Mortar with pestle - mandatory attributes of any kitchen

Despite all the variety of modern household appliances intended for use in the kitchen, a mortar with a pestle is available in virtually any home. And this is not only a tribute to the traditions of cooking, but also a banal necessity. Experienced housewives know that spices, crushed in a mortar, give any dish a more intense taste and aroma. Shredded before cooking foodstuffs retain all their nutrients.

Mortar with pestle can be made of many natural materials: wood, granite, marble. Some manufacturers use different metals for their products. So, you decided that there should be a pestle mortar in your kitchen. How to choose the most suitable for you? Solving the problem of purchasing a mortar with a pestle, first of all it is necessary to decide what exactly you will use them for. So, a wooden mortar is not a good choice if you plan to grind in it wet spices and spices, because the material from which it is made will absorb the substances that make up their composition. You should choose products made of solid wood, created from a single piece. On their surface, a film gradually forms, preventing the penetration of chemicals into the fibers of the material. In such a mortar you can not only grind, but also intensively pour spices.

The most universal mortar is a pestle, made of marble or granite. It is these who prefer professional cooks. Their main advantages are resistance to any mechanical effects, lack of reaction to acidic compounds and food colorings. In such a mortar it is possible to crush practically all dry products, herbs, spices. In it, you can also prepare a pasta or oil-based seasoning.

Mortar with pestle made of natural stones (carnelian, granite, agate, chalcedony, onyx) are suitable for grinding the most aggressive seasonings. In this case, you can not use the impact method of grinding, but you should only grind the spices.

Porcelain mortar with pestle does not absorb moisture and smell, it is easy to clean, resistant to acids. Their main drawback is the fragility of the material itself. When working with such a mortar, you can only grind the spices, and not pound them.

Metal products are considered almost eternal. The most resistant of them are nickel and brass ones. Stainless steel is moisture resistant and almost does not absorb odors. Cast-iron mortars quickly rust, so they only crush dry spices. Bronze ware quickly deteriorate from constant impacts, so they are more suitable for grinding seasonings.

In addition to the choice of material, you must carefully consider the shape of the mortar itself. So, for example, for trimming nuts and grasses the lowest dish is most suitable. It should have a flat or slightly rounded bottom. In the grinding of the products, in this case they turn into a powder. Larger and bulk spices are easier to grind in tall and slightly narrowed mortars. In them, the product will not be turned into the shallowest dust.

Small in volume mortars are perfectly suitable for the preparation of aromatic masks, nourishing mixtures for hair and nails.

The basic requirements for a quality product are: high density and strength of the material, convenient shape, plasticity (when deforming the material is not destroyed), chemical resistance.