How to season a molcajete (Mortar and pestle seasoning)
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- Опубліковано 23 сер 2024
- Molcajetes were already used by Mayan and Aztec cultures. They are used traditionally for spices, salsas, guacamole etc as well as for decoration or serving food to the table. When buying a molcajete we have to "cure" or season it. This is a simple process that can be used for other mortars as well.
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#Mortar #Molcajete #Seasoning
PRO TIP- if you own cast iron pans, you can save the ground rice and salt and use that to scour hard to remove crust from your pans
Pro tip indeed, will pin this so ppl can read it. Thanks for sharing.
Genius. Nothing gone to waste.
After buying a new large Mortar and Pestle yesterday, this was the video that I followed to season and cure my mortar!!! And instantly realised I had incidentally stumbled across the best Mexican cooking channel I have ever come across!!! Wish you success with your channel, you deserve it!!!
Thanks bro, I really appreciate it. Glad it was helpful.
You made this look easier than it is in reality.
Thank you sir.
It is quite some work! Glad it was useful
Oh my gosh I feel so silly!!! I received a molcajete as a gift from our neighbors on their recent trip to Monterrey, MX. I used it once and thought I got a defective one. I had no idea I need to season it! I’ll be pulling it back out of my closet and following these instructions. ¡Muchas gracias! 🙏🏻
Glad it was helpful and you can use it now 😃
Man! This is a labor of love!
I treated myself to a molcajete for my coming birthday (Dia de los Muertos). I ground the dry rice to a powder six times and thought the rice was clear. So, ready for a head of garlic; right? NOPE! The garlic was picking up bits of basalt that the dry rice didn’t. Back to the starting line!
My molcajete bowl is 9”. It takes me about 30-45 minutes to get from grain to powder. I’m constantly tipping and turning the mortar to be sure I get up the sides and the rim. I do one curing session a day and I’m on day seven.
Some vids suggest using wet rice (see Rick Bayless). I tried it. Definitely more work. After a while, the rice absorbs the water and you have to add more water. The wet rice also sticks to the sides easier, but the wet rice tends to stay in one place in the bowl so I feel I’m really only grinding the tejolote.
Other vids suggest adding a little water to the rice powder to make a paste and using it to remove grit. Welp, might as well try this. At least it would give a better clue as to weather the molcajete is ready for garlic.
Ohhh… patience! I can’t wait to make salsas and guacamole in this.
It really is! And quite a workout as well 😂
I have seen the adding water and I think its mostly so the rice doesnt jump everywhere but I find it way harder as well, but as you said it’s definitely worth it! Making a salsa in a blender or using a molcajete is just very different and worth the trouble.
Always love it when people keep it simple and get straight to the point. Watched the video once and know exactly what to do. Immediately subbed. Grací friend
Nice that you liked and thank you!
Even though this was posted 2 years ago, I am very glad it was the #1 result when i searched for molcajete seasoning. Very good advice. Spoken by a true Pro!! Thanks man!!
I just did exactly what he said to do. And my molcajete is in great condition to make gauc tomorrow. (I'm letting the garic paste soak in over night).
Nice to hear, glad it was useful!
Oh man, I went a little overkill on seasoning mine. I followed your instructions, but I got a major arm workout by grinding until my garlic was grey😄 took like 2 hours but I think the results speak for themselves. Great tutorial!
Glad it was helpful! It is definitely quite a workout.
I just bought my first Molcajete and am so glad to have found your video. It's perfecto! Another mexican in the kitchen here too (lol) and a new subscriber. I cannot wait to Condition, Season and cure my Mocajete. Thank you ~ Gracias
Awesome! Glad it was useful and hope you find some more interesting stuff in here 😁
Hi, I tried it and had a little bit of the salt/garlic paste stick on my arm and I didn’t notice. A few moments later I felt a burning sensation. Apparently raw garlic and salt combined on the skin can cause second degree burn. Just an FYI. Still used this method and worked like a charm👍
Oh sorry to hear, I didn’t know this was a thing but apparently this paste might cause burns in some people, specially if left on the skin for long so I guess it’s important to wash your hands thoroughly after. Thanks for sharing.
Muchas gracias por the tutorial! I just bought a molcajete and this is gonna be so helpful!
Nice! Glad it was helpful
I just got mines today, I’m so excited 😆
Thanks for sharing the wisdom & knowledge!
Nice! Glad it was useful!
Aldis has a nice granite one for sale in a few days with a nice long handle pestle part, I'll get two! I learned a long time ago if it's something you really want and will use, and will love get two as one day you know you're going to drop something or chip it. Thanks for the video on how to cure it. Personally I love the time consuming labor of love projects putting some good karma into it. I have 145 heads of garlic growing, lots of sweet and hot pepper varieties and wonderful San Marzano tomatoes in the garden this year. I'm going to give this thing some real lovin' and can't wait to finally have one. It's been on my wish list for quite some time now.
Go for it bro, you wont regret it. Garden sounds awesome btw. Anything you put patience, love and work into will be rewarding and eventually work out, those tomatoes will make some awesome salsa for sure
Thank you so much! I have been wanting one for years, and I was surprised that mine didn’t come with seasoning, instructions. made the process look very easy. Thank you so much I have subscribed.
Thanks! Glad it was useful and hope you find some more interesting videos here
Thanks for this! I need to really get this done to my molcajete. I've been dying to use it so going into spring might be the best time. Cheers!
You are welcome, glad you found this useful
THANKS!!! i just got one as a gift for xmas and cant wait to use it..gonna follow and learn some mexican cuisine!
Awesome! Hope you find some stuff you like.
My roommate just pcsed to a new base and left behind his new molcajete for me to have. Thanks for your help in the video so this 'wedo' can properly take care of his gift. Be safe over the holidays, dude!
Awesome to read this! Always nice to see people interested in our culture, hope you enjoy your molcajete and be safe as well!
Just the video that I was looking for! Thank you very much! 💕
Great! Glad it was useful 😃
Thanks for sharing and showing us how to season our mortar and pestle
Glad it was useful!
I just bought my first one . My mom's was lost when she died . I wanted it but it's ok I used to have my own given by my mom . Little girl size . Moving I list mine too. I'm glad I found you
Oh sorry to hear, hope this was useful 😁
Well-done video. I've watched a numbers of videos about seasoning my mortar and pestle. I understand why it needs to be done. I understand the various methods including the rice, rice and salt, just water. What I don't understand is why I need to do the garlic. Some of the methods use not only garlic but also add salt, pepper and cumin to the garlic grind. What does the garlic step accomplish? Thanks for your help!
Thank you! I´ve been wondering the same, but what I understood is that traditionally garlic has been used as an antiseptic, antibacterial, and antifungal agent. The stone is porous so we dont want to use soap since soap flavor might stay there. Garlic helps us "clean" the molcajete and also the paste will help get the left over rice and dust off when you rinse it after.
Thank you for posting.
Nice you liked it
Hello from NEW Mexico. Mine just arrived today from Mexico. Appreciate the video.
Nice! Hope the video is useful 🙂
I liked, subscribed and all those kinda things my brother
Thanks bro!
"I’m in. 🙋🏻♂️
I like the water trick. Thanks
Nice that you liked it!
How smooth should it be inside. I've ground rice and salt 7 times and its not looking grey anymore. However, there are bits of rice stuck in the pores. How smooth should it be inside. Should all the pores be gone?
You will most likely not get rid of the pores, those are natural in a molcajete. You have to check the powder, rice should come out almost clean. Rice stuck is normal, you can use a scrub and water to get rid of it. The garlic paste will also help you get rid of those stuck ones.
Thank you! I might try a pressure washer to get the stuck rice out! Ha ha.
That might actually work quite nicely, have never tried that
@MexicanintheKitchen don't do it. It made bigger holes and when I wipe my fingers across it, they come away grey and dusty.
Today at our local Mexican grocery store, I looked up and saw the sweetest molcajete ever, a pig face and legs. I've wanted one forever, and I am getting into making fermented salsas. My excitement has somewhat been dimmed as it seems to be taking me forever to break up the rice. It came with a smooth inside but I am guessing I still need to do this. Me: 0 Molcajete: 1
Edited: after what seems like hard work and getting nowhere, all of a sudden it got a lot easier. Me: 1 Molcajete: 1
Oh I know the feeling, first time I did this I regretted starting about halfway in, it gets better eventually 😂
@@MexicanintheKitchen it has turned out beautifully. The garlic smell in it is amazing. I laughed when you said it smelled like rain when wet. Only someone who has lived in the desert southwest, such as me in New Mexico, thinks the smell of rain is wet rocks. When I went east with trees and green and it rained, I was like, what is that earthy smell.
Good to hear! Oh I hadnt even thought about how rain smell might be different depending where you live 😅
I was sold when he said "It smells like rain."❤😑 Alexa add this to cart!
I just love that smell
Muchas Gracias amigo!
Hope it was useful, saludos!
Muchas 🙏 Gracias ☺️
Hope it was useful, thanks for watching
Gracia viejo
Espero fuera útil, saludos
👍
OMG you're right. I just seasoned mine and it smells like rain
I love that smell
Subscribed. Thx for the video
Thanks! Hope it was useful
Great ty....
You´re welcome, hope it was useful
would corn work instead of rice like using grits for the first step.
Ive seen some people use cracked corn and coarse salt instead of rice but have never tried that myself
Good video..I got my first molcajete today for my birthday. What is the best way to clean such a thing when you're done with it? Thanks..
Awesome! Happy birthday! You can wash it with some warm water and any stiff brush. If for some reason dirt wont come off easily you can just soak it on warm water for a while and then scrub again. Soap isn’t recommended since stone is porous and taste might linger for a while.
@@MexicanintheKitchen thanks man...I'll be watching 👀
This Gringo thanks you for this video.
Question: when you said wash it, do you just wash with water or do you also use soap?
Glad you liked it!
Some people use soap but traditionally no soap is used since smell/flavour might stay even after rinsing. I skip it. Only water and a brush
@@MexicanintheKitchen gracias!
How would one remove capsaicin from grinding up dried superhot peppers? Did I ruin my mortar & pestle?
I havent had this issue but acids like lemon and tomato can help neutralize it, baking soda might help as well, I Would start by soaking it for a while in hot water with some baking soda and finally do the garlic step again since it helps cleaning but Im sure its not ruined
@MexicanintheKitchen I ended up doing a white vinegar treatment. Let it sit for some hours. Ultimately I don't think there's any heat anymore, as some of the stone dissolved away. Smoothed it down, and we're good to go now. Thank you.
Good to hear and thanks for sharing! Definitely good to know
How can we be able to identify the molcajetes made of volcanic stone, and those made of concrete? is any visible difference?
Hey good question! If I understand correctly when you first use it, in this case when crushing the rice, concrete ones are way less likely to cause that kind of sand or small grains of rock to come off.
@@MexicanintheKitchen could it also be a difference in sound when you hit the tejolote and molcajete against eache other? i think the stone ones should produce a "cleaner" sound, while concrete ones should produce a duller sound. Just an idea, i haven't tried it. my (new) molcajete is chipping well, so i suppose it's made of stone.
@@bluemoondiadochi Good idea, I wouldnt be surprised if there is a difference in sound
One of the tips I've seen is to try and cut it with a serrated butter knife, concrete will scar and cut quite easily leaving some dust but basalt doesn't really do this, it might leave a mark that can be wiped off and won't leave a white powder when cut. You can also smell it when it's wet, concrete will have that muddy masonry smell but basalt should smell "like rain", possibly a bit sulphuric.
Oh and the other thing - it should be porous and retain water. When it's wet water should seep into the stone and you can't dry it with a towel
Cómo saber si mi molcajete es auténtico?
No estoy 100% seguro, pero por lo que he leído si cuando lo estas preparando por primera vez no suelta casi tierra (tiene desgaste) entonces puede ser señal de que no es de piedra
How often are you supposed to do season them? Are you supposed to wash them after use?
You should season them before the first use. You should wash them after use but you want to skip the soap and just use some warm water and a scrub.
@@MexicanintheKitchen Thank you!
How do I get all the little bits of rice out? They're kind of soaked and embedded in now
You can use a scrub to wash it off if the salt and garlic doesnt do the trick
Hi, i just seasoned my new molcajete and left the garlic paste over night but it turned green, i don't know if it's mold or just coloration from the stone cause in just a night it seems really fast to turn that bad, did anyone else had this issue ?
Its an issue with the sulfur compounds in garlic. It oxidises when exposed to air and depends on some environmental factors so this might happen sometimes. If it smells normal then it should even be edible its just like apples and bananas turning black after a while when you cut them
Thanks for the response, after searching a bit by my side i found that garlic turn blue-green when exposed to acid (like when you pickles it) and as it was in stage of a paste (so wet) and that granit is an acidic rock i think it absobed the acid from the rock and changed color really fast, looked really strange but kinda cool reaction 😬
I'm so glad stainless steel exists.
It definitely makes things easier
Does anyone know if the garlic part is necessary? Is there an alternative?
Not sure if there is an alternative. Garlic is used because of its antiseptic properties. If you want to skip that, I would just rinse well and scrub the molcajete with a brush to make sure its as clean as possible.
@@MexicanintheKitchen thank you for the response! 🙏🏼
I'm finally going to do this because I don't have a blender and need to use it to make a sauce for birria. Do you think I will be able to crush softened chiles in it?
Definitely, it might take a bit longer than fresh chilies but Im sure you can manage
Will the garlic become bad over time ? How often would I need to clean with rice ?
Hi, once you are ready and left the garlic for a while you just wash it with soap and a scrub so it won't go bad.You only need to do this process once. After that, normal use will keep it in good shape.
@@MexicanintheKitchen Awesoke thank you my friend. I am working on it today. I'm a gringo married to a beautiful Mexican woman. I absolutely love Mexican food like you would not beleive. Now I'm inspired to make my own salsas. Is there something you recommend that won't be to difficult for a newbie?
Nice! I'm sure she loves the idea and hope you find this channel useful. You can check the playlist I have with salsas. Most of them are really simple. The habanero and tomato one is probably one of the most simple ones and it goes well with many things
I was told to use rice and Beans when I did mine is it an issue xD?
Shouldnt be, you just need something to grind and get the stone even
@MexicanintheKitchen thanks I actually bought one for a father's day gift, and girlfriend wanted to prep it
Thank you for the tutorial. How did you end up in Finland?
Long story but was working for VW and was sent to Germany, there I met some friends from Finland and came to visit. Then I met someone and well... here I am
@@MexicanintheKitchen wow. That is great! I drive a VW Beetle. My favorite car, ever!
Its an awesome car, I worked in the factory that made those for a couple years. In that time I drove a diesel Vento and a Jetta and they were great to drive
I understand cleaning it with the rice and salt. I'm trying to do that with mine now. By the way, That's a pain in the ass. But why do the garlic at the end? Won't it give it a garlic taste each time?
It definitely is! 😂 The garlic wont really give it that much of a taste except maybe the first time you use it. What I have understood is that this paste will go into the pores so it will take all the stone and dust residue so that it wont come out when you are using the molcajete.
@@MexicanintheKitchen garlic also has antimicrobial properties so perhaps it keeps it more hygienic. This type of molcajete is very porous and potentially could have harmful microbes nested in there from use.
How do you know if it is real stone or concrete?????
One other subscriber has shared this and so far its the best answer I have found for this question:
"One of the tips I've seen is to try and cut it with a serrated butter knife, concrete will scar and cut quite easily leaving some dust but basalt doesn't really do this, it might leave a mark that can be wiped off and won't leave a white powder when cut. You can also smell it when it's wet, concrete will have that muddy masonry smell but basalt should smell "like rain", possibly a bit sulphuric.
Oh and the other thing - it should be porous and retain water. When it's wet water should seep into the stone and you can't dry it with a towel"
@@MexicanintheKitchen THANK YOU VERY MUCH !!!!! Will try to test it. 🙂
Was this a 2 or 4 cup please? I’m unsure how big to get
This one has a diameter of 17cm/6.6in it holds 2 cups comfortably and 3 if you fill it all the way up.
I would say this is enough if Im serving salsa or guacamole with chips as an entry for 4-6 ppl. If its just a really spicy salsa to go with food it might be enough for even more
@@MexicanintheKitchen Thank you! I completed 6 rounds of the rice, but when I put the garlic in and mashed it, the garlic turned gray. What did I do wrong?
Someone else mentioned they had the same issue in older comments. It’s a reaction garlic has with air and the stone so it turns greyish/greenish but should be safe anyway
@@MexicanintheKitchen thank so so much for your replies, very helpful 🌻
No problem, glad it was helpful
It did get the rice out
al buscar herramientas pa hacer mole encontré la metate. se puede usar molcajete en lugar de la metate para hacer mole?
la mujer que la usa dice que no hay otro método de hacerlo y que el usar herramientas modernas no tiene el savor como dices aquí en este vídeo pero que crees? es necesario o es más cuestión de la gente que no quieren que su cultura muera?
Se puede usar el molajete. El metate tal vez es más fácil pues tienes mayor superficie y se puede hacer más presión. El sabor es verdad y creo que si tienes el tiempo y dedicación para hacerlo a mano, es una bonita experiencia. La textura que se obtiene del metate y molcajete es también diferente, pero si quieres ahorrarte tiempo y usar una licuadora, tu mole quedará bien también.
Creo que es importante mntener las tradiciones, pero eso no quiere decir que no podamos tomar atajos. Personalmente, los fines de semana o en ocasiones especiales cocino desde cero lo más posible, pero entre semana tomo muchos atajos y uso cosas ya preparadas. Creo que es importante conocer las recetas y tecnicas a fondo y ser concientes de los atajos que tomamos pues nos ayudan a hacerlo sin alejarnos demasiado del resultado final
😍
Hi sir. Why do I have rice stuck in the holes?
Its common for that to happen when the molcajete is a bit too porous. In my experience, it usually comes off when you do the garlic and if it doesnt, then when rinsing you can use a small scrub to get those out
@@MexicanintheKitchen Thank you sir.
I’ve been looking for a molcajete and can’t find one like this. All I see in stores are the pig shaped or too small or too deformed shaped.
This was a really good find and I feel you, those pig shaped ones are funny in a taquería, not for having at home 😂
Feel like I've been doing this for days, but I'm still getting dark water when I'm grinding
Not really sure what the issue could be, some molcajetes need this a few more times than others but eventually you stop getting so much stuff out of them. Maybe try doing the garlic thing and then rice again to see if that helps
I grind the rice 4 times and rinsed i between. When I went to grind the garlic I my garlic paste turned kinda gray and I had super tiny dots of the rock still. I’m assuming I have to keep grinding the rice ? It’s so tiny it looks like dust particles
I would just keep grinding some rice, depending on the molcajete some need more work than others
I’m highly allergic to rice. Can I use something else to season mine?
Hi Collin, you can use coarse sea salt as well, you might need to change the salt a few more times than the rice but it should work. Ive heard some people use cracked corn as well
@@MexicanintheKitchen I was going to ask about cracked corn lol thanks man really appreciate it.
What brand is this molcajete?? Where to buy??
Tbh I have no idea what brand this is. I got it from the local Mexican market so you should ask yours. Depends on where you live but most likely there's one nearby. If they don't have them I´m sure they can at least point you in the right direction.
What I don't like about mine, and all the ones I've seen online is the tejolotes are too short. I end up with my fingers all in my salsa and guacamole while I'm making it.
I've noticed the same. I´m not sure why this is but I have used those and gets messy indeed.
What size/diameter molcajete do you have?
Its 19cm on this one (7,4 in)
@@MexicanintheKitchen thanks!
2 10 starts telling you how it's done.
👍🎩🌄
What if I don’t have garlic?
You can just skip it and use only rice if you want to use it right away, but I would definitely get some garlic before next time I use it
@@MexicanintheKitchen okay sounds thank you
Try grinding whole bean coffee in your molcajete and put the grounds in a French press - ADM!!!
Ill have to give this a go
Oh I like this idea!
Even the chicken in mexico tastes better just slap it on the grill with some salt. Even the salt tastes better haha.
😂😂😂
Link ??
What for?
@@MexicanintheKitchen stone
Depends where you live. In the US or places where Amazon delivers, I would search in amazon "Authentic molcajete volcanic stone" or ask in the local mexican market (Theres always some nearby).
I have a link for a Finnish store in the video description and if you live somewhere else theres always mexican stores online delivering these, but depends on your location
So let me ask you this...I season it, cure it...all the good stuff...and still get grit and my molcajete is smooth as doo doo...what do I do now..
Do you get a lot of it? A bit of it will be normal as molcajetes slowly wear out. If it seems like too much you might need to repeat the process a few more times.
@Mexican in the Kitchen thanks...is there a difference in the black and gray rock...I got mine I'm Mexico and been grinding a week on it..
@@richluvsellie1 Not that I know of I think it just depends from where they take the stone. Usually you find them in different shades of black and gray. Only difference is some people make cheaper versions with concrete and those are usually lighter gray, not as heavy and smoother, so when you cure it you wont see as much stuff coming out of them.
Omg same
@@richluvsellie1 bru if its concrete, throw it out! that is unhealthy af! i heard a story of people in a certain village becoming all sick, and it was a true mystery until the doctor happened to find out that the local millers simply cast their millstones of concrete instead of ordering the ore expensive stone millstones.
Very poor design with the pestle
How come?
@@MexicanintheKitchen if the size of the mortar is big , the pestle should have a higher weight ratio let's say you want to grind something hard like spices you would require something heavy to get it done with ease but with a small pestle like that it would strain your palm while doing it
Switch to BRUSHED STAINLESS STEEL or prepare yourself for kidney stones.
Do you have any source for that? White men seem to have a higher incidence than hispanics who have been using this kind of mortar for centuries which makes me think that might not be a factor
@@MexicanintheKitchen or maybe they bought a concrete molcajete? there are so many fake molcajetes these days, it is hard to find a real one, I stopped looking for one for that reason, everyone said it is made of Volcanic Stone, but they aren't, the water test is no longer valid, concrete sealers exist for a reason....Where to buy a real one? maybe only in Mexico is possible, I lost hope
Kidney stones come from exo-skeletal calcification of your body, not from ingesting small particles of any rock or sand etc. Those go through your digestive system with ease.