Corn Masa – Masa de Maíz
Nowadays not even ranchers or farmer communities prepare corn masa as it used to be the common practice for centuries in Mexico’s heartland. The use of ready-made corn masa is now more common, and they are widely used to make tortillas and other corn-based meals. However, and thinking of those of you who are far away from México, here we are presenting you with the recipe to prepare your own home-made corn masa, which you can then use to make tortillas and many other delicious authentic Mexican corn-based antojitos and meals.
The process may be a bit time to consume, but you will agree with me that the unique flavor of tortillas and other antojitos made with freshly made corn masa is well worth the effort and time.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE Blue Corn-masa
HOW TO MAKE CORN MASA, STEP BY STEP:
- Use clean corn seed, remove any chaff from the corn husk, rinse with tap water, and then remove any excess water using a plastic colander. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Put the corn into a non-corrosive pot. Use 2 to three liters of water per each one kilo of corn. Add two tablespoons of dried powered lime (Mexican cal) dissolved in 1/2 cup of filtered water.
- CAL MEXICANA.- You can find “cal mexicana” (powdered lime) in most Latin or Hispanic grocery stores.
- Transfer all these ingredients into a clay pot (preferably) and let it boil for few minutes (15-20 minutes), stir slowly using a wooden kitchen spoon. Remove the pot from the stove, cover it with a lid and let it cool overnight.
- You know that the corn is ready if it easily peels off when you rub it with your fingers after 15 -20 minutes of cooking.
- The next day, remove all the liquid (also known as “nejayote”), and rinse the corn two or three times rubbing off the loose skin until the kernels are quite white and the water looks clean. Drain well.
- Now the corn is ready for the grinder. You can use the ancient “metate”, but we are going to describe the grinding process using a manual plate grinder. Start grinding the corn in small batches twice or three times until it has a fine texture. Add enough water and mix until it forms a dough.
(This manual plate grinder could be replaced with a food processor, however, the texture cannot be duplicated.)
HOW TO MAKE CORN MASA
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds of dried corn
- 1 Tablespoons of Lime
- Filtered water enough to cover the corn
Instructions
- Use clean corn seed, remove any chaff from the corn husk, rinse with tap water, and then remove any excess water using a plastic colander.
- Put the corn into a non-corrosive pot. Use 2 to three liters of water per each one kilo of corn. Add two table spoons of dried powered lime (Mexican cal) dissolved in 1/2 cup of filtered water.
- Transfer all these ingredients into a clay pot (preferably) and let it boil for few minutes (15-20 minutes), stir slowly using a wooden kitchen spoon. Remove the pot from the stove, cover it with a lid and let it cool overnight.
- You know that the corn is ready if it easily peels off when you rub it with your fingers after 15 -20 minutes of cooking.
- The next day, remove all the liquid (also known as “nejayote”), and rinse the corn two or three times rubbing off the loose skin, until the kernels are quite white and the water looks clean. Drain well.
- Now the corn is ready for the grinder. You can use the ancient “metate”, but we are going to describe the grinding process using a manual plate grinder. Start grinding the corn in small batches twice or three times until it has a fine texture. Add enough water and mix until it forms a dough.
(This manual plate grinder could be replaced with a food processor, however, the texture cannot be duplicated.)
Notes
Enjoy!
If you have any questions, please send me an email or leave a comment.
Receta En Español
If you like our recipes follow us on Instagram @mexicoinmykitchen
On day two when you "wash" the corn and remove the skins, do you throw out the skins and just use the corn kernels? Thank you in advance.
Hello,
Yes, just use the kernels, throw away the skins.
I love your blog and recipes. I have always wanted to make fresh masa and use it to make tamales (hopefully with your step by step instructions I will be successful). I have 3 questions:
1. Can I freeze tamales?
2. When do I freeze them, before or after steaming them?
3. After freezing how do I thaw and cook them?
Although I have not made these yet, I am giving your recipe 5 stars, the pictures and step by step is better than any other recipes I have searched for.
Thank you Leslie
Hello Leslie,
Yes, you can freeze tamales, before cooking and after cooking. Thaw at room them before steaming in both situations.
Have fun making masa.
Thank you, I have off a week in January, plan to try then, will let you know how they turn out
Hi Mely,
Thank you very much for your post, very details and helpful. I’m so addicted to corn tortilla wrap and tortilla chips. Created homemade number of times and I think I’m getting better. I really want to learn more and create business out of it. Do you have any suggestion on where I could learn how to make it on industrial scale.
I’ll really appreciate if you can assist
Hello Ade,
Thank you for your comment, I really don’t know how to start a process to make masa commercially. I see you are in Uk, there is already a factory in London that makes it. You can look for it online.
Hello, what kind of corn should we use for this masa?
Hello Pat,
Is called dented or Field corn here in USA.
Where can I find a manual plate grinder? Are they expensive?
Hello Joe,
I use the Estrela brand, I bought it at a Latin market here in the States. But you can buy it online HERE. Not sure why they cost that now. Seems like a lot of people want to make their own masa. Plus, do not use a food processor to grind the corn.
I live in Norway, and authentic Mexican food and ingredients both are very difficult to find. I grew up in Colorado, and have family in both Texas and California, so am very familiar with what is the real flavor, what’s Tex-Mex, and what is just someone trying to make a mass market product that fails at everything but to throw a few flavors in one place and rely on stereotypes and a sombrero on the bag. Sadly, almost everything that claims to be Mexican food here, is either the least authentic of the Tex-Mex, or somewhere in the third category. 🙁 BUT, I have run across dry hominy at a local Asian market. Can this, upon rehydration essentially be the same as the soaked and limed dry corn in this recipe? I am assuming it is the same process, as I understand hominy to be the same basic process to the corn, just without the full grinding. Think it might work, or am I way off?
Hello Linnquist,
Do you mean to make nixtamal, the process to cook the corn with dried lime to make masa?