How to Use a Mortar and Pestle

What is a mortar and pestle? It's not just something witches use in Halloween stories, a mortar and pestle set is actually the original food processor. The set consists of a small dish and a smooth, wide piece that you use to mash all different kinds of foods. From spices to fruits and vegetables, you can bypass the electrical method and use a mortar and pestle to get your food into a paste or powder.

Instructions

1. Select a small amount of whatever you're crushing. Putting in too much will make it harder to get an even grind.

2. Put your whole foods, cubes or pieces into the bowl.

3. Press down on the collected mass with the pestle or "pounder" piece, holding the piece firmly.

4. Use a circular motion, slowly elongating and contracting, to being to grind the food at the bottom of the bowl.

5. Continue to press down and grind, letting the food shift, so that little by little, all of the pieces in the bowl will be ground down pretty fine.

6. Put the crushed food in another bowl and wipe out the mortar bowl to prevent whatever you were processing from leaving its taste in the bowl.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't be hasty. Grinding with a mortar and pestle can be a slow process that takes patience. Going after pieces with stabbing motions is not recommended; it's better to slowly include pieces into the mix and grind them down over time.

• Find the right level of absorbency for your mortar and pestle. If you want multiple batches to taste the same, you can use a soft wood set where the flavors get absorbed into the wood. If you want "purity" in what you are processing, stone or ceramics may be a better choice.

• Cleanse your mortar and pestle set with soap and warm water for re-use. Experts recommend against putting the mortar and pestle into the dish washer, especially for ceramic sets. You're best off washing them by hand, and since most sets are fairly small, it shouldn't be too much of a chore.