Mortar And Pestle

[Flippo]

G'day Ladies and Gents,

Hope everyone had a great Xmas and a happy new year, glad it's all over and done with, me, but anyhow. I need some advice/opinions on a mortar and pestle that I got a few months ago and I thought where better to go than the learned folk on this very forum.

I recieved a granite mortar and pestle off my lovely wife after mentioning that it would be great to make... well stuff in it, curry pastes, dry rubs etc. It's a very heavy and, what I think, good quality one however it is quite rough inside the mortar and the pestle is quite rough as well. Some others that I've seen are relatively smooth inside. My problem is, being so rough inside, it produces quite a bit of fine granite powder when you are grinding things. Does anybody have enough experience with these to know how to reduce this dust. I have searched all over the internet for information however I haven't found answers for this particular problem. The second problem I am worried about is that if I grind a particular paste in there, being that is quite rough inside, will this paste get caught in the "roughness" and taint everything else that goes in there?

I have thought about, and done it, just grinding away for a while with nothing in it to smooth it down a bit and wear it in but this doesn't seem to be working. Either that or I'm too impatient and haven't done it enough.

Any help/opinions would be much appreciated. I'm as keen as mustard to start making many and varied exotic and diverse recipes in it and would have liked to have started ages ago. Who knows, if it all comes together I might be able to have a massive cook off and feed all members of AHB (you guys supply the beer.. )

Thanking you in anticipation of any replies

Steve

 

[bolwell]

G'day Ladies and Gents,

Hope everyone had a great Xmas and a happy new year, glad it's all over and done with, me, but anyhow. I need some advice/opinions on a mortar and pestle that I got a few months ago and I thought where better to go than the learned folk on this very forum.

I recieved a granite mortar and pestle off my lovely wife after mentioning that it would be great to make... well stuff in it, curry pastes, dry rubs etc. It's a very heavy and, what I think, good quality one however it is quite rough inside the mortar and the pestle is quite rough as well. Some others that I've seen are relatively smooth inside. My problem is, being so rough inside, it produces quite a bit of fine granite powder when you are grinding things. Does anybody have enough experience with these to know how to reduce this dust. I have searched all over the internet for information however I haven't found answers for this particular problem. The second problem I am worried about is that if I grind a particular paste in there, being that is quite rough inside, will this paste get caught in the "roughness" and taint everything else that goes in there?

I have thought about, and done it, just grinding away for a while with nothing in it to smooth it down a bit and wear it in but this doesn't seem to be working. Either that or I'm too impatient and haven't done it enough.

Any help/opinions would be much appreciated. I'm as keen as mustard to start making many and varied exotic and diverse recipes in it and would have liked to have started ages ago. Who knows, if it all comes together I might be able to have a massive cook off and feed all members of AHB (you guys supply the beer.. )

Thanking you in anticipation of any replies

Steve

I'd say you got a crook one, take it back.

 

[KHB]

I'd say you got a crook one, take it back.

I agree im a chef and i wouldnt want to use it. God knows whats actually gonna end up in your paste. They are very good for herbs as they will not bruise as much in one so you get better flavours.

 

[Airgead]

Yeah.. +1 from me as well. I have one of those granite jobs and its pretty smooth. Does a great job too. Grinds up my spices and lets me work out my frustration all at the same time.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Flippo]

Ok, I stuffed up a little. I looked at it again the other day and it is fairly smooth. It's rough, but in a smooth kinda way. If there is such a description of that..... however, it still gives off a bit of dust. I'm thinking this may be because it's new and it needs to be worn in. I was searching around the other night after posting and found this explanation on Wkikpedia for a Mexican thing much the same as a mortar and pestle.

"It should be noted that if you acquire a molcajete, you have to season it before you can use it, whether to grind spices, make guacamole, or as above. This can be done several ways. First, you need to get all the loose stone out of it, lest it end up in your recipe. It might actually be healthful for you, but you probably would not appreciate the grit. Soak the thing in fresh water for at least two days. Then, traditionally, take some dry white rice (raw) and grind it into the bottom and sides of the pestle with the tejolote. Dump the rice and repeat. After maybe an hour of this, the rice will stop taking on a grey color. When the rice stays white, you are done. Alternatively, and much easier, buy a copper brush and grind it on the bottom of the wet molcojete until you stop feeling grit in the water, maybe 15 minutes depending on how stiff your brush is. Whichever way you choose, never put detergent in the thing to clean it. Rather treat it like you would a cast iron skillet and wipe it out."

I'm gonna ask a dumb arse question here cause I've read it a couple of times now and I can't work it out. It says to fill it with water then grind the rice, would you tip the water out first to grind the rice or leave the water in there and grind the rice in it. I took it as tipping the water out then grinding the rice? Any ideas.

Thanks

 

[Airgead]

I'm gonna ask a dumb arse question here cause I've read it a couple of times now and I can't work it out. It says to fill it with water then grind the rice, would you tip the water out first to grind the rice or leave the water in there and grind the rice in it. I took it as tipping the water out then grinding the rice? Any ideas.

Thanks

Yep.. sounds like you fill it with water for a couple of days then tip it out and grind up the rice. The other way could end up messy.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Flippo]

Thanks Dave, thought so.

After I posted I sat there and had a good hard think. I was thinking getting a mortar, filled with water, then dumping a couple of handfulls of rice in it, then trying to grind it all round is gonna make for one very messy exercise. I simply amaze myself how much I don't think things through sometimes.........