Tamales are made and enjoyed during fiestas, but wrapping tamales can be a party in itself. Gather friends and family to help wrap these tidy corn-husk packages. You'll find yourselves sharing stories and building memories before you enjoy the delicious results of your labor.
Soak dried corn husks in hot water for two hours or overnight.
You need to soften the husks so they’ll fold properly. Drain the corn husks on paper towels.
Cut out 9-inch squares of aluminum foil. You’ll need one for each tamale.
To wrap the tamales, spread one or two husks lengthwise on the counter, with the narrow end pointing away from you.
Spread about 2-1⁄2 tablespoons of filling down the center, leaving about 2 inches bare at the top of the husk.
Fold over the sides and then the ends of the corn husk to enclose the filling.
Make sure that the filling is fully covered by the husk.
Place the folded tamale on a square of foil and fold over the foil to enclose the package.
You can also close the tamale by tying a strip of corn husk around it.
Fill and wrap the remaining corn husks.
Your tamales are ready to be steamed!
Small batches of tamales can fit into a vegetable steamer basket, but for larger quantities, you need a real steamer, which is a large pot with a perforated portion on top, where you place the tamales.
