Rene G wrote:

Rene G wrote:Dinner tonight is a layered casserole, making use of some stale El Milagro paper-wrapped corn tortillas.

A couple weeks ago I was disappointed to find my (preservative-free) tortillas had grown mold. Since I'd already started preparing other ingredients, I decided to wash them under running water with light scrubbing. Worked great and the casserole was delicious! I've never washed tortillas before.

Generally not a good idea. Surface mold indicates subsurface spread - what you see are the fruiting bodies supported by bigger fungal bodies. You can cut off a big chunk of cheese, eat the other end of a loaf of bread, maybe the far side of tortillas.
Odds are it's not toxic, but it's not good eats.

JoelF wrote:

Rene G wrote:

Rene G wrote:Dinner tonight is a layered casserole, making use of some stale El Milagro paper-wrapped corn tortillas.

A couple weeks ago I was disappointed to find my (preservative-free) tortillas had grown mold. Since I'd already started preparing other ingredients, I decided to wash them under running water with light scrubbing. Worked great and the casserole was delicious! I've never washed tortillas before.

Generally not a good idea. Surface mold indicates subsurface spread - what you see are the fruiting bodies supported by bigger fungal bodies. You can cut off a big chunk of cheese, eat the other end of a loaf of bread, maybe the far side of tortillas.
Odds are it's not toxic, but it's not good eats.

As soon as I purchase tortillas, I put them right in the fridge. Never tried freezing but I'm sure that would extend the life as well.

El Milagro, a Chicago-based tortilla maker, told employees over the weekend it will close its facility on Western Avenue for two weeks to sanitize the plant after one worker died and others tested positive for the new coronavirus.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavi ... story.html

Damn, sad that they lost a longtime employee to the pandemic. Hopefully the sanitation and two week closure reduces the spread in the facility beyond those who have tested positive.

On a good note, I'm glad to see they are paying the employees for the duration of the shutdown.

gnarchief wrote:Damn, sad that they lost a longtime employee to the pandemic. Hopefully the sanitation and two week closure reduces the spread in the facility beyond those who have tested positive.

On a good note, I'm glad to see they are paying the employees for the duration of the shutdown.

An El Milagro tortilla factory that closed for two weeks of deep cleaning after an employee died from COVID-19 will remain shuttered for an undetermined amount of time to complete a construction project.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavi ... story.html

I swear I saw El Milagro tortillas at Shop & Save today, but I wasn't buying that today so I could be wrong.

Yesterday- while Grocery Shopping at Supermercado Jimenez in Logan Square,
the Tortilla section was filled with empty cartons of Tortillas.
Lots of Flour Tortillas.
2 boxes of hardened, stiff as cardboard "Viejo's" (old as F#ck) Corn Tortillas....
but anything warm and fresh?
Nada.

Guess there's always buying Masa-and flattening and fryin'-ur-own!

Will COVID-19 tortilla making replace bread baking as the newest do-it-yourself obsession? Only time will tell!

JoelF wrote:I swear I saw El Milagro tortillas at Shop & Save today, but I wasn't buying that today so I could be wrong.

Linked Tribune article says El Milagro production is cut by 75%. There are still El Milagro tortillas out there.

The company had said the temporary closure would cut its production of corn tortillas by 75%.