Tamale is a corn-dough dish that’s prepared with different fillings. Some of the fillings are chicken, fruits, vegetables, etc. Let’s know more about How Much Do Tamales Cost?
The dish is usually wrapped in a corn husk or banana wrapper for additional flavor. Tamale is a Mexican dish but it’s well-known for its delicious taste worldwide.
It takes a long time to prepare which is why a lot of people cook it in huge batches- to preserve and eat later.
A tamale costs $1 to $3, while you can find a dozen tamales at a rate of $7-$19. The price, however, isn’t constant. It depends on the size of the tamales and the place of purchase. You can get tamales in a local restaurant, food truck, or a mart.
How are Tamales Packaged for sale?
Tamales are often sold in a batch of eight or a dozen. You can get a box at a restaurant or any food store. It’s pretty rare to get a single tamale to buy even though it’s affordable.
Moreover, Tamales are available in cans- similar to canned pasta or macaroni. The price of 12-ounce canned tamales is between $1.50 – $2.50.
The cost of tamales also depends on the fillings. Jalapeno fillings, for instance, cost more than the usual and it’s the same for meat fillings. Meanwhile, you have the option of cooking your tamales.
You can choose your desired fillings and cook them in huge batches- which will serve for future use.
Are Tamales Cheap To Make?
Making Tamales depend on your budget, so there’s no specific answer to how cheap it is. You have numerous options of fillings to use for your tamales. The filling is a huge determinant of the amount you’ll spend on cooking your tamales.
However, it’s advisable to cook tamales instead of buying commercially produced ones.
Some of the benefits attached to cooking your tamales include:
- You’ll have plenty of tamales to reheat and eat. Tamales take long hours, so you might want to cook plenty- which will lead to leftovers. Fortunately, it’s easy to preserve as long as you have a refrigerator or freezer.
- You’ll get to cook with your desired filling. Fillings like cheese, chicken, pork, veggies, etc., are used in cooking tamales.
Hence, if you cook the tamales yourself, you won’t encounter issues like your desired filling is unavailable- which is possible if you buy it in a store or restaurant.
- Commercially produced tamales might not be as healthy. It’s necessary to think of your health before buying tamales in stores.
For example, tamales in packaged cans tend to have preservatives which are pretty dangerous to your health with concurrent intake.
- Saves money: The Labor attached to preparing tamales is responsible for how expensive it is. Thus, if you do the labor yourself to get a huge batch of the delicious dish, it’ll save you a lot of money than buying.
How Long Does It Take To Make Tamales
Generally, it takes about 1 ½ or 2 hours to cook tamales on a stovetop. But if you’re cooking frozen or refrigerated tamales, that should take 30-45 minutes. Thawed tamales take 20 minutes.
The duration for cooking tamales depends on the appliance you’re using to cook like an instant pot, stovetop, oven, air fryer, microwave, etc, and the tamales form- frozen, cold, or thawed.
Nonetheless, you can reheat your tamales by following the below steps.
- Fill the pot with water without touching the steaming basket. Put the basket in the pot and cover. Let it boil.
- Place the tamales in the basket and leave them to boil for 30 minutes.
- Then, remove it and eat.
Do Store-Bought Tamales Go Bad?
Other than their delicious taste, tamales are known to have long shelf lives. Store-bought Tamales can either be cooked or uncooked and it’s necessary to preserve both.
If you have tamales leftover, you should preserve them in the refrigerator, and they’ll last for a week. Also, you can preserve it in the freezer for the same duration. Ensure you store them in an airtight container and consume them within 7 days.
Nevertheless, store-bought Tamales can go bad when they’re not properly preserved and stored at the right temperature. Tamales can even last up to a year if you store them in a vacuum freezer bag or six months if you freeze them.
Conclusion
Tamale is popular for its delicious taste. You can find tamales in grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, corner stores, roadsides, etc. However, before you think of eating tamales, you should know the price.
How much does a tamale cost? Even though it’s rare to buy a tamale, you’ll find stores with single prices. Would you like to know the price of a batch of tamales and if it’s worth it? Read the above article and drop your comments below.
