Corn tortillas falling apart

I am using Mission brand corn tortillas, white and yellow which come from Texas. Lately, no matter how I prepare them, fry, steam or oven heat, they fall apart with my tacos, fijitas, etc. I use the same brand of flour torts and they are fine. Are they using less corn and substituting another ingredient? What brand of corn tortillas do you have success with?

If they are coming apart they are not fresh. I make mine so I cannot tell you brands.

Mission is the brand I can find in the stores I frequent, but I bet I'd probably find others if I went to a Mexican market. I have the same problem. They''re not as bad when the package is first opened, but they still split badly. Wiping them with grease before you put them in the oven to heat helps slightly, but not really enough to justify the effort for me.

If I used tortillas more often I'd probably be more energetic about looking for a solution. As it is, I just make them into fork food.

John

[Jenise]

Mike's exactly right. With time in the package, they lose their integrity. Stores frequently don't understand that (or pretend not to) since there's no visible difference, so old tortillas aren't removed when new tortillas are delivered. Search the bottoms of the stack for the fresher packages.

Frying them in hot oil (first flat, then turning over to taco shape) usually takes care of that. Is your oil hot enough? Are you draining on paper towels?

Richard

As the others have noted, Karen, a corn tortilla that falls apart is an old one. Ideally, you should get ones that were made that day and aren't refrigerated. If you have a Mexican grocery in your area, they should have them.

Mark Lipton

Frying them in hot oil (first flat, then turning over to taco shape) usually takes care of that. Is your oil hot enough? Are you draining on paper towels?

Richard

That is what I do Richard. I've been making tacos for for my family for 45 years and occasionally had one fall apart but this is getting ridiculous. I used to buy a local brand called Cantenca, but cannot find them in the stores anymore. Think I will look for a Mexican market.

Something more sinister than lack of freshness may be at play here. With the skyrocketing price of corn, some producers may be cutting corners on ingredients.
I would try another brand.
I'm just speculating here, so hopefully, the owners of your tortilla company will not bring suit......

John, I am suspecting the same as you....they are not using as much corn. The packages do not list a telephone so I need to track them down and get a phone call to them. I did track down the Canteca brand and found out which stores have it in Redding. They are a local company and make a fine product.

Karen,

I don't know then..maybe Mission has just gotten to be too large. At the point where quality is beginning to be sacrificed in favor of quantity and production schedules. And lesser quality ingredients.

Richard

[Jenise]

Karen, I can't remember if you have a Trader Joe's in your 'hood, but if you do their tortillas are excellent and reliable. They have a more standard looking thin yellow corn tortilla, and a thicker "Hand Made" style that are absolutely superb just heated in the microwave. They stand up to any filling, no matter how wet. I used them just last night, in fact, for tequila-soaked shrimp tacos.

Karen, I can't remember if you have a Trader Joe's in your 'hood, but if you do their tortillas are excellent and reliable. They have a more standard looking thin yellow corn tortilla, and a thicker "Hand Made" style that are absolutely superb just heated in the microwave. They stand up to any filling, no matter how wet. I used them just last night, in fact, for tequila-soaked shrimp tacos.

Our TJ's is being built and will be open in October. But we go to the one in Chico, just 70 minutes away. Are these tacos in the bread section? I will try the Hand Made style next time we get to Chico. Thanks for the information.