As long as you use the ceramic mortar and pestle and you want it to last longer, then you should also know how to clean it properly.
The ceramic mortar and pestle are kitchen equipment that is used for crushing and grinding substances or ingredients into a smaller and powdered texture. mortar and pestle are used not only in the kitchen, but it can also be used in the laboratory for grinding pills.
The mortar and pestle may seem old for a lot of people, it may be old fashioned, but it still functions so well, and that is why it is still being used up to this day. As things began to advance, the blender was made and it also used by many people, however, the blender has not completely taken over the mortar and pestle so far.
The mortar and pestle outshine the blender in a way it because it crushes ingredients and when you use it you will be able to get all the essential oil from the ingredients, however, it is a different case when you are using the blender, the blender will not crush the ingredient, it will slice it, this is because it has blades.
This will not allow you to have all the essential oil when you are grinding the ingredients. The mortar and pestle will always be the best option for grinding spices and herbs etc.
The mortar and pestle are usually made with different materials such as ceramic, which we will buttress in this article, we also have wooden, marble, and granite, etc. How you clean a ceramic mortar and pestle is different from that of the wooden or the marble mortar and pestle, they are different materials entirely and they react differently and require different methods to clean.
The ceramic mortar and pestle are quite easy to clean, this is because of the smooth texture it has. It is even easier to clean a ceramic mortar and pestle than to clean a wooden mortar and pestle.
The wooden mortar and pestle usually have pores, and most times when you clean the mortar and pestle with soap, if you do not properly rinse it, the soap residue could get stuck in those pores.
The ceramic mortar and pestle do not have pores like the wooden mortar and pestle, which means soap residue will hardly or not even get stuck in it, that is why it is much easier to clean a ceramic mortar and pestle than the wooden mortar and pestle.
Table of Contents
Steps in cleaning a ceramic mortar and pestle
Step 1: Rinse with warm running water
This is the very first that you need to do when you want to clean your ceramic mortar and pestle, before removing the debris, you need to make sure that the water is warm so that it will be able to soften the dirt that is around the mortar and pestle, most especially the inside of the mortar.
When you rinse with warm water, it will soften the dirt so that when you are ready to wash it, you will find it very easy.
Step 2: Scrub off the debris
This is the next thing that you need to do after you are done rinsing the mortar and pestle with warm water. By now the debris would have softened, that is if there is anyone that has become a little bit strong.
In the course of scrubbing the debris with a gentle scrubber, you will successfully remove all the debris, most especially those that may be on the curved surface of the mortar and the end of the pestle used for grinding.
Take note that this is a ceramic mortar and pestle, so it does not have those pores that the wooden mortar and pestle do have. When the pores are not there, the chances of you having so much stuck debris on the inside of the mortar and pestle will be so slim.
You will find this ceramic mortar and pestle easier to wash. The debris should not for any reason stay on your mortar and pestle for too long, it will not be hygienic for the next thing you want to grind with the mortar and pestle. When you are cleaning the ceramic mortar and pestle you need to make sure that all the debris is gone.
This is very important.
Step 3: Clean with little soap
This is the next thing to do after scrubbing off the debris, this is the proper cleaning that has to do with using a sponge and some soap to clean the ceramic mortar and pestle thoroughly but gently.
The soap will help to remove the dirt, and also if there are oil residues the liquid soap will also help to remove it completely and will leave it sparkling clean. Take note that the downside of making use of liquid soap is that they usually have fragrance in it, and if you do not thoroughly rinse and dry the mortar and pestle after cleaning it with the liquid soap, it could affect the next ingredient or substance that you may be grinding in the mortar and pestle.
To avoid leaving the residue on the body of the mortar and pestle even after rinsing, you should consider making use of a very small quantity of the liquid soap. You should wash all the curved surfaces, also the grinding end of the pestle needs to be focused on because that is what is doing most of the grinding work.
Step 4: Rinse again with warm water
The first rinsing you did was to soften the residue so that when you want to properly wash it, you will find it easy. The aim of this second rinsing is so that you will completely remove all the fragrance residue that may be on the mortar and pestle.
You should rinse with warm running water, make sure that you rinse all the parts of the mortar and pestle, and make sure that you completely remove all fragrance residue so that it does not affect the nest thing that you want to grind.
Do not think that the first rinsing is not important, it is also as important as the second rinsing. So, rinse the first and second time so that you get the best results, do not think that because you will rinse it the second time, it does not mean that the first rinsing is not important. It is very important.
Rinsing it twice is not a waste of time or waste of energy, both of them are very important, we have emphasized that already. Even though it takes you more time to accomplish, you should not neglect them at all.
Step 5: Let it air dry
After washing and rinsing the mortar and pestle, you should let it air dry. Do not dry it with a towel or cloth, just leave it to air dry. When you are leaving it to air dry you should keep it in a place where it will not be tampered with until it is fully dried.
Any place you are leaving it to air dry, it should be a place that will not be prone to breaking or when it cannot fall from a height and eventually break. Letting the mortar and pestle air dry is the same as drying it naturally.
Once it is dried, then you can take it to the next step which is to store it in a very good place.
Step 6: Store the mortar and pestle
When you are done washing and rinsing your ceramic mortar and pestle, the next thing to do is to store it. Storing it entails that after it has dried, you should store it in a very good and safe place.
Another thing that determines how long your ceramic mortar and pestle will last is how and where you store it. The ceramic mortar and pestle are quite breakable, unlike the wooden mortar and pestle that will not break easily. Meanwhile, the ceramic mortar and pestle will break and shatter if it falls from a high height.
You should take note of this and make sure that where you store your ceramic mortar and pestle is safe and will not expose it to breakage. Another good thing about storing your ceramic mortar and pestle in a very good place is that anytime at all that you want to make use of it, you can easily reach out to it and make use of it any time you want.
Store your ceramic mortar and pestle in a good place and you will never regret it, you will even enjoy it more as it will make things easier for you when you want to grind.
You may feel that these steps may be so tedious or time-consuming, but they are also very good and will help you a whole lot in keeping your ceramic mortar and pestle clean and durable.
The steps in cleaning the different types of mortar and pestles like the ceramic, the wooden, the marble, etc., are different. This is because each one has a different way to different substances, the steps are different and you do not need to clean a wooden mortar and pestle with the steps for cleaning a marble or ceramic mortar and pestle.
The results you will get will be different and you may not like the outcome. These steps that we have highlighted in this article is applicable to only the ceramic mortar and pestle, it is not advisable that you follow the steps in cleaning a wooden or marble mortar and pestle, you may not like the outcome you will get.
So, follow these steps strictly and do not compromise them. The ceramic mortar and pestle have a smooth surface, you may not really experience so much friction when you are grinding.
These kinds of surfaces are very good for grinding spices because of how smooth it is. It is smooth, which means it has less pores, tiny particles will hardly get stuck inside the mortar and pestle. You will not have to scrub so hard when you are cleaning this mortar and pestle unless there is a very strong stain on the mortar and pestle which might have come from the substances you crushed.
If you want to remove all the stubborn stains, you can do that successfully with the use of a towel and white vinegar. It will help to wipe out all the stubborn stains from the ceramic mortar and pestle.
Final words on how to clean a ceramic mortar and pestle
The mortar and pestle are used not just in the kitchen or in the home, but these days people make use of it in the laboratory most times to crush pills which will make it easier to swallow and digest.
The strength of the mortar and pestle is why it has still been efficient to this day despite how old it is, the strength of the mortar and pestle is the ability of it to be able to extract the extra oil from ingredients when you are grinding.
Even the modern blender is not capable of doing this, it would rather generate heat and slice the ingredients. Nothing beats that feeling of you being able to crush and grind ingredients with your hands. That is what the mortar and pestle do, it brings back that old amazing feeling.
Cleaning the ceramic mortar and pestle is an important part of the mortar and pestle, the better and more often you take good care of it, the better for you and the longer it will last for you. Just like all other equipment in the kitchen, this one also needs to be taken care of just like the other ceramic mortar and pestle you have at home.
If you keep on using the mortar and pestle without cleaning it frequently or looking after it, it will begin to deteriorate gradually and it will not last for as long as you planned it to. You should not for any reason neglect these steps in cleaning your ceramic mortar and pestle, they are very important.