I put some tamales in the freezer a while back. I am thawing them out for
dinner tomorrow as appetizers to grilled ribs. (I know better than to call
them barbecued.) Do they freeze well? They are in husks, and that wrapped
in plastic.

Steve

Steve B > wrote:

> I put some tamales in the freezer a while back. I am thawing
> them out for dinner tomorrow as appetizers to grilled ribs.
> (I know better than to call them barbecued.) Do they freeze
> well? They are in husks, and that wrapped in plastic.

Tamales freeze acceptably. They freeze about as well as
anything else that is said to freeze well. Just steam
them in their husks straight out of the freezer -- do
not thaw in a refrigerator first.

(It might take a long time to steam them, 30 or even 40
minutes, depending on how cold your freezer is.)

Steve

In article >,
"Steve B" > wrote:

> I put some tamales in the freezer a while back. I am thawing them out for
> dinner tomorrow as appetizers to grilled ribs. (I know better than to call
> them barbecued.) Do they freeze well? They are in husks, and that wrapped
> in plastic.
>
> Steve

Yes, but as always, the texture suffers a bit. Thawing in the
refrigerator seems to help a LOT.
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>

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Om replied to Steve:

>> I put some tamales in the freezer a while back. I am thawing them out
>> for dinner tomorrow as appetizers to grilled ribs. (I know better than
>> to call them barbecued.) Do they freeze well? They are in husks, and
>> that wrapped in plastic.
>
> Yes, but as always, the texture suffers a bit. Thawing in the
> refrigerator seems to help a LOT.

Might be a matter of taste. If freezing makes tamales spongy rather than
dense, that might be an improvement to many people.

Bob

In article >,
"Bob Terwilliger" > wrote:

> Om replied to Steve:
>
> >> I put some tamales in the freezer a while back. I am thawing them out
> >> for dinner tomorrow as appetizers to grilled ribs. (I know better than
> >> to call them barbecued.) Do they freeze well? They are in husks, and
> >> that wrapped in plastic.
> >
> > Yes, but as always, the texture suffers a bit. Thawing in the
> > refrigerator seems to help a LOT.
>
> Might be a matter of taste. If freezing makes tamales spongy rather than
> dense, that might be an improvement to many people.
>
> Bob

True.

Guess I should have added "YMMV". ;-)
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>

Subscribe:

On Wed, 3 Mar 2010 21:23:29 -0800, "Steve B"
> wrote:

> I put some tamales in the freezer a while back. I am thawing them out for
> dinner tomorrow as appetizers to grilled ribs. (I know better than to call
> them barbecued.) Do they freeze well? They are in husks, and that wrapped
> in plastic.
>
Of course they freeze well!

Don't be timid.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Wed, 3 Mar 2010 22:34:15 -0800, "Bob Terwilliger"
> wrote:

> Might be a matter of taste. If freezing makes tamales spongy rather than
> dense, that might be an improvement to many people.

I make my own tamales and freeze them. Freezing has not made a
difference in the final product - thank goodness, because I think my
tamales are darned good.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Mar 4, 2:23*am, sf > wrote:
> On Wed, 3 Mar 2010 22:34:15 -0800, "Bob Terwilliger"
>
> > wrote:
> > Might be a matter of taste. If freezing makes tamales spongy rather than
> > dense, that might be an improvement to many people.
>
> I make my own tamales and freeze them. *Freezing has not made a
> difference in the final product - thank goodness, because I think my
> tamales are darned good.
>
> --
> I love cooking with wine.
> Sometimes I even put it in the food.

I made a huge batch last year, and put them all in freezer bags and
tossed them in. They froze well the entire year. I never let mine thaw
out, I just tossed into the steamer for a good 30-40 minutes.

"Steve Pope" > wrote in message
...
> Steve B > wrote:
>
>> I put some tamales in the freezer a while back. I am thawing
>> them out for dinner tomorrow as appetizers to grilled ribs.
>> (I know better than to call them barbecued.) Do they freeze
>> well? They are in husks, and that wrapped in plastic.
>
> Tamales freeze acceptably. They freeze about as well as
> anything else that is said to freeze well. Just steam
> them in their husks straight out of the freezer -- do
> not thaw in a refrigerator first.
>
> (It might take a long time to steam them, 30 or even 40
> minutes, depending on how cold your freezer is.)
>
> Steve

My thoughts, exactly. And they are in blobs of six. How long would it take
to get the middle ones unfrozen, and how cooked would the outside be? I
thawed them overnight, and they are loose now. Guess I'll find out when I
taste them. Will do a follow up report. I just don't like putting out
something that I think will be glop.

Steve

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 3 Mar 2010 22:34:15 -0800, "Bob Terwilliger"
> > wrote:
>
>> Might be a matter of taste. If freezing makes tamales spongy rather than
>> dense, that might be an improvement to many people.
>
> I make my own tamales and freeze them. Freezing has not made a
> difference in the final product - thank goodness, because I think my
> tamales are darned good.

These were made by the wife of a Hispanic friend of mine, and are the
genuine article.

Steve

Steve B wrote:
> I put some tamales in the freezer a while back. I am thawing them out for
> dinner tomorrow as appetizers to grilled ribs. (I know better than to call
> them barbecued.) Do they freeze well? They are in husks, and that wrapped
> in plastic.
>
> Steve

I'm assuming you steamed the tamales before you put them in the
freezer. If so, put the tamales in the refrigerator to defrost. I heat
them in the microwave and that works just fine. Let us know how the
tamales turn out, and your ribs, too.


Becca

Steve B > wrote:

>"Steve Pope" > wrote in message

>> Just freeze them in their husks straight out of the freezer -- do
>> not thaw in a refrigerator first.

>> (It might take a long time to steam them, 30 or even 40
>> minutes, depending on how cold your freezer is.)

>My thoughts, exactly. And they are in blobs of six. How long would it take
>to get the middle ones unfrozen, and how cooked would the outside be? I
>thawed them overnight, and they are loose now. Guess I'll find out when I
>taste them. Will do a follow up report. I just don't like putting out
>something that I think will be glop.

Yes, let us know.

It would be interesting sometime to compare a thawed/steamed tamale
with an unthawed/steamed tamale to see which is better. My
vote is for not thawing them.

S.

Steve Pope wrote:
> Steve B > wrote:
>
>> "Steve Pope" > wrote in message
>
>>> Just freeze them in their husks straight out of the freezer -- do
>>> not thaw in a refrigerator first.
>
>>> (It might take a long time to steam them, 30 or even 40
>>> minutes, depending on how cold your freezer is.)
>
>> My thoughts, exactly. And they are in blobs of six. How long would it take
>> to get the middle ones unfrozen, and how cooked would the outside be? I
>> thawed them overnight, and they are loose now. Guess I'll find out when I
>> taste them. Will do a follow up report. I just don't like putting out
>> something that I think will be glop.
>
> Yes, let us know.
>
> It would be interesting sometime to compare a thawed/steamed tamale
> with an unthawed/steamed tamale to see which is better. My
> vote is for not thawing them.


We made a big batch at Christmas and froze a lot in bunches of 20 after
they were fully cooked. We thawed them, then reheated them in the
microwave (still in the husks). Tasted great!

George L


--

George Leppla

Countryside Travel http://www.CruiseMaster.com
Blog http://cruisemaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/CruiseMaster

Steve B wrote:
>
> I put some tamales in the freezer a while back. I am thawing them out for
> dinner tomorrow as appetizers to grilled ribs. (I know better than to call
> them barbecued.) Do they freeze well? They are in husks, and that wrapped
> in plastic.
>
> Steve

They freeze fine; commercial tamales are sold frozen around here. Remove
the plastic and allow extra steaming time when reheating.

Steve B wrote:
> I put some tamales in the freezer a while back. I am thawing them out for
> dinner tomorrow as appetizers to grilled ribs. (I know better than to call
> them barbecued.) Do they freeze well? They are in husks, and that wrapped
> in plastic.
>
> Steve

In my experience they freeze extremely well and taste just
like freshly made when thawed and heated.

Kate


--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?