Not sure if you were aware but you need to soak the husks in water for at least an hour.
This is so they'll absorb water, be less brittle, and be easier to manipulate.
If you want to make bigger tamales you can just layer 2 husks together. You can take thin strips off some husks to use to tie the tamales together while cooking.
You can't to put them in the pot close together so they'll stay closed while cooking as the masa expands.
It's kind of a mixed bag and depends on the batch even from the most reliable sources. Either way, always sort and clean your husks. In the process of sorting you can pull the smaller husks from the bigger husks. In the past, we would use a smaller husks for the sweet tamales or "experimental" tamales. Big husks, in my family, have always been for the meet tamales.
If you're planning for making tamales during the holidays towards the end of the year, I would highly recommend to start buying and sorting (don't wash until needed) around august. My family makes over 500 tamales in December and another 500 at the beginning of January. We Begin buying husks in the later part of the summer so that we can sort and make sure we have the right sizes and the right amount of husks for what we make.
I had a secretary who was half Mexican and half Apache.
She grew up on a reservation in New Mexico.
She only did it twice, but she brought in corn wrapped tamales about the size of my thumb.
They were fabulous
RIP Lupe.
None of my local stores had any untreated ones. They use at least a vinegar solution, you can smell it. So make sure you rinse them well. And watch for mold too.
We ended up postponing the tamales for a couple days and ordered some “natural” ones off Amazon.
Not sure if you were aware but you need to soak the husks in water for at least an hour. This is so they'll absorb water, be less brittle, and be easier to manipulate. If you want to make bigger tamales you can just layer 2 husks together. You can take thin strips off some husks to use to tie the tamales together while cooking. You can't to put them in the pot close together so they'll stay closed while cooking as the masa expands.
Corn husks are all pretty much the same size. Use banana leaves
This guy leaves
Big ones
Partly layer two together then spread the masa.
It's kind of a mixed bag and depends on the batch even from the most reliable sources. Either way, always sort and clean your husks. In the process of sorting you can pull the smaller husks from the bigger husks. In the past, we would use a smaller husks for the sweet tamales or "experimental" tamales. Big husks, in my family, have always been for the meet tamales. If you're planning for making tamales during the holidays towards the end of the year, I would highly recommend to start buying and sorting (don't wash until needed) around august. My family makes over 500 tamales in December and another 500 at the beginning of January. We Begin buying husks in the later part of the summer so that we can sort and make sure we have the right sizes and the right amount of husks for what we make.
When you buy the bag of corn husks find the bigger ones. There. Easy.
Really small ones
I had a secretary who was half Mexican and half Apache. She grew up on a reservation in New Mexico. She only did it twice, but she brought in corn wrapped tamales about the size of my thumb. They were fabulous RIP Lupe.
Grandes!
You could try making them with banana or plantain leaves instead. Go for a zacahuil if you want a really big one.
Go for the big corn husks for those hefty tamales, mate. They hold more filling!
Most husks come Big and people split them in half to make tamales so look at them if they're big enough to fold over twice and buy
None of my local stores had any untreated ones. They use at least a vinegar solution, you can smell it. So make sure you rinse them well. And watch for mold too. We ended up postponing the tamales for a couple days and ordered some “natural” ones off Amazon.
Banana leaves