whats best to cook tamales in?

[arabianequine]

Here is a link I found, but why so many choices?

http://www.thefind.com/kitchen/info-tamale-steamer

 

[txcarl1258]

Looks like most any of them would work. You can't go wrong with anything IMUSA makes. Living in South Texas and working at a grocery store we sell A LOT of IMUSA tamale pots so they must be doing something right.

If you are going to make them from scratch my hats off to you. DW and I tried one year with her Grandma they said it would be fun

Needless to say I didn't get to eat tamales on Christmas and I have a new respect to whoever can make them well.

 

[arabianequine]

I have been wanting to try forever now but does no look promising for a beginner.

I thought I heard that the pot should be at least 12 inches high I think anyways really tall but not all of those were really tall so now I am confused.

 

[DuckLady]

I use a stock pot. I put a metal strainer inside upside down.

Pack around it with old clean towels and fill to just under the top of the strainer with water. Stand the tamales upright until the pot is full and steam.

 

[bigmike&nan]

I've made tamales from scratch a couple times. Yes it is a lot of work but I wasn't feeding a big crowd at once, what I did was assemble them, placing about 8 on a 13x9 pan and freezing them, then doing another 8. By the time I had the 2nd batch of 8 made I would bag the first batch in a heavy zippered freezer bag and repeat that cycle until I had them all done. If I was having company I'd get out my 12 qt. stock pot and place a metal steamer insert in the bottom and steam my tamales about 45 minutes. If I was just doing them for myself I would use a 4 qt pan and use the same (expandable) steamer insert and steam them for 45 minutes. With some refried beans, rice and a crisp salad it was WONDERFUL...

Ok now I gotta make tamales. I just used the recipe on the side of the masa bag, it worked great - think I used a pork butt for my meat. Love me my tamales.

 

[wildorchid053]

how about a spagetti pot.. the kind with a strainer inside that you pull out to drain the pasta?

 

[Frogdogtimestwo]

GO FOR IT! They are not as hard as people think, unless you are not a regular in the kitchen. My husband likes to help and does a great job and he can't boil water. Follow a recipe, watch a you-tube video demonstration and you are set! I use stockpots with vegetable steamers in the bottom and a towel over the top. Make a big batch to freeze and eat for a few months. I have chicken in the crockpot now since it needed to get used and tamales have been on my mind all week

 

[arabianequine]

I have a 5 qt so can they lay down or should I stand them up still?

 

[65browneyes]

I'd never made tamales before, but my friend and I did over 20 dozen last Saturday. We got our big canners out, left the racks in the bottom, inverted glass pie plates over those, add water to just below the pie plate, and put the tamales in metal strainers on the plates. Steam for an hour and voila........Add sour cream and guacamole and oooooh...heaven

 

[Frogdogtimestwo]

Standing up.