The steps to cleaning a molcajete are pretty basic, but you need to be careful so as no to have grit and dirt in your spice. Do you want to know how to clean it properly? Jump right in.
It is a good thing when you want to do something that you have someone to guide you. When you do not have someone to guide you, it will be a little bit difficult and it is certain that you will make a couple of mistakes.
That is the reason we wrote this, to guide you on how to clean a molcajete after use. Do you want to know how you can clean your molcajete? Worry no more, we have got you covered in this post. You are in the right place.
Before we go into how to clean a molcajete, we would like to explain what a molcajete is. The molcajete is just a Mexican version of the mortar and pestle. It usually has three legs, unlike the regular mortar and pestle that just has a rounded base.
The molcajete looks more like a squat animal carved from basalt, which is a volcanic rock. The pestle is also carved out of the same material the mortar is made of, which is basalt, a volcanic rock. The pestle has a name, it is called a tejolote.
The Molcajete is a very important Mexican kitchen tool that everyone is supposed to have in the home. One good thing the molcajete does is that it does not only help you get things done in the kitchen; it will also add beauty to the kitchen.
A lot of people do not know that the molcajete is a piece of very important equipment in the kitchen, even though a lot of people are not aware of this yet. You can use this to make some kind of food like salsas, etc. If you do not have one you should consider getting one, it will help you achieve a lot in the kitchen.
We have talked about the molcajete itself, let us talk about cleaning your molcajete. If you are on the lucky side, you may have had a molcajete passed from your parents to you. Why do you think they were able to pass it from one generation to another?
It is obvious because they took very good care of it. If they did not take good care of the molcajete and clean it when necessary, it probably will not have lasted for this long. That is more reason why you need to take good care of your molcajete by cleaning it regularly and also properly.
Cleaning your molcajete is also important because it will help to reduce how much grit that is being released from the volcanic rock when you are using it for grinding. Most of you would love to buy a new molcajete, and not an old one.
Take note that when you buy a new molcajete, you need to season it before cleaning and using it. Let us take you through the steps of seasoning and cleaning the molcajete. This seasoning is something that you should not ignore in a new molcajete, if you do ignore it you may likely end up seeing sand or stones in your molcajete when you are using it to grind.
Cleaning your molcajete is something that you need to do frequently. However, if your molcajete is new, you need to first of all season it. How you season it is by making use of the pestle to grind several cloves of garlic into a paste. This is the very first thing you need to do when you want to season your molcajete before use.
After grinding the cloves of garlic into paste form, the next thing you need to do is to spread the garlic paste all around the inside of the molcajete.
If you cannot lay your hands on garlic, you can also make use of grains of rice, which is commonly used by many. This is how should season your molcajete before use.
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Steps on how to clean a molcajete after use
We have already mentioned it earlier that when you get your molcajete, the first thing you need to do is to season it before using it to grind any spice.
The essence of cleaning your molcajete is for prolonged usage and also for it to be healthy for use. Not cleaning your molcajete frequently is not healthy at all. Here are the steps you can use in cleaning your molcajete after use.
Step 1: Remove all debris
This is the very first thing you need to do if you want to clean your molcajete after use. The volcanic material from which this molcajete is made is quite porous, this means that a lot of ingredients would have been stored up in these pores and you will need some level of pressure to remove all of them.
As you scrub the molcajete with a gentle scrubber, the debris will wash off, most especially the dirt that may be on the curved surface of the molcajete and the grinding end of the pestle.
This molcajete was made from volcanic rock, because of this, you may need to pay attention to the inside of the molcajete because of the pores, more things will be stuck in it when you are grinding. This molcajete may not be so easy to wash, so, you should take time to wash it thoroughly and carefully at the same time.
If you do not wash it thoroughly, you may likely end up having some grit when you are using it to grind some spices or herbs. If you are able to do this carefully, you will not experience any of those grit.
Step 2: Clean it with some soap
This is what you are supposed to do next after you have removed all the debris from the surface of the molcajete, and also from those pores. You should do the washing using a sponge and some soap to clean the molcajete well but at the same time, you also need to do it gently.
The purpose of the dirt is to help to completely remove the dirt. Also, if you notice that there is any oil residue that must have come from the spices or ingredients you were grinding, the soap will help to remove it and will leave it clean.
One of the downsides of making use of soap when cleaning a molcajete is because soap usually leaves a fragrance residue on the molcajete, especially those soaps that have a strong fragrance. To be on the safer side, you should make use of just a little soap to clean the molcajete.
You should also rinse and dry the molcajete after cleaning it with the liquid soap, it could affect the next ingredient or substance that you may be grinding in the molcajete.
One tip that would help you to avoid leaving fragrance residue on the molcajete is to use a small amount of soap when you are cleaning. You should take note of the curved surface of the molcajete because some dirt could get stuck in it.
Step 3: Rinse again with warm water
This is the next thing that you should do when you are done washing with soap. You should rinse it again with warm water. Warm water is more preferable, this is because it helps to soften the dirt a little, leaving the molcajete clean.
Another advantage of making use of warm water to clean the molcajete is because it helps to remove the fragrance residue from the surface of the molcajete. Also, make sure that it is from running water, so that all the dirt and soap can easily wash away.
It is important that all the fragrance residue is gone from the molcajete so that it does not affect the next thing you will be grinding. How well you rinse your molcajete will determine if the fragrance from the soap will still be on it, make sure you take note of this and rinse your molcajete very well.
Remember that you are dealing with food, and anything that goes into the mouth and into the stomach needs to be clean enough and free from dirt. Fragrance residue from the soap will be dangerous to the health, you should make sure that all the fragrance residue is gone.
Step 4: Let it air dry
When you are done with all the washing procedures, instead of making use of a towel to dry it finally, you should allow it to air dry. Allowing it to air dry means you are allowing it to dry naturally. Remember that when you leave your molcajete to air dry, you should keep it in a place that it will not be prone to damage.
You should leave it to air dry where it will not easily fall and break or even get damaged. Make sure where you are keeping it is safe. Once you have finally dried the molcajete naturally, you can now go further and store it in a very cool and nice place, store it in a place where you will be able to reach it easily when you want.
Step 5: Store the molcajete properly
This is the final thing you need to do after you are done washing, rinsing, and drying your molcajete, you need to store it properly. What it means to store your molcajete is that after you are done with all the washing, rinsing, and drying, you can go ahead to keep it in a cool and safe place. An example of where you can store your molcajete is your cupboard.
Do not forget that how you store your molcajete also determines how long it will last for you. If you store it where it can easily fall and break, you will only be able to use your molcajete for a while.
Even though the molcajete is made from volcanic rock, it does not mean it cannot break, it is exposed to so much falling, it will eventually break one day. One good reason why you need to store your molcajete well is that when you want to make use of it, you will be able to reach it easily at any time.
Make sure you store your molcajete well so that it will continue to last long for you, the more it lasts long for you the better. If you store it very well you will also be able to pass it from one generation to another.
Final words on how to clean a molcajete after use
How else can we emphasize the importance of cleaning your molcajete? Not just the molcajete, every kitchen equipment needs to be taken good care of, most especially those ones that deal directly with food, just like this molcajete.
The molcajete deals with the grinding of herbs and spices, anything that goes into the mouth and into the stomach needs to be neat all the time. For it to be neat all the time you need to invest time in cleaning your molcajete.
If you feel you will be too busy to do the cleaning, you can get someone to do it for you. If you are considering getting one for yourself to help you get things done in the kitchen quickly, you should not relent, you can get a molcajete for yourself because it will help you achieve a lot of grinding and crushing.
Especially if you do not want to make use of the electric blender, this molcajete is a very good option if you do not want to make use of the electric blender. If you are not looking after your molcajete, it is likely to deteriorate gradually, and instead of it to last for long, the life span is reduced.
No matter how busy you may be, you should try to make out time out of your busy schedule to clean your molcajete. It is even better that after using it you should do the washing immediately. You may see it as time-consuming, but it is only going to benefit you the more.
Take these cleaning steps we have given seriously because it is the best way you can clean your molcajete. If you miss any of the steps we have given here, you may likely be making your molcajete prone to deterioration.