How to Cure & Season a Molcajete properly - Mortar and Pestle

Welcome to the channel today we are curing and seasoning our new Molcajete - Mortar & Pestle. This is such a cool kitchen tool that's ben around for centuries. There's a few things you need to know before your first use and we'll cover them completely in this video.
I bought this from Amazon a few months ago and absolutely love it. It's made from granite rick, solid build, and incredibly heavy. This company makes 2 versions and in this video I am using the larger one.
Here is a link to the mortar & pestle that's i'm using in this video:
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Eric

[@jus4funtim]

Well let me see, what I learned from this video is with my 10 - 15 year old mortar & pestle is I ate some dirt and some stone dust in the first year of its use.

[@eman610]

Lmao! I spat out pieces of rock dust while reading this.

[@nathanpyle3443]

@@eman610 yall are killing me😂🤣😂🤣😂 I've got a bunch of ground dried chilies full of dirt in the pantry as we speak. 😂🤣😂🤣

[@kurtrosenbaum2234]

It’s ok, you are not alone. I’ve been using my for a about a year. FINALLY getting around to curing it properly.

[@MikeyD22]

I've seen a ton of videos on this topic since I recently purchased my mortar and pestle and this video is the very best. A huge thank you for sharing!

[@RationallySkeptical]

Disagree. The video showing using water alone before using any rice is actually better. Starting with rice from the beginning slows the process dramatically.

[@NJgateway]

@@RationallySkeptical Agreed.

[@SmokinJoesPitBBQ]

I had no idea we had to season these. I better bust mine out and get to seasoning.👍

[@kitohammond]

Who's coming to help me now that my arm has fallen off??? I can't be the only person that completely underestimated how much work this is! The rice grinding.... The rice grinding...!!!

[@2guysandacooler]

😅😅

[@JBH33]

Same here, can hardly move my right arm

[@DEADISLANDMODS]

I just got a mortar and pestle for my birthday and had never used one before, this video helped a lot thank you!

[@ajm-kohaku840]

I bought a pestle and mortar a few months back and the instructions told me to grind raw rice into a powder. after trying to grind it an hour a day for 3 days I gave up. Just saw your video and OMG it makes so much more sense to do it this way. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!

[@JohnSmith-fq7hj]

O just read that somewhere else and almost started good thing I came here first lol

[@mariaburke9405]

What did you learn? My rice is not grinding

[@jackt7233]

I want to surprise my wife with one, she's been wanting one forever but cant decide what kind to get. Thank you for this video, and thank you for teaching the step by step process on how to get it ready for use! ^_^

[@wemakeitlookeasy9070]

Thank you for this video, and all the others you've made. You have quickly become my favourite channel.

[@insidedianeslife2456]

I love how positive you are about the process. This looks very doable. Thanks

[@ared18t]

It is and the best part is that you can watch your favorite shows while doing it.

[@luisalcaraz9090]

Thank you so much for this video! Just bought my first mortar and pestle and now it’s ready to go 😍😁

[@ChadAmI80]

Thanks so much. I just picked one up at our local Mexican grocery store this morning. Very excited to get started with it. Your video was very helpful.

[@arodude2591]

Great video, easy to follow, gonna follow these steps to season my mortar and pestle

[@sunshinecycling]

Thanks. Just got mine from Cole & Mason, and there were no instructions of how to do this. Luckily I knew I needed to. So I looked on Cole & Mason's website and all it says is "Before using, season the mortar with white rice, followed by garlic then cumin with salt and pepper" but with no other info of what I was looking for while doing it. Good ol' KZbin saves the day. Screw C&M.

[@pnwRC.]

FANTASTIC video, THanks for sharing!

[@shmykiebransky4517]

FANTASTIC video!! I'm so glad that I found this. I have the exact same set, and I wasn't quite sure what to do, but I knew that it had to be prepped prior to use. Thanks for your very helpful and informative tutorial! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@DogGuy19]

Ditto

[@kaylone.7366]

This makes sense of the directions that came in the box. Thank you

[@terrysummer1336]

Terrific to the point video. Enjoyed the music as well. Thanks for the video. Subscribed.

[@zube6996]

I didn’t know that molcajete’s needed this done to them before being used. (There we’re no instructions)And mine is about 15 years old and has been used alot. I guess mine got seasoned as I used it. Lol!!! Great instructional video. If I ever get another one I’ll be sure to do this first.

[@girlnextdoorgrooming]

I love this channel!

[@2guysandacooler]

Thank you.

[@mr.red0215]

Thank you so much, for this really great video tutorial. it helped me out a lot, I just bought a mortar that, I was going to use to break down Greenlandic herbs for food. the process can be felt in the wrist. 😄👍 Also when I got to the stage with the spices mmm it smelled good, and gave one, a kind of success. 💪😎👍

[@jessicakeefer5077]

Thank you so much. Just seasoned mine.

[@tikar8982]

I just got mine today.... I see I've got my work cut out for me 😂 thanks for the info!!!! ❤

[@markusjordantesoro2992]

Very informative nice video 👍🏻🙂

[@toddstropicals]

Okay will do as soon as it arrives, I just ordered the same one.

[@michaelchitwood389]

I prefer having multiple. Lava rock molcahete, marble mortar/pestle, and an apothecary Pyrex one. I even have a primitive sandstone quern for specialised tasks. Great seasoning mix, btw!

[@Earthy-Artist]

I have a collection too! I love using & also looking at them. I currently have a large Lava Molcajete, large white marble mortar & pestle, & extra large black granite mortar & pestle. I may add just one more to my collection in a smaller size & then stop myself after that 😆.

[@77777tracy]

thank u for sharing this video. I just ordered one of these on Amazon n it just came n I cleaned it like u said to. I should have worked out before hand, this is hard.lol Cant wait to get the seasons n season away n make my Guac !!

[@2guysandacooler]

It's great. I use mine all the time and I love it!

[@MrChit-od9po]

My molcajete is like half the size of yours. I had no idea how to maintain my spice buster. Thanks for the video!

[@2guysandacooler]

LOL. Your welcome..

[@sunshinecycling]

Yeah, his is massive. You could bathe in that thing.

[@elhama.3278]

Many thanks. Vert useful

[@kramsociety1223]

Awesome ty for the info!

[@joycemissick7678]

Thanks I like direct info on any interest I may have. I've always wanted a (M&P), but never knew the how to , or the where to purchase. Half problem solved. Thanks again.

[@Jokervision744]

ah yes! straight to the point! I just wanted to read about it, but they didn't take it as simple as you did. I just jumped off from there, because it just sounded insulting to me to have to read something about something else before really getting to the point. My mind already told me it's this simple deal, but as we have internet and social media it's much better to be safe than sorry with what to grind in the mortar, with the pestle.

[@elenazambrano8983]

Thank you so much .

[@lauriuli]

Oh man, tank you!

[@priscajinor717]

Wow, I use to think that stone mortar and pestle were molded with some chemicals. Thank you for showing me how natural it is and how to cure it. Where can I buy a very natural one from?

[@PetesShredder]

What’s the target pH for the mortar and how long does it need to dry for? Thanks.

[@Earthy-Artist]

I understand the purpose of the rice & salt to get rid of the loose initial grit. But what is the purpose of using the garlic & spices to season it? What do the spices & garlic 'do' in the seasoning process? I'm truly curious, Thanks!

[@2guysandacooler]

This is to prepare the rock surface with tasty flavors.

[@Earthy-Artist]

@@2guysandacooler Oh, Thanks for answering. Have a great day!

[@Earthy-Artist]

@@2guysandacooler Oh, Thanks for answering. Have a great day! {sorry this comment might appear twice, I didn't see it post the 1st time I tried to post it.}

[@matthewg4956]

Me too!

[@bill1234frank]

I will be using mine for grinding granual chemicals. Should I season it differently?

[@davidpatton7205]

I never knew you had to cure and season a mortar and pestle. I just bought a new granite one similar to this one in the video. I wonder how long it will take to grind the rice into a fine enough powder to work. Do I need to join a gym first?

[@jjcaiv]

Any chance you can do a video on how to store your meats once you are done aging them and once they are opened. I want to make large quantities but I’m not sure how long it keeps and what the best practices for storage are. Your videos are great. Thank you!

[@jjcaiv]

Any recommendations on meat slicers would be greatly appreciated

[@IOalejandro]

Hi man I always come to u for advice I wanna use ascorbic acid on my salami do u have any idea of the quantity I should use

[@isac0014]

dude, I ate so much dirt since I have like 4 of these.. LOL!

[@heymanhaha]

Good for your immune system lol

[@SupToast]

Free fiber my guy.

[@thomasmorrison6068]

I got a small marble one from Ross. It's overall size it about the size of a 2 cup liquid measuring cup. This thing is a pain to cure. Lol. Chose the wrong day to do it also. My wife just cleaned the floors in the house and it is exploding grains of rice all over the place. Lol

[@adriftinglink]

I just bought one and am planning to use it for creating powders out of dried green onions and stuff like that. Im going to cure it but should I still season it?

[@angelacrowley7245]

I’ve had mine for a while and have put off using the garlic. Most of what I use it for are sweet spices…cinnamon, cloves, allspice. Will using it with garlic and not washing with soap make the garlic taste go into my sweet spices? I would love it if it could somehow work with everything.

[@RoseOfSaudia]

Will it smell of garlic & other stuff I’ll be grinding in? since I can’t use any soap?!

[@necrogenesis1981]

Is there a reason you used those specific spices to season it? Which ones are necessary? And what’s the point besides smoothing it out? Is it so everything you grind in it always picks up those flavors?

[@fatbuttbassett4732]

Well guess I better season mine. But I didnt see what temp your supposed to bake em at, and also what the internal temp was supposed to get to.

[@KillRoy0351]

What if you will be using this to make chai? Will the garlic and herbs you season it with effect the flavor of the chai?

[@annielj100]

What if I already use soap to wash it the first time when I use my granite mortar? Wish I know how to proper curl and season it before I use it.

[@owlishart2335]

Thanks for the video! What do rice, salt and garlic do to the stone exactly? How do they work?

[@savannahhernandez4155]

The rice and salt helps knock out any loose dirt and gritty pieces of granite, as well as fill in some of the little crevices to give it a smoother surface. The garlic has antimicrobial benefits to help keep the molcajete “clean” and safe to use since you shouldn’t use soap to clean it.

[@anujkalra6145]

Is it just for the Molcajete or does this need to be done to even an ordinary rock mortar and pestle?

[@yasminkhader6662]

What is the seasoning for?

[@user-ir9bp6hj3c]

How long does it take to grind the rice into a powder?

[@LY43537]

Soooo…I just learned that I need to season my mortar and pestle and I’ve already been using it for several years… Should I still season it?

[@mr.ashoksharma4123]

How much price of black vartulakar kharal of tamra or hannshraj stone

[@backyardgrillmaster2910]

What if you have a wooden one??

[@DOJ77]

I wanted to use my mortar and pestle today. So how long does this process actually take?

[@2guysandacooler]

1 hour ish

[@DOJ77]

Once I seasoned my mortar and pestle, I have been making the most amazing pesto.

[@2011bluj]

So I just got this exact same one and I’m going to do all the steps but how often did you change between the pestles?

[@2guysandacooler]

I did half with one then half with the other. It's a bit of a pain..

[@2011bluj]

@@2guysandacooler that’s what I was afraid of but I’m determined lol

[@ilovetotravel89]

Once you cure and season, do you wash with water only after using?

[@2guysandacooler]

yes

[@dianadeluca6353]

I am looking to purchase a mocajete to grind soaked cashews into a creamy sauce. Is this something that can be accomplished with the large mocajete? thank you, loved the curing video

[@2guysandacooler]

Hello Diana. This would work beautifully. I make all sorts of sauces in my molcajete. It's great..

[@BrianLeposki]

What is the trick to getting up the sides? Just tip it?

[@xXXDeadlyHavocXXx]

How does the garlic seasoning affect the flavour of the end product of future grinds?

[@dustensalinas2604]

Generally none at all unless its not washed well, maaaaaaybe some flavoring for the first use. The garlic is handy because it has some sugars and oils that create microscopic binding to some of the pores that may flake in the future. If it does flake off at all, you get a trace amount of the spices that were there instead of stone bits.

[@maltiekhan4050]

Just got mine and I’m at the rice and salt grinding stage.I about to lose my right arm as well.Haven’t been able to get to the powder yet.im dying😂

[@shadowcrash333]

Omg what kind of rice did you use?? I only had bosmotti on hand and it took TWO DAYS of on and off grinding to get a really course powder T_T should i use minuite rice or somethin?? My shoulder is killing me LOL

[@ryabinindv]

Consider buying a coffee grinder when grinding fennel in a mortar like this

[@oldman_eleven]

I dont understand why you need to season it. I thought they are non porous so dont absorb anything hence their use? Am I missing something?

[@AllVegeta]

I don't have sunlight. Winter days here. Is there an alternative way to dry it? Like a stove?

[@2guysandacooler]

it will dry naturally if you just leave it out. just wipe it clean with a dry clean towel and set it on the counter

[@AllVegeta]

@@2guysandacooler Thank you

[@curtismsh9211]

How would one remove capsaicin from grinding up dried superhot peppers? Did I ruin my mortar & pestle?

[@2guysandacooler]

Just add raw garlic and smash it into a past. Rinse a few times and it should be ok. You can also add some baking soda with a little water and create a paste. rub that around on the inside and let it sit overnight😉

[@qcqc102]

I just got mine from Target ( Figmint brand). After many hours of seasoning and washing, minerals keep being released from the granite. At this point, I don't have the courage to keep it.

[@purplefondue5991]

How often should you repeat this process if at all?

[@2guysandacooler]

once is enough

[@OO-vo1xb]

Would like you to show us how to make Genoa salami. Please

[@2guysandacooler]

Of Course.. Here is the video and blog post I did on that salami: twoguysandacooler.com/italian-genoa-salami-step-by-step-instructions/

[@ememuttah1080]

How do I buy

[@SimonDeDieu]

How often should I repeat this process? Or is it only one time activity? How about daily usage - is water enough for cleaning or should I use also some trick?

[@2guysandacooler]

one time is all it needs. I only use water to rinse mine out

[@SimonDeDieu]

@@2guysandacooler Thank you very much! :)

[@DeepFleeceheart]

Molcajetes are made of volcanic basalt. Anything else, it's just a mortar and pestle.

[@misbahhemraj]

how often do you have to season the motor?

[@2guysandacooler]

only once

[@JohnnyBravo1977]

So, the stone dust resulted from the grinding without anything in it, is what you call grit. My question is: after the seasoning, will there be no grit, no stone powder?

[@2guysandacooler]

That's correct. The inside of the stone starts to become very smooth...

[@sarathomas8499]

Wait how often do I season? Is it only once I get it?

[@2guysandacooler]

When you first get it.

[@sarathomas8499]

@@2guysandacooler Thanks 👍

[@sudilos1172]

Literally seasons it

[@shibuhashim6815]

Got one gifted to me a couple of months ago. Washed it with soap initiallt because it felt very "gritty". That's a No, No. I'm doing this curing now. My arms, Dear Lord. My question is - I will do salsa's etc, which contain garlic. After washing - NO SOAP - NEVER - if I ever want to grind sweet spices, like cardamom, nuts, etc, CAN I DO THIS ❓ In the same utensil or is it better to have separate ones ?

[@dasbabu7261]

Can I just cure and not season to not get those granite particles in my food

[@justintempus7406]

I've never had an issue cleaning a granite mortar with soap, as the grain structure is incredibly tight. That said, keep it far away from Molcajetes made of volcanic rock.

[@Gottaculat]

Just wondering, wouldn't it be more efficient and less wasteful to grind the M+P with some water in it, and allow the natural resulting granite slurry to act as a buffing compound until the M+P are polished? Then you could rinse it, put in some rice, and grind it to pick up the last remaining bits of the slurry before finally giving it one more rinse.

[@oliverjason]

I found this is the best way to do it. After doing about 5 rice rinses and it still not smoothing it out, I did a water grind and it smoothed it out real fast.

[@JBH33]

@@oliverjason Hi, I just bought a M+P and having the same experience as you. Did 3 rice rinses and still isn't smooth. Can you explain to me how you did it with water?

[@oliverjason]

@@JBH33 just pour a little bit of water. Enough to make about a half to one inch puddle. Then just do the same motions you were doing when grinding the rice. The water will turn black after a while, so just keep washing it out and adding new water. You’re basically just grinding stone on stone and using the water to clear away the grind.

[@JBH33]

@@oliverjason Thanks for the quick reply!

[@Manchupacabra]

You're just trying to get rid of the bits that will release the first few times you use it. You're not trying to get it perfectly smooth. Roughness gives it friction that helps it grind things.

[@Richard-ov6vt]

Anybody know anything about baking the molcajete to give it color and patina?

[@Richard-ov6vt]

P. S. This was one of the videos I watched when I first cured my👍🏻👍🏻 great instructions

[@s.leemccauley7302]

But what about the ones that are from vesicular rock. Not close grained like this one.

[@2guysandacooler]

You have to do the same thing to that one as well.

[@s.leemccauley7302]

Thankyou.

[@Aksbug90]

I just got one and didn't think to rinse it out before grinding the rice 🤦

[@gancarzpl]

Why you never should use soap and haw are you going to take the smell of garlic out?

[@Aceman1987]

You don't. Garlic is dope!

[@kristenbergeron8515]

I thought you were supposed to grind it with just water a couple times and rinse in between before doing the rice and salt grind and THEN doing the garlic.

[@B-leafer]

Why 2 pestles??

[@end27]

not sure what kind of rice are u using. my aint breaking. aint no way i can grind this into dust

[@nectros7157]

I wonder if Dewalt makes a an adapter...... Just kidding, just kidding....

[@stevenryan3035]

I used soap

[@lonnaflynn4821]

What language is molcajete?

[@2guysandacooler]

It's Aztec.

[@hithere8753]

2 guys 1 cup

[@neviatha]

Why do you never use soap on a granite mortar?

[@2guysandacooler]

the soap will soak into the rock leaving you with a soapy taste..

[@neviatha]

@@2guysandacooler Ah, OK. As simple as that.... fair enough, thank you.

[@josephmarciano4761]

Just checked out this item on Amazon, and it's made in China. Given China's reputation for poor/non-existent quality control, how can we know it the granite used isn't contaminated with lead or other heavy metals? Or, did the grinders used to shape and finish it transfer any toxic elements to the final product?

[@2guysandacooler]

I guess you'll never know. I can tell you this I own some very high end commercial equipment that was manufactured in China and to date it's some of the finest most reliable stuff I use. I know that there are many companies that sell poorly made products from China but when I did my research on this item I noticed that their mortar & pestles had the highest stars out of all available on Amazon. Their customer satisfaction rate is through the roof. I was actually going to buy one from Guadalajara, MX which was supposedly volcanic rock but the comments claimed that this seller was selling poured concrete molcajetes. So I guess it doesn't matter where you go. You'll find good companies and not so good companies all over the world.

[@josephmarciano4761]

@@2guysandacooler Many thanks for taking the time to reply. Your body of work and words carries weight with me, so I'm going to up-grade my mini-pestle to this one.

[@michaelchitwood389]

Go to any Latin market and you should find a traditional lava-rock one easily. They have three stubby feet like a cauldron. Mexico doesn't screw around with quality on such an important tool. Abuelas and Medicine folk would outright revolt!

[@ricky.888]

Eeeek. I’ve been using my dad’s that is not cured, seasoned, and is often washed with soap. 😭

[@tthams73]

Garlic is a natural antibacterial

[@s0dfish110]

What if you did use soap, lots of times? Asking for a friend who 100% definitely did this.

[@2guysandacooler]

lol. I'm sure it's ok. The soap detergents have a tendency to soak into the rock. This soapy flavor might come off onto the food or spices.

[@Aceman1987]

@@2guysandacooler And here i thought it was the cilantro....

[@greenman5907]

But my mortar and pestle is white marble…