You will notice they smell horrible! It’s from the preservatives used to keep them from molding. Bring a LARGE pot of water to boil on the stove and place the rinsed corn husks inside. Boil for about 15-20 minutes, cover, and let them sit overnight until you need them for assembly.

The masa smells fresh and grainy, with none of the sourness or sweetness of packaged tortillas.”

They all have the nice, crumbly feel with the corn taste. It’s almost like corn cake, only a little steamier. Then there are special ones like the sweet ones (that can taste like a strawberry corn cake), and the salty/spicy ones like Rajas, Oaxaqueñas, and Verdes.

The pointed half of the husk, which hasn’t been spread with masa and doesn’t contain filling, is folded up to meet the open end of the tamale. If you keep the pot on high, the tamales are likely to overheat and explode, she explains. After an hour, they should be done.

Answer: Yes, Husks usually don’t expire because they are dried and can last years, but we use preservatives to keep them fresh but if they become very dry all you need to do is soak them in water if they intend to use it with food.

Providing you are making tamales and you don’t have corn husks then here are some wrappers you can use as a substitute:

• You can use the fresh husks off sweet corn.
• OR – Use parchment paper.
• OR – Banana leaves, which can be purchased frozen, then thawed before use or even better, used fresh if you can find them.

What can I do with leftover corn husks? You can add washed corn husks to your stock pot for extra-woody flavor, which could be nice in a mushroom soup or corn chowder. Or like a tamale, use those husks as a wrapper for sticky rice in place of lotus leaves.

Any husks you don’t use can be dried and used another time. Dry them in a warm oven, don’t let them stay wet too long, they will mold. One may also ask, how do you soften corn husks for tamales? In a large bowl, soften the corn husks in very hot water until they are pliable, about 15 minutes.

In that same article, the Latino Health Access tamale fundraiser said the going rate for a dozen can be about $20. Even though the ingredients are at a minimum, tamales tend to be expensive since they are labor intensive and can be one of the most aggravating things you do in the kitchen.

FOR THE HUSKS Immerse the stack of corn husks in warm water, using a plate or bowl to hold them below water level, if needed. Husks should soak at least 30 minutes, but three hours to overnight is ideal.

Cook the tamales on high heat for 4 1/2 to 6 hours. Check the tamales after 4 hours. The tamale dough is done cooking when the corn husk wrappers easily pull away. If not, then continue cooking and checking every 45 minutes until the dough is cooked.

Soak your corn husks. Find a large stockpot or pan big enough to fit the corn husks, then fill it with very warm water and a lid. The corn husks will float to the top, so you may need to add something to weigh them down a bit so that they are submerged. They will need to soak for about 30 minutes, or until softened.

If you don’t have a whole day to devote to tamale making, you can prepare the masa and the filling up to three days ahead. They cook faster and more evenly in two separate steamer pots; borrow an extra pot if you have only one. They also freeze extremely well — so don’t worry about making too many.

Uncooked tamales in the fridge will go bad after 7 days so it’s better to cook them or freeze them.

Whipping any fat with a handheld or stand mixer will help keep the tamales from being too dense, and many cooks choose to season the masa at this stage. Not all cooks use baking powder as an additional way to keep the masa light, but if you do, you can add it to the masa or when whipping the fat.

Absolutely. They are manufactured the same way, where difference between Maseca and Maseca para Tamales is merely the courseness of the powder. Both will make fantastic tamales, following the regular tamales instructions. Good luck!