Published: · Updated: by Mely Martínez
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Sometimes we take things for granted and never stop to realize where things come from or what has to happen in order for something to get to our table. One of those things is corn masa. We started making corn masa here at home some years ago; it helped that I had grown up around the process of making masa when I visited my grandma’s house, so it wasn’t rocket science.
Blue Corn Masa Recipe
Last week I was teaching my son how to properly use the metate, and he started asking me several questions about it, like when the Aztecs started using it, how corn was ground before the metal corn grinder appeared if metates are still used in Mexico, and if it ever breaks. This led to a very funny conversation.
The Aztecs used the metate to grind corn before the appearance of the metal corn grinder, and it is still used to this day in some areas. It isn’t only used to grind corn, though; people use it to grind peppers for moles and cacao for drinks, just to name a few uses. They used to be a popular wedding gift, and sometimes the bride’s name would be engraved on the metate. If well cared, a metate can last for generations, since it takes years of usage to actually wear them out.
However, they can be broken if they are dropped or improperly handled. Oh, and about the funny part, well, this is what my son told me. “So, if the metate were part of a wedding gift registry today, it would say something like: ‘The New Metate Model: The RockMaster 3000, with a one-thousand-year warranty, or your money back’”.
I took this picture from the book "...y la comida se hizo, para celebrar". ISBN 968-24-1875-5. so you can see the engraving on the metate.
Well, I found that funny, but let’s get back to the process of making the masa. Blue corn masa is consumed mainly in Central Mexico; it is common fare to see street food vendors making Quesadillas filled with Chuitlacoche and squash blossoms using blue corn tortillas. The color of the masa will change depending on the kernels, as some are purple, gray, green, or blue.
How to Make Blue Corn Masa
JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS
DIRECTIONS:
- First of all, make sure that the corn is clean of any debris or little rocks. Place corn in a colander under the water faucet and rinse. Shake a little to remove any excess water.(Please check the ingredients list below)
- Place corn into a non-corrosive pot. Add enough water to cover the corn. Some kernels will float, those are old or spoil kernels, discharge them.
- Dissolve 2 Tablespoons of Cal (Calcium Hydroxide) in ½ cup of water. Stir well.
- Place the pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium-high. When the water starts boiling, add the Cal and water mix. The corn will turn a bright yellow color.
- Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. After 15 minutes, check the corn and rub a few grains between your fingers. If you see a fine skin peeling from them, then they’re ready. Turn down the heat and remove from stove. If after 15 minutes your corn skins are not peeling, keep cooking for 5 more minutes and check again.
- Cover the pot with a lid and let it rest overnight or for at least 8 hours.
- The next day, the corn and its residue will be settling at the bottom of the pot, and the skins will be easily removed when rubbing some kernels with your fingers.
- Remove the liquid, reserving some of it to add to the grinding process.(also known as “nejayote”)and rinse the corn two or three times, rubbing off the loose skin, until the water looks clean. Place in a colander to drain well.
- The corn is now ready for the grinder. Start grinding the corn in small batches twice or three times until it has a fine texture. The picture at the bottom right is how it will look after the first grinding. The corn grinder has to be tightly fitted to a stable surface to make this step as fast and smooth as possible. The corn grinder was meant to be screwed up to a working area where it will always reside.
- After you’ve ground the corn 2 times, add some of the cooking water little by little to form the dough-masa. Knead a little until your dough is smooth. This dough will still be grainy, but good enough to make tortillas or any other food you plan to cook with it. Sometimes, I grind the corn and don’t add water, then I place it in plastic bags to store in the freezer. When ready to use, just let it sit until room temperature and then add the water to form the dough. To extend the life of the masa adds a pinch of cal while grinding the corn.
- (OPTIONAL) I know it will be hard for many to get a hold of a Metate, so this step is just in case you have one and want to have a finer texture in your masa dough. Place a small amount of the dough on the top part of the metate with the help of the “mano” (hand of the metate). Press down on the dough from side to side (from the top part to the bottom part), passing a small amount of dough to the other side every time you press it down.
- This is done in a rhythmical movement, with your hands holding tightly onto the metate hand and pressing back and forth until all the dough that was at the top now is at the bottom part of the metate. The difference of giving the final grinding to the corn dough with the metate can be seen in the picture below.
I hope this information was helpful, and if you have any questions, please feel free to send me an email.
Now... I havesome questions for you: Why do you want to make corn masa? and where are you reading this post from? If you are interested in buying any a Metate, please send me an email.
¡Buen provecho!
Mely,
More recipes:
Mexican Corn on the Cob
Bocoles, Corn Masa Cakes
📖 Recipe
Blue corn masa
Mely Martínez
Sometimes we take things for granted and never stop to realize where things come from or what has to happen in order for something to get to our table. One of those things is corn masa. We started making corn masa here at home some years ago.
4.80 from 10 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Resting and Grinding Time 8 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Total Time 8 hours hrs 55 minutes mins
Course Basic Recipes
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4 This recipe renders 4 Lbs of corn dough
Calories 783 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of Blue corn
- 2 Tablespoons Cal Calcium Hydroxide*
- Filtered water enough to cover the corn
Instructions
First of all, make sure that the corn is clean of any debris or little rocks. Place corn in a colander under the water faucet and rinse. Shake a little to remove any excess water.
Place corn into a non-corrosive pot. Add enough water to cover the corn. Some kernels will float, those are old or spoil kernels, discharge them.
Dissolve 2 Tablespoons of Cal (Calcium Hydroxide) in ½ cup of water. Stir well.
Place the pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium high. When the water starts boiling, add the Cal and water mix. The corn will turn a bright yellow color.
Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. After 15 minutes, check the corn and rub a few grains between your fingers. If you see a fine skin peeling from them, then they’re ready. Turn down the heat and remove from stove. If after 15 minutes your corn skins are not peeling, keep cooking for 5 more minutes and check again.
Cover the pot with a lid and let it rest overnight or for at least 8 hours.
The next day, the corn and its residue will be settling at the bottom of the pot, and the skins will be easily removed when rubbing some kernels with your fingers.
Remove the liquid, reserving some of it to add to the grinding process.(also known as “nejayote”) and rinse the corn two or three times, rubbing off the loose skin, until the water looks clean. Place in a colander to drain well.
The corn is now ready for the grinder. Start grinding the corn in small batches twice or three times until it has a fine texture. The picture at the bottom right is how it will look after the first grinding. The corn grinder has to be tightly fitted to a stable surface to make this step as fast and smooth as possible. The corn grinder was meant to be screwed up to a working area where it will always reside.
After you’ve ground the corn 2 times, add some of the cooking water little by little to form the dough-masa. Knead a little until your dough is smooth. This dough will still be grainy, but good enough to make tortillas or any other food you plan to cook with it. Sometimes, I grind the corn and don’t add water, then I place it in plastic bags to store in the freezer. When ready to use, just let it sit until room temperature and then add the water to form the dough. To extend the life of the masa add a pinch of cal while grinding the corn.
(OPTIONAL). I know it will be hard for many to get a hold of a Metate, so this step is just in case you have one and want to have a finer texture in your masa dough. Place a small amount of the dough on the top part of the metate with the help of the “mano” (hand of the metate). Press down on the dough from side to side (from the top part to the bottom part), passing a small amount of dough to the other side every time you press it down. This is done in a rhythmical movement, with your hands holding tightly onto the metate hand and pressing back and fort until all the dough that was at the top now is at the bottom part of the metate. The difference of giving the final grinding to the corn dough with the metate can be seen in the picture below.
Notes
• * Calcium Hydroxide, can be found at the grocery store in the canning section, as well as the white and blue corn.
• Keep the soaking time in mind and cook the corn the previous evening.
Nutrition
Serving: 1LbCalories: 783kcalCarbohydrates: 171gProtein: 30gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 790mgPotassium: 2451mgFiber: 18gSugar: 57gVitamin A: 1696IUVitamin C: 62mgCalcium: 381mgIron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Kathryn
The last person in my family to use a metate was my great gramma. My mom and her brothers have memories of it, but that is all. I've always felt like it was important to Remeber these things, so I just bought a new metate and am in the process of seasoning it. I've asked around and so far only one other family has mentioned using garlic as a last step. Do you have any consejos on getting a metate ready to use? What would your instructions be on curando a metate y metlapil? Thank you, in advance 🙂
Reply
Mely Martínez
Hello Kathryn,
To cure a metate you will need to grind dried corn or if you do not have you can use rice. Use the same process as in this video where I explain how to cure a molcajete.
I have the video in youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYe9LhXt9aYReply
Diane
Hi again, Mely! I was wondering if you can use a mortar and pestle if you don't have a metate?
Reply
Mely Martínez
Hello Diane,
I gues you could, however, it will take a lot of effort. Nowadays, I have seen people using a food processor or a Vitamix blender to grinder the corn and form it into a dough.Reply
Amanda
I have been wanting to try to make my own corn tortillas for a while now. I recently found out that my great great aunt owned a metate which my dad has had sitting in storage for years. However, it's missing the hand grinding piece. Do you have any advice on if there's a way to purchase just that piece for a metate? My family lives in Texas if that makes it easier to answer.Also I was thinking of ordering some corn from Masienda, but are there other places where you recommend buying from?
In any case, once I find the piece, I'm really looking forward to trying the recipe. I have been wanting to try to connect more with my culture through food.
Reply
Mely Martínez
Hello Amanda,
That is os nice that you are trying to connect with your culture. You can buy the metate hand or mano on eBay. There is someone that sells them there. Look for: Metate Mano-Hand-MexicanReply
Norm
Hello Mely,
This article is 8 years for you but for me it seems like only 5 minutes. Ha! You asked, so I purchased a little blue corn at the feed and seed yesterday. Looks like it will be next year now, as the garden is already spoken for. I purchased a grinder and a different variety of feed corn which I planted two days ago. And we're not even crazy about corn tortillas, being thoroughly gringo wheat lovers. I have never grown anything but sweet corn. So why? With what may be coming by this fall home made meal, grits, and masa for cornbread and tortillas may well be very more important than ever. I need to get a head start on the process...so hopefully by this fall I'll be ready to get with the program. And I can save the seed, which isn't possible with the sweet stuff I grow. Wish I had found the blue corn sooner. I searched for info and you site popped up on the first page. Congrats for that and you wrote a fine piece!
Your fan from Alabam,
NormReply
Mely Martínez
Hello Norm,
Have fun during the process. If you are also planting sweet corn, make sure it is not close to the feed corn, a friend of mine in Indiana had a problem or cross-pollination planting both types of corn close to each other.
Reply
Beverly Molly
Where do you get the blue corn for your masa?
Mely Martínez
Hello Beverly,
There is a seller in Houston, TX that brings it from Mexico. Agropa, LLC is the name of the company. The ship to other states.Reply
Sonja Stiefel
Hi Mely,
I am a biology teacher and I grew a three sisters garden this summer with Isleta Blue Corn, which grew beautifully. I have about 2 cups of the dry corn seeds and I don't know what to do with them. I am going to save some for planting, but would like to cook the rest. I was looking at your masa recipe, but I don't have a grinder. What else might work? Food processor?
Sonja in AlbuquerqueReply
Mely Martínez
Hello Sonja,
A food processor won't grind the corn as fine as needed to make corn tortillas. But you can use the corn to make a hot drink "Atole"
Grind the corn, without cooking, after grinding use 1/4 cup of that mixture to cook with 4 cups of water and one stick of cinnamon. You need to cook it on low for about 1/2 hour until it becomes thick, like a light gravy. Sweeten with sugar and stir until it dissolves. Serve and enjoy.Reply
Sofi
Mely! I need your help. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong but the tortillas don’t have the texture of store bought ones. They do not puff up when I put them in the comal. And they often break! I’m so discouraged I’m planning on selling my milk and forget about it.
Reply
Mely Martínez
Hello Sodi,
What type of masa are you using? Masa-harina or freshly made masa? If using freshly made masa, you need to grind it very fine. Please, in order to help you, let me know what are you using to make the tortillas. Also, we DO NOT use milk to make tortillas.Reply
Sofia
Hi Mely!
I recently made masa using cal, boiling the corn, and grinding it about 4 times in a hand crank grinder to make it smooth, but im finding that my tortillas dont come out very soft (pretty firm) and they also dont puff. Do you have any recommendations so I can figure out what im doing wrong?
Thank you!
SofiaReply
Mely Martínez
Hello Sofia,
I sent you an email asking you for other questions. But, in order to get those puffed tortillas, you need to knead the dough very well. Check the video in my recipe for corn tortillas.Reply
Nicole Purvis
Great recipe thank you so much for sharing. Are there any other ways to cook our green or blue corn? Im Italian so wondering if there is a similar mexican style polenta.
Nicole
🙂Reply
Mely Martínez
Hello Nicole,
we make tamales and atoles. You can find the recipes here in the blog in the search box. But you will need to cook the corn with Calcium Hydroxide Food Grade, first to make some of those recipes.Reply
Rogier van Vlissingen
I really wish I could do this. I just recently discovered some places in NYC, where I can buy Nixtamalized Tortillas, and I teach a monthly cooking class in a Whole Foods, Plant-Based diet, so for January I am planning a cooking class for recipes with tortillas.
I wished i could, just for fun make tthe masa from the gorund up, but we'll just buy the nixtamalized tortillas. Even in my own kitchen, I simply have no room for any kind of a corn grinder, let alone a metate. Some year I might have a bigger kitchen again...
Reply
Mely Martínez
Hello Rogier,
I know what you mean. Those tools need space. You can find nixtamal masa in Queens, There is a place called "Tortilleria Nixtamal", give them a call to find out their schedule and if they sell small portions. You can also buy dried nixtamal masa from Masienda, look for them online.Reply
Teresa Alasmar
Love the Website. Love the Recipes. And I and the whole world are thankful that you exist. You have added so much value to the world. I have a small request, could you upload a video of how the Metate is used? That would be so wonderful.
Reply
mmartinez
Hello Teresa,
Thank you for your very kind words. Blessings!I'll try to add that video soon.Reply
Mary Franco
What if you dont have a metate what can you use
Mely Martínez
Hello Mary,
You can grind more times using the manual corn grinder.
Kayla Alexander
Hola Mely,I am looking to make some tamales from some blue corn that we grown on the land I live on. It’s very old, and special corn, it has never been bought or sold…
Last years harvest is dry now so was hoping to make some masa using your recipe here and then following a tamale recipe potentially you have on the site as well.I’m wondering what the purpose/significance of the Calcium is? 🙂
Provecho! Thank you thank you.
Reply
Mely Martínez
Hello Kayla,
The purpose of using calcium hydroxide is to soften the corn and remove their skins after cooking. It also helps to give elasticity to the dough and make it easy for you to make tortillas and tamales. Also, with this process, the corn becomes more nutritious once transformed with the calcium hydroxide.
I hope I answered your question.
LouDell M Baldonado
Thank u so much for this recipe. As young teenagers my sister and i would help our father when he would butcher a pig, this was called a Matanza. Family and friends would partake in the butchering and preparing of chichrones, beans, fried potatoes, carne adovada, flour and blue corn tortillas. A lot to the work and planning was done ahead to time including the sharping of knives and the barrels to heat the water to skin the pig. The prep of the blue corn for tortillas was done, as in ur recipe, the night before. Since my dad passed away, we dont do our own Matanzas anymore but i get invited to some every now and then and our little city of Belen NM has a yearly Matanza where all is invited and will one day grow to Albuquerque Hot Air Baloon Fiesta attendance.
Reply
Mollyrose
Thank you so much for posting these instructions. I got handed Hopi corn seed and wasn't completely sure what to do with the corn after harvesting. I now have some lovely masa to work with.... If the test tortilla was any indication, the resulting tamales will be truly special.Reply
mmartinez
Hello Mollyrose,
I'm so glad to know you were able to make masa. If you still have some, please share your pictures with us.Reply
Pam R
Can this be used for tamales too? I’ve only made tamales from maseca as in AK I have no access to fresh masa.
Reply
mmartinez
Hello Pam,
Yes, you can also use it to make tamales.Reply
Alex Park
Hello! Alex here from southern California, i am a professional chef and have been looking into getting a Metate, i've seen Metates online, where would you suggest i purchase it from? I have seen them on amazon and houzz.comReally appreciate your help!
Reply
mmartinez
Hello Alex Park,
If you want a Metate with a nice workmanship buy the one from Ancient Cookware, I have one from them and it is beautiful.
You can also search at the flea markets in CA, where there are vendors for Mexican wares. The quality of those metates is not the same as those from Ancient cookware, it a little rough, they are less expensive, but in the end, you decide which one do you buy. I have both types and prefer the one from ancient cookware, they are beautiful just to look at.Reply
Bridget
I love tamales, and corn tortillas. I bet growing corn and making fresh masa makes super yummy tamales and tortillas!
Reply
Eva myob
For one thing looking for blue corn masa harina, had some but have never been able to get more, I also make hominy and would use blue corn my mother grew what they called Squaw corn, the seed of which my grandfather got from the Mandan Indians in the late 1800s. This was a small cob, short season corn with multi coloured kernals. My grandparents were from Missouri so knew about hominy and niximatalizing corn. We now live in Northeast BC Canada in Dawson Creek the mile zero of the Alaska highway (it's 75th anniversary this year) I like to cook, and miss corn bread and would like to try my hand with tortillas.
Reply
Anonymous
Hi Mely,
I'm writing from Groningen, Netherlands! I just got some dried blue corn meal and am thinking about making blue tamales. I loved the post and the photos.
AnneReply
mmartinez
Hello Anne,
Is that blue corn meal or masa harina?
Reply
Unknown
Hi There,
Thank you for sharing this recipe. My family runs a boutique farm outside San Diego where we primarily raise dairy sheep. This year we got ahold of some blue corn seeds, and had a wonderful harvest. My kids are in a Spanish immersion program, and we try to incorporate Mexican traditions into our household. This is a perfect use for our blue corn!
Can we skip the sodium hydroxide?Reply
mmartinez
Hello,
Sorry, but no. You need to add the sodium hydroxide to be able to make nixtamal. If you don't cook the corn with it, the dough won't bind.
Reply
Jonna Overson
We just made our first batch ( with sodium hydroxide). It turned out lovely. I didn't have a grain grinder, so I used my vita-mix blender to grind the soaked corn. It turned out perfectly! It works best with small batches of corn.
Reply
mmartinez
Hello Jonna,
Thanks a lot for taking the time to come back and leave a comment. I'm sure many other readers will also be thankful to know they can use their vitamix for this purpose. I own a Vitamix, and maybe next time I make nixtamal, give it a try with the corn grinding.Again thank you and happy cooking!
Reply
L. Jeani Guest
Jeani, from northeast Texas. I'm reading this because we will be growing heirloom corn on our farm this year. I know I'll be making cornmeal but also wanted to research making masa for tortillas.
Reply
66 Underachiever
If you've taken the time to search for and read Mely's fresh masa recipe you owe it to yourself to make your own, right now. Don't let anything you've read or videos you've seen scare you. This is easy and the results are incredible.
Thank you Mely, i'd put off making my own masa for years. Your post came up in a search and two days later I've made my best tortillas ever! (I used both your recipes since I came home with blue corn)Reply
Jan
Hola! I'm in Hamamatsu, Japan where good tortillas, masa is hard to come by. We just harvested some beautiful blue corn and was searching for what to do with it. Just made my first masa thanks to your website. Looking forward to tortillas tonight! Thanks!
Reply
mmartinez
Hello Jan,
Enjoy your tortillas. I hope you ground the corn to an extra fine texture in order to have a good enough masa for tortillas.
Happy cooking!
Reply
Anonymous
Hi Mely,
I am a 64 year old grandmother in northern California with health issues. I read that corn prepared the traditional way with lime produces readily available niacin in the masa. I would like to cook a natural source of niacin like this, because I believe it would benefit my health and that of my grandchildren.
But I lack a metate. I will try it with something around the house and if that doesn't work I will buy one.
Thank you for your detailed instructions, photos, and your suggestions on finding the Cal and corn for the masa.
CindyReply
Anonymous
Hi,
I'm Kat. I grew up in Colorado eating hand made mexican food from family friends' kitchens and then moved to Canada, where it's really hard to find good mexican food. So now I make my own! I'm excited to try making masa by hand!
Reply
mmartinez
Hello Kat,
I hope you enjoy the experience, the end results taste even better after you make it yourself.
Happy cooking!
Reply
kcperera
Hello & thanks for this valuable info. I want to go back in time - literally! Life supposed to be easy but with what cost?? My son had developed gluten intolerance so I'm doing lot of homemade stuff. This year I will grow lots of Corn myself including the purple once. I make my own flour at home. I will try the dried version too. Thank you again.
Reply
mmartinez
Hello kcperera,
You are right, so many things had changed as well as our health with the modern conveniences (fast and processed foods)
I hope you enjoy the journey or making your own masa.Regards,
Reply
GaryM
I'm writing from Porter, Texas and I've been looking for a site with authentic Mexican food recipes thank you for taking the time to do this
Reply
Kat
Estoy en Georgia, pero vivi 5 anos en el estado de Veracruz, Mexico. Alla me ensenaron hacer tortillas, gorditas, y otroas cosas con masa. Si no las haciamos en casa, todos los dias comprabamos tortillas frescas hecha en la esquina. Aqui en los EEUU, nada mas se puede encontrar tortillas hachas con maseca, ya extranamos las tortillas reales 🙂
Gracias por la receta!
Dios le bendiga.Reply
k parker
Gracias por compartir. Saludos de Little Rock, AR; pero de TAmpico.
Reply
Mely
Saludos paisana!
Reply
Saint-Martain
PS I am writing to you from Brisbane, Australia.
Reply
Mely
Hello Saint-Martain,
If the corn is sprouted the effect could change when adding the Calcium Hydroxide since this last one is used to soften the kernels. If you soak the kernels for a longer period they will start to become sour. This step also ferments the corn.
I am not familiar with the sprouting step prior to boiling with the Calcium Hydroxide, I will have to do some research about it.
Regards,
Mely
Reply
Saint-Martain
Dear Mely,
Thank You for your informative and educational blog.
I have a technical question. My question relates to the nixtamalization of the corn. Firstly is it possible to nixtamalize corn that has first been sprouted for say a 24hour period in order to enhance the nutritional profile of the kernels? Secondly is it advisable to soak the kernels in the Calcium Hydroxide after or before the boiling process for an extended period of time? I have read somewhere that it enhances the nutrients in the kernels if the corn is soaked in the Calcium Hydroxide for more than a week. Is this true?
I would like to thank You in advance for your reply.
Kind regards,
MartinReply
Saint-Martain
Dear Mely,
I am writing to you from Brisbane Australia. I need to thank you for your blog. I have a technical question for you.
Is it possible to nixtamalize the corn after a period of sprouting it in water. So this would mean letting the corn kernels soak in water for say 24 hours and as they start to sprout add the Calcium Hydroxide to it. Would this enhance the nutritional profile of the corn? Is it advisable to let the Calcium Hydroxide soak into the kernels for another extended period? Or is it advisable to soak the kernels in the lye after the boiling process? I have read somewhere that it does enhance the nutritional qualities of the corn even more if the kernels are soaked in the lime for more than a week?
I wish to thank You in advance for your reply.
Kind regards,
Marci [male]Reply
HVL
I'm reading from Adelaide, South Australia! I found your blog via a google search. I have to admit, until recently Mexican food had never really appealed to me. My exposure to it out here has been a pretty bad mix of all the cliches, (tequila, beans & hard shell taco's). One of my favourite chef's currently has a Mexican themed cooking series on TV at the moment & FINALLY I'm getting to see the real bare bones of the cusine, all the good stuff, so finally I am inspired to try my hand at something I've never had before - Tamales!
So I jumped online and started looking for a local store that might sell masa flour, lucky for me I found that and more, I can't wait!Reply
Mely
Hello HVL,
Wishing you the best in your cooking endeavors.
Mely
Reply
Roke
Your description of the process for making homemade masa is great! I'd like to find a source for blue corn, but am having trouble finding anything online. I live in Auburn, near Sacramento. Do you have any sources for purchasing online or in the Sacramento, CA area?
Thanks!Reply
Jennifer Sen
I'm in Gainesville, FL. My son is in the 3rd grade and they are studying the book, "Esperanza Rising". He's been assigned a project to research and cook a Mexican dish. I came across your blog as we were looking for sources of traditional Mexican cuisine. It's just what we are looking for - great, clear directions and some history of the dish. I love that you are asking your readers where they are from. I don't think we'll be making masa, but it is really cool to see how it is done. Thank you for your beautiful blog.
Reply
Mely
Hello Jennifer,
I hope you find a recipe in the blog that your son can make for his school project. Thank you for taking the time to write, I highly appreciate it.
Happy Cooking!
Mely
Reply
colebcheez
Hi Mely,
I'm reading this post from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I absolutely love anything made with blue corn, especially tlacoyos. I have tried making my own masa several times, but I have never been able to achieve the soft, light texture that can only be done with the help of a stone. This post was so helpful, and I really liked that you showed what the masa looked like with and without the use of the metate. Hopefully, I will be able to get my hands on one someday 🙂 By the way, I think it is wonderful that you are teaching your son all of these great traditions.Reply
Mely
Hello ColebCheez,
It's great that you are trying to make your own masa. It used to be hard to find a Metate Stone years ago. But now you can find them online and not as expensive as they used to be. The process of giving the masa the last grinding on the metate really makes a difference but just grinding 2 or 3 times on the metal grinder still does a good job.
Saludos estamos aqui a lado. 🙂
Reply
jacinto
Hola Mely
te leo desde Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. No puedo hacer tortillas azules....es mas, me es imposible hacer tortillas en este pais. me encanta tu blog. no dejes de escribir en el, es una inspiracion para muchos de nosotros. felicidades
Reply
Mely
Hola Jacinto,
Gracias por tomar el tiempo de comentar, se que es difícil encontrar los ingredientes para hacer la masa fuera de México. A mi me ha tomado años conseguir el maíz azul, y no sabes lo felíz que me puse cuando lo recibí. Puedes conseguir la masa azul por internet aunque no sabe igual, al menos es una buena opción. Ya que el sabor de una tortilla recien hecha de masa fresca no tiene comparación.
Si en algo puedo ayudarte desde aquí por favor no dudes en contactarme.
Saludos a la distancia.
Mely
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Prieta
Hi Mely, i guess you know i'm in San Diego. But what might not know is that I love blue corn! I like to prepare nixtamal with blue corn and i use it in pozole. I Also like blue corn meal for pancakes. Although I like to make my own masa, I have never made it with blue corn. My grandmother who I never Met, had a tortilleria and I got a metate that is over 100 years old and came from her tortilleria. I should try to make your masa recipe. Nice post, thanksgiving for sharing!
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Rebecca Subbiah
love this traditional methods are cool
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loves2spin
Oh, that's lovely! Thank you, Mely!
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Lidia
Hi Mely, I am reading this post from Southern California and I absolutely loved it! Just this last week I had blue corn sweet tamales and they were delicious. You've inspired me to dig out my metate. Thanks!!!
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Lidia
Hi Mely, my name is Lidia and I'm reading this from good old Southern California. This post is so cool cause my mom just got back from Michoacan Mexico and she brought with her some blue corn sweet tamales that were to die for. I'm going to dig out my metate that my parents gifted me 27 years ago when I got married so I can try your recipe. Thanks for posting this.
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Mely
I hope you make some good tamales, tortillas, sopes and everything masa can be used for. 🙂 Take care and thanks for stopping by.
Happy Cooking!
Mely
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