Why I Make My Own Tortillas (And Why They Don’t Need Government-Required Folic Acid)

There’s a reason I still make tortillas the old-fashioned way.

Flour.

Warm water.

Salt.

Lard from our own pigs.

No additives. No unnecessary ingredients.

Recently, a new law went into effect in California requiring most store-bought corn tortillas and corn masa products to contain added folic acid — a synthetic vitamin.

It’s the first mandate of its kind in the U.S., and it applies to manufacturers selling products in the state.  But here’s the thing:

Folic acid has never been a traditional or necessary ingredient in tortillas. And that’s exactly why I make mine from scratch.

What This New Law Really Is

Starting January 1, 2026, California’s Assembly Bill 1830 requires most corn masa flour and tortillas sold in the state to be fortified with folic acid — the synthetic form of vitamin B9 — at about 0.7 mg per pound of masa flour.

The goal of this public-health measure is to help reduce certain birth defects by increasing folic acid intake before pregnancy begins, since neural tube development happens very early.

That’s the intent — but when it comes to the tortillas on your plate, there are a few important realities to understand:

Traditional Tortillas Never Needed This

For countless generations, tortillas were made with:

• Simple flour or corn masa

• Water

• Fat

• And that’s it

They were nourishing without fortification.

Now, a government mandate is asking manufacturers to add an ingredient that wasn’t part of the original recipe — and that’s something worth thinking about.

Folic Acid vs. Natural Folate

It’s important to distinguish:

• Folate — the natural form of vitamin B9 found in real whole foods (dark leafy greens, liver, etc.)

• Folic acid — the synthetic form often used in fortification and supplements

The law targets the synthetic form — not naturally occurring folate. Many people process these two differently, and some cannot metabolize synthetic folic acid efficiently.

This isn’t about “health scare” rhetoric; it’s about knowing what you’re putting in your food.

The Real Secret to Amazing Tortillas: Homemade Lard

Whether I’m rolling flour or corn tortillas, the ingredient that makes them truly special isn’t a vitamin — it’s fat.

And for me, that fat is lard we render ourselves from our own pigs.

Why Our Lard Matters

Our pigs live like pigs should — outdoors, in sunshine, moving, foraging, rooting earth. That matters for fat quality. High-quality rendered lard:

• Is rich in naturally stable fats

• Holds fat-soluble nutrients

• Adds texture, flavor, and moisture to dough

• Is free from industrial seed oils

Good fat makes a tortilla tender, pliable, and delicious. It doesn’t need synthetic additives to do its job.

My Simple Homemade Tortilla Recipe

No fortification. No fillers. No synthetic vitamins. Just real food.

Ingredients

• 3 cups unbleached, unenriched flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/3 cup lard (ours is from our ranch-raised pigs)

• 1 cup warm water

Instructions

1. Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl.

2. Cut in lard until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

3. Gradually add warm water and mix until a soft dough forms.

4. Knead 3–5 minutes until smooth.

5. Let rest, covered, for 20–30 minutes.

6. Divide into golf-ball pieces.

7. Roll thin with a rolling pin.

8. Cook each tortilla in a hot skillet 30–60 seconds per side.

Four ingredients. Real food. Done.

Why I Choose This Route

This isn’t about opposing public health goals.

It’s about food sovereignty — choosing what goes into what I feed my family instead of letting policy define it for me.

For centuries, tortillas were made well without additives.

For centuries, people ate nourishing diets rooted in real food.

If a law changes what you see on a store-bought package, that’s their product.

But in my kitchen?

I stay true to tradition.

Flour.

Warm water.

Salt.

Lard — the real ingredient that matters.

And tortillas made the way they were meant to be.