in this post.

Table of Contents

Shelf life of tortillas

Tortillas on the plate

It’s likely that you know by now that there are many types of tortillas. There are flour tortillas, corn tortillas, and spinach tortillas. There are also whole wheat versions and homemade types.

The shelf life of tortillas depends on various factors like the type of tortilla to be stored.

When left in the pantry, flour, spinach, and whole wheat tortillas can last up to a week. Corn tortillas can only last for 10 days when stored at room temperature while homemade tortillas have the shortest shelf life as it can only stay fresh for 2 to 3 days.

Even when stored in the freezer, tortillas types can differ in terms of shelf life. Homemade tortillas, for instance, can only be safe to use or eat for 7 days when left in the refrigerator. The storage life of spinach, whole wheat, and flour tortillas may extend up to 4 weeks or about a month when these are refrigerated.

But corn tortillas stand to benefit the most from refrigeration as it can last for 8 weeks when left in the cold.

Freezing is the best way to store tortillas if you have no idea when to use them. When frozen, any tortilla type can be safe to use or consume for up to 8 months.

How to refrigerate tortillas?

Refrigerate Tortillas

Refrigerating tortillas is quite easy. Put the tortillas in a plastic storage bag. Make sure that the bag is tightly sealed so that the food won’t get dry. You can even use the original bag where the tortillas are stored, as long as it can be tightly sealed.

I would suggest that you write the date on the storage bag, so you would know when to use the tortillas before it becomes spoiled. Remember that tortillas don’t really last long when refrigerated.

How to freeze tortillas?

Freeze Tortillas

Freezing tortillas is easy, too. You’ll need wax papers and resealable freezer bags, though, for this purpose.

Why do you need wax papers? Lining wax papers between each tortilla can prevent them from freezing into a big chunk. This would make it a lot easier for you to remove the tortillas once these have been thawed.

Then place the tortillas in a resealable freezer bag. Again, you can also write the date on the freezer bag so you would know when to use the tortillas. When kept in the freezer, tortillas can be used up to eight months past the ‘best by’ date.

How to warm tortillas?

Tortillas on the red plate

Now you may wonder—how can you warm tortillas and make it palatable again? With a little heat, you can bring cold tortillas to being soft and pliable again.

One way to do so is to microwave it. But don’t put all the tortillas. I usually put just 4-5 tortillas on a microwaveable plate. Then cover it with a damp paper towel before microwaving them for 30 seconds. Repeat in batches until all the tortillas are warm.

You can also heat tortillas in the oven. Start by preheating the oven to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Stack 4-5 tortillas in a packet of aluminum foil. It should take around 15 minutes for the tortillas to be heated through.

Or you can do it on the stove top. Place the tortillas in a stainless steel skillet placed over medium heat. There’s no need to put oil on the skillet. Cook each tortilla for about a minute.

If you refrigerated tortillas for 1-2 days, you can skip the skillet part and simply char them directly over gas flames. Using tongs, just place the tortillas over the flames on your gas range.

Whether you opt to warm tortillas via an oven or microwave, or through the good ole stove top, it pays to brush the tortillas with a bit of water first. This can keep the tortillas as soft as they once were.

What if you want crispy tortillas? Here’s a tip—warm them in a skillet placed on a stove top. But place a bit of butter in the skillet before you warm the tortillas.

Conclusion

Since tortillas can be made into numerous foods, it is not surprising that many people stack up on this soft and thin flatbread. By knowing how to store tortillas, you will be able to prolong the shelf life of this food.

Please share this article. Let’s help people who love tortillas learn how to properly store it.