You can not turn ordinary corn flour into masa. But you can make all sorts of bread-like things out of corn flour. They won’t have the protein boost masa does (the process liberates an amino acid), or the distinctive masa flavor.

You can use corn flour to make corn bread, to coat fish or meat, to make porridge or polenta, etc. The grind matters a lot but all of them, from fine to coarse, will be good for a variety of dishes.

Cyndi

The good news is that you can freeze cooked masa products. Tortillas come out wonderful and I don’t even defrost before putting in the cast iron pan to heat them (it helps to put a plate and then another pan on top to flatten them. Of course it won’t be like eating a tortilla fresh, but it’s not far off from eating one that’s been in the fridge for a couple of days. Pupusas can freeze too but must be heated completely to taste decent, with the last part on the cast iron or a grill or a toaster oven will work. Just be sure it’s done well or it will taste soggy. Don’t know about tamales as I’ve never made or frozen one.

–Cyndi

Your methods sound great. I freeze a lot of things and agree that it can be really helpful. One of the big advantages of canning is you have a finished product that doesn’t have to be thawed. But with your method that’s not an issue for the whole/cut tomatoes.

I keep the excess water because I don’t like to waste food, but lots, perhaps even most, people routinely “seed” tomatoes as they prep them for cooking to reduce the cooking time. I’ve seen it on cooking shows a lot. I like well cooked tomato sauce but, if you prefer a fresher taste then, yeah, removing liquid makes sense.

I canned sauce for many years starting in the early 70s with ‘whatever’ was available from my gardens. I was not lazy, just usually slammed in the fall with canning. I found ‘short cuts’ where ever possible.
An easy way to shorten the cooking time of my sauce, I would stem and clean tomatoes. Romas preferentially, but whatever I had. Freeze them whole, either by the bag or spread on baking sheets. Thaw them as soon as frozen, OR when you have more time by placing in warm water for a few minutes, slip the tomatoes out of there skin with a light rub and place in a strainer, cooking pot or in a large bowl and simply pour off the excess water when they are thawed.
Is the sauce less tasty not using this excess water? It is a matter of personal taste, but I found sauce to taste better when you haven’t cooked for some many hours. You may need to watch more closely to avoid scorching, but for a significantly less time. Also lower fuel costs.
I would also quarter tomatoes and freeze on baking sheets and double bag in large freezer bags. In the middle of winter or tomatoes expensive or unavailable you can pull out a few and put into whatever dish you are preparing and they taste like you’ve used fresh.
Carol

I’ve had this post bookmarked for a while since I first decided to make my own masa. Just thought I’d share some of my learned tricks with making and using masa. Having grown up in NM, I kindof knew what I was after but it took some experimenting.

I’m definitely with you on the slow heating to boil. I let it boil for 5-10 minutes then cool and transfer to non-metal vessel and cover. Then I leave it out on the counter for a up to a couple of days (maybe less in the summer) before processing.

Here’s the trick that made me jump for joy when I figured it out: put your cast-iron griddle over med-low heat and put another flat bottomed cast-iron skillet on top. Once they’re both nice and hot, add a bit of oil or fat and drop a blob of masa on the griddle. Then use the hot skillet to smoosh the blob to desired thickness (1″ + for arepas and gorditas down to very thin for tortillas). Wait 30 seconds or so, sometimes you’ll hear a steamy sizzle, gently pick up the skillet. The masa will usually come up with the skillet and a touch with a spatula will make it drop off. Flip as necessary to brown both sides or toss it in the oven to finish. No more wax paper, gummy hands, or messy counters and you’ll finally be able to make them faster than the family can eat them!

I keep a batch of masa in the fridge for up to a week. It freezes okay but will not smoosh as smoothly.

Enjoy!

Anil

Challah can be made in all sorts of ways. But it is traditionally used for Shabbat dinner (Friday night; or other holidays) and that dinner usually contains meat (for many families who couldn’t afford to eat meat regularly, they would try to have some for Shabbat). Kosher rules of course prohibit eating dairy and meat in the same meal.

If your bakery was selling challah to people who weren’t Jewish, or were but didn’t keep kosher, or who were vegetarian, or who wanted the challah for purposes other than having it at dinner, etc, then the butter wouldn’t be an issue (for those who otherwise ate dairy that is). Challah is delicious (makes great french toast too) so lots of people buy it for non-ritual purposes.

So, yeah, if you look at Jewish cookbooks, all the challah recipes will be nondairy. Unless there is a special “brunch” version or something. Or it’s a vegetarian Jewish cookbook. Gosh I have a lot of exceptions in this comment

Cyndi

Pupusas are made from masa but I had to go look up the difference between masa and what arepas are made out of. Okay, so either can be fresh or flour you add water to. Both are cooked (then dried if applicable). Masa comes from corn kernels soaked in lime water (and rinsed well) before cooking. Masarepa is simply cooked then ground (with the germ and seed coatings removed). Ordinary cornmeal or corn flour is not soaked with lime or cooked, it’s just ground from dried corn kernels.

I think if I were going to make Arepas I’d want to make the dough myself from corn I cook and grind. Or perhaps from cornmeal I cook then use as a dough and cook again (because then I could get it organic).

Have you ever made them from scratch?