How should I store harina de maiz?

June 18, 2011 11:12 AM

How should I store harina de maiz? It's Masa Brosa brand made of white cooked corn, water and lime with no preservatives. It will take me a long time to use it up (maybe a year?) - should it go in the fridge or cupboard? Or can I make up a million little dough balls all at once and just freeze them?
posted by jenmakes to Food & Drink (10 answers total)

White/refined grains store longer than whole grains: sealed container, cool, dry pantry-type storage.
posted by holgate at 11:40 AM on June 18, 2011

We store our tamale masa in the pantry for a year at a time. We've also stored it in the deep freeze. It's been fine both ways.
posted by Addlepated at 11:53 AM on June 18, 2011

This is not just corn flour, it's already corn and water mixed. You have to refrigerate it. You'll know when it goes bad, it won't last a year.
posted by Max Power at 11:59 AM on June 18, 2011

Response by poster: I guess the list of ingredients is misleading (I just copied them off the bag) - it is dry flour.
posted by jenmakes at 12:02 PM on June 18, 2011

oh, then pantry, relax.
posted by Max Power at 12:05 PM on June 18, 2011

I keep mine in an airtight canister. So far, so good.
posted by Space Kitty at 12:18 PM on June 18, 2011

Put it in the freezer, if you have room. It will warm up just fine, and you'll spare yourself a lot of concern.
posted by Gilbert at 1:05 PM on June 18, 2011

I would keep it in the freezer, just to keep it safe from pantry moths. I had a horrible experience last year that I don't ever want to repeat.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:31 PM on June 18, 2011 [1 favorite]

Always store things as cold as they will tolerate. The freezer might be bad, as it is possible that the moisture content in the flour will freezerburn out of the granules. Airtight in the fridge is my vote.
posted by gjc at 7:31 PM on June 18, 2011

I keep mine in the freezer in the original bag inside a zip-loc and have kept it over a year.
posted by TedW at 3:31 AM on June 19, 2011