The Proper Way To Season Your Brand New Mortar And Pestle

A mortar and pestle feels like a kitchen tool out of time, but many people still use it today for its ability to get bold, fresh flavors out of their spices. They've been around for centuries and used in cuisines and cultures across the world from the Romans to the Aztecs and other Indigenous American populations.

Mortar and pestles are useful instruments to keep in your kitchen for the sheer amount of processes and techniques you can perform with them, from grinding fresh spices to making sauces like pesto, and so on. But since these are made with natural materials like volcanic rock, granite, and wood, a new mortar and pestle needs to be seasoned before use, much like a new cast iron skillet; although the processes are very different from each other.

Once you get a new mortar and pestle, you can season it at home through a process of soaking it in water and repeated steps of grinding uncooked rice until the inside is cleaned out. Once seasoned, you'll be ready to take on all of your mortar and pestle missions.

A mortar and pestle can be made from a wide variety of materials, with granite, ceramic, marble, and volcanic rock being the most popular. No matter what material your mortar and pestle are made of, they can all be seasoned the same way before being used. If you were to feel the inside of a new mortar, the bowl-shaped base, you would notice a gritty, sandy feeling from the natural material. This is why they need to be seasoned, to clean them in preparation for cooking with them.

Start by submerging the mortar (the bowl) and the pestle (the hand-held pounding instrument) in a bowl of water for a few hours, or even overnight, to rinse out the initial dirt and debris. Much like a cast iron skillet, you should never use soap on your mortar and pestle since the porous natural material will absorb it.

After soaking, put a small handful of rice in the well of the mortar with a scant bit of water, just a tablespoon or so. Then take the pestle and start grinding the rice until it makes a finely ground paste. You will notice the rice starts to pick up a grayish quality as it scrubs off the dirt. After the rice is fully ground, rinse out the tools and repeat with another handful of rice and a bit of water. It will take a few rounds but, when the paste stays white, that's when the mortar and pestle are fully seasoned and ready to use.