How to Make a Mortar & Pestle
A mortar and pestle is an old but still highly useful set of kitchen implements used to grind fresh herbs, releasing their internal juices for maximum scent and flavor. While a mortar and pestle can be made of many hard, strong materials, one of the most common of these is pottery clay. With your own kiln-fired clay and using minimal sculpting skills, you can make a mortar and pestle of your own.
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Instructions
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Prepare two pieces of clay. Make one about the size of a ping-pong ball and the other about a third that size. Condition the clay by kneading it and adding a little water until it is soft, pliable and easy to work with and manipulate.
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2
Form the bowl. Roll the larger piece of clay between a flattened hand and your work surface, forming a sphere. Create a recess in the sphere by pressing down into the center of it with your thumbs and pushing out. Pinch the sides of the bowl from the inside to widen the hollow, but don't make it too thin; leave the walls at least 1/3 inch thick, to ensure they'll stand up to the punishment of the grinding pestle. Flatten the top and part of the bottom of the bowl by pressing them against your work station. The bowl should stand up on its own. Create a groove in the rim of the bowl, about the thickness of a finger; this is where the pestle will rest when not in use.
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3
Form the pestle. Roll the smaller piece of clay into a stout log about the size of your thumb. Thicken one end of this shape by positioning it on its end on your work surface, then pressing the clay from the opposite side while running your fingers down the sides. Round the thicker end of the pestle by pressing and smoothing with your fingertips.
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4
Smooth both pieces. Moisten your fingers and run them gently over the surface of both pieces, wetting and rubbing until the areas of both are as smooth and even as possible. Make sure the pestle tip rolls easily on all sides, and that the inside of the bowl doesn't have any recesses, cavities or grooves where herbs could get stuck stuck and remain unground.
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5
Fire the clay as normal, according to the instructions for your kiln and clay.
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