Molcajetes

[MichBill]

I recently recieved a molcajete (mortar carved out of lava) and have received conflicting instructions from various sources on the internet on how to season it prior to use. Can anyone let me know how you did it and how it worked for you? Thanks.

[Chris Amirault]

What instructions have you received? I've heard that you should grind in salt and/or rice.

[Abra]

When I bought mine, in a Mexican grocery, I asked specifically about seasoning. All the ladies there said nope, just use it. So I did, but I have to say that it does acquire a more closed finish with use, and maybe you could achieve that with seasoning. It's very porous, and so at first bits of nuts and seeds were getting ground into there, liquids were seeping in, and I was sure that everything would taste of garlic. But after a couple of years of infrequent use, it has a pretty tight surface, and flavors don't linger.

Edited December 20, 2006 by Abra (log)

[MichBill]

What instructions have you received? I've heard that you should grind in salt and/or rice.

←

I have seen recommendations to -

Grind dry rice in several batches until there is no more grey seen in the ground rice

Grind coarse salt in serial batches until the ground salt is no longer grey

Grind rice in several batches and then grind various mixtures of garlic, coarse salt, cumin and black pepper

Grind the mortar with the pestal until no more grit is found

Just use it as it is

And various permutations about whether or not to wash between grindings

[JAZ]

At the cookware store where I used to work, we originally sold the "unseasoned" molcajetes, which were very rough inside. If you ran your fingers inside, you'd end up with fine grit from the stone on your hands. These came with the instructions to grind a couple of batches of rice, as you said above. However, the later version we started to carry seemed to arrive "preseasoned" -- they were much smoother inside, with little grit or even powder inside. Those required no treatment before use.

That might help, if you're still wondering (and you haven't yet used your molcajete).

[MichBill]

At the cookware store where I used to work, we originally sold the "unseasoned" molcajetes, which were very rough inside. If you ran your fingers inside, you'd end up with fine grit from the stone on your hands. These came with the instructions to grind a couple of batches of rice, as you said above. However, the later version we started to carry seemed to arrive "preseasoned" -- they were much smoother inside, with little grit or even powder inside. Those required no treatment before use.

That might help, if you're still wondering (and you haven't yet used your molcajete).

←

Thanks.

I did try the rice method extensively and even after that there was still an occasional grit problem. It seems to have lessened significantly with some more use and can be eliminated entirely if you use a wooden pestal or spoon instad of the stone one.

[Wholemeal Crank]

My nephew is becoming a serious cook and he’d like a molcajete.  I’m seeing lots of conflicting advice about smooth granite (less grit) vs rough volcanic rock (tiny glass edges to air pockets increase speed and efficiency of grinding).  And is this something where the bigger, the better, because small quantities can be easily worked in a large version but not the other way round?
 

He lives quite a distance away so shipping is s consideration.

[KennethT]

10 minutes ago, Wholemeal Crank said:

My nephew is becoming a serious cook and he’d like a molcajete.  I’m seeing lots of conflicting advice about smooth granite (less grit) vs rough volcanic rock (tiny glass edges to air pockets increase speed and efficiency of grinding).  And is this something where the bigger, the better, because small quantities can be easily worked in a large version but not the other way round?
 

He lives quite a distance away so shipping is s consideration.

Do you know what he'll be primarily using it for? 

[heidih]

The big ones ARE heavy so on-line with free shipping   I relegated my molcajete to use as an attractive way to display avocados  and citrus in the kitchen. For actual pounding and grinding, pastes I like my big Thai granite one. I got it at Home Goods or TJ Max years ago. So cheap my sister got one and schlepped it back to Sydney. I may have had a touristy Mexican one ex brought back from Cabo - but I did all the seasoning prep tricks and it still had residue. 

[heidih]

Oh and we have a few topics here  https://forums.egullet.org/topic/19519-mortar-and-pestle-–-the-topic/  https://forums.egullet.org/topic/46965-mortar-pestle-best-material/

 

[Wholemeal Crank]

I searched and found at least one of those topics but the comments about smooth vs rough and size were scattered through a more diffuse topic. I was still left with these key questions. I believe he will be using it for sauces, including salsas and guacamole, but not only those. I'm not 100% sure on what he is most into because I haven't shared kitchen time with him in ages, since I was the cook and he the small helper (sigh).

[Wholemeal Crank]

31 minutes ago, heidih said:

The big ones ARE heavy so on-line with free shipping   For actual pounding and grinding, pastes I like my big Thai granite one. I got it at Home Goods or TJ Max years ago. So cheap my sister got one and schlepped it back to Sydney. I may have had a touristy Mexican one ex brought back from Cabo - but I did all the seasoning prep tricks and it still had residue. 

Free shipping sounds good.....but it also feels wrong because I'm here in LA, land of abundant goods from Mexico. 

 

The Thai ones look easier to tip over than the big tripod molcajetes--but maybe that doesn't really matter?  I've had lousy experience with my attempts at mortar and pestle but they were small and I was trying to use them for spices so maybe it was always doomed to fail. 

 

And by residue--you mean still stony grit?

[heidih]

Based n what you know or surmise I'd still go with the Thai granite. The Japanese ridged one for sesame seeds is a specialty thing, and salsas and guacamole don't need ridges. It is really more your upper body and the pushing and sliding motion that creates pastes or blends  Unless working with hard ingredients to make spice pastes like Robin describes here https://eatingasia.typepad.com/eatingasia/2008/04/the-balinese-da.html  - in my opinion you don't need roughed up surface. The inside of granite one not hy*per smooth, you can feel rough on your finger but not ridges.  not a big ticket item so I would just get him a general purpose one and let him play. I can't reach mine (stuck behind lawn tractor w flat tire) but like this one but mine is taller - one in middle  https://forums.egullet.org/topic/19519-mortar-and-pestle-–-the-topic/?do=findComment&comment=2073443

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Edited June 23, 2021 by heidih (log)

[heidih]

Oh and salsa and guac don't need an M & P   He might enjoy this ovie  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWYj8gVdgZU

 

[Wholemeal Crank]

Very helpful, thanks!

[Wholemeal Crank]

Did it!  Got a granite molcajete.  Shipping by Amazon.   And a “good” used copy of Oaxaca.

[Wholemeal Crank]

I asked elsewhere and got the same answer:  beware the grit with volcanic rock versions.  And since I can’t touch it first while buying online, granite Seemed safest.

[heidih]

8 minutes ago, Wholemeal Crank said:

Did it!  Got a granite molcajete.  Shipping by Amazon.   And a “good” used copy of Oaxaca.

Diana Kennedy's Oaxaca al Gusto?  It is a beautiful (heavy in weight) book. More inspirational than to cook from for me, We almost had her here for a Q & A back then with valiant efforts by @rancho_gordo but she is a stubborn lady who'd had a bad interview elsewhere. I applaud your fostering of the cooking interest. 

[Wholemeal Crank]

Not the Diana Kennedy, but rather Oaxaca by the Guelaguetza restaurant family, Bricia Lopez and Javier Cabral.

[ktwiss]

Hi everyone! I'm pretty new to the whole molcajete vs mortar and pestle world but I found a great item at goodwill and while trying to figure  out what it was and who made it I stumbled upon the forum here.  Who knew there was an actual  issue with fake molcajetes made of toxic cement? Not me... To that end I was wondering  if I could get some opinions  on my new treasure . I certainly  don't want to poison my household. I would really love to know  if anyone recognizes my bowl's maker by the logo on the bottom also, I couldn't  figure  that out, but it's probably  a shortcut to know  if I have the real deal or a toxic fake. Thank you in advance 

[palo]

Wikipedia suggest the following treatment of a "new"  molcajete:

 

A new basalt molcajete needs to be "broken in" because small grains of basalt can be loosened from the surface when it is first used and this will give an unpleasant gritty texture to the first few items prepared in it. A simple way to do the initial "seasoning" is to grind uncooked white rice in the molcajete, a handful at a time. When the white rice flour has no visible grains of basalt in it, the molcajete is ready to use. Some rice flour may remain ground into the surface of the molcajete, but this causes no problems.

 

Don't know if that's of any help with yours.

 

 

[heidih]

Ex brought me one from Baja, MX. I did the rice thing numerous times and still got dark grit - it became an attractive avocado bowl  for disply on counter.

[heidih]

Also yours is very attractive BTW.  Your authenticity question is all over the ijnternet with most answers along these lines  https://www.cheftalk.com/threads/molcajete-real-or-not.110884/

[Maison Rustique]

21 hours ago, heidih said:

Ex brought me one from Baja, MX. I did the rice thing numerous times and still got dark grit - it became an attractive avocado bowl  for disply on counter.

I have the same problem. I asked for a large one some years back. I have ground rice so many times, it is stupid. Still isn't really "clean" enough to use for anything edible.

 

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

Depending on how coarse (or fine) your molcajete is, it may take a very long time to prepare it for real use. Some are made from fine grained stone, but the best ones in terms of usage are a little coarser. We did the white rice grinding for ours and have used it for years to make guacamole and salsas. I've never heard about molcajetes made from concrete either. I would look for a good one at Mexican stores, like a carnecerIa. My only advice is to keep on grindin', baby! Over time and consistent usage it will become smoother and smoother. I'm sure we ingested some bits of stone over the years but it hasn't done us any harm as far as I can tell. Every Mexican household has one (or more).

 

Of course, if you don't want to keep grinding, you can always use it as an attractive decorative item, but my husband refuses to make guacamole without one.