Mortar and pestle out of HARD wood

[cedar n silky]

I made this yesterday, out of the roughest weather beaten grey chunk of supposedly red mahogony.
I am posting it for your honest critique!:D Very hard wood, and extremely heavy. I made a dinning room table and bedroom suite out of it, for a customer about 8 years ago, and I have a small slab as a coffee table, and I can barely lift it!!:o
I textured the bowl part with my "leather" workers tool, so I am hoping that wil be adequate for the grinding. I left the dovetail rebate in the base for rechucking, should the bowl wear over time, or I need a more agressive pattern. (perhaps it's time to make a chatter tool!:) ) Would love to hear your comments on the "ideal" shape for a mortar and pessle, as this was a stab in the dark!:D

[ozwinner]

I made one ages ago from Cypress along the lines of a traditional pestle.

Nice timber you used..

Al :2tsup:

[markharrison]

That'll work, but it looks like it will be a bugger to clean. Just a thought.

[Wayne Blanch]

That'll work, but it looks like it will be a bugger to clean. Just a thought.
I have one that is made from granite (I think - some sort of black stone anyway) and it is smooth on the working surface, and as a result it is easy to clean. It seems to work pretty well.

Having said that I think that the texturing would could make it more efficient.

All in all a good effort!:2tsup:

[rsser]

Looks great Tony.

I'd be happy to have one of those in my kitchen.

At the moment we use an Asian made granite thingy but yours would have a nicer feel factor.

[Frank&Earnest]

Yes, very nice. Much more aesthetically pleasing than the one I made out of ironbark (smooth bottom - I like it that way :D ) We have also an "asian granite" and a small 'pharmacist type'. Never used any of them. :no:
What are they good for anyway? No food processors where you live? :D

[rsser]

.... good for pounding spices eg. in seed form. When they're hard not even a coffee grinder will do a good job. Also for asian curry pastes - the texture is different from a food processor.

And the purists do their pesto in one - I draw the line at that.

[TTIT]

I know nothing about the mortar and pestle bit but can concur on the weight of that wood!!!:o Had to move a piece 2000x400x70 up on to a rack once - - - ouch!:o:C
Looks real nice Cedar :U - would make one myself but don't know anyone that would use it???

[OGYT]

Looks like you did a nice job, Cedar. As far as the textured inside is concerned, it all depends on what you want to grind. I made one from Bois d'Arc just to grind coffee into powder form (I wanted it like talcum for fine crack filling), and I left the bottom smooth. Really takes a long time to grind it, because the grains of coffee just move out of the way of the pestle. I think it might work a little better for me if I textured it. Good idea. My mortar is a little deeper.
Mighty pretty timber, too, Cedar, let us know how it works.
Your Pestle looks a lot better than mine.

[Frank&Earnest]

.... good for pounding spices eg. in seed form. When they're hard not even a coffee grinder will do a good job. Also for asian curry pastes - the texture is different from a food processor.

And the purists do their pesto in one - I draw the line at that.

Yes, yes, I know... can't one make a joke anymore? :D And what is this racist discrimination for curry against pesto? :D :D

ETA: I lied. :- My wife uses the "pharmacist" one to grind food for the goldfish.:C

[rsser]

No discrimination F&E. I do the curry pastes (ahem, mostly with the Bamix these days); the missus does the pesto ... always with the food processor!

[cedar n silky]

No discrimination F&E. I do the curry pastes (ahem, mostly with the Bamix these days); the missus does the pesto ... always with the food processor!
I have to confess I made pesto tonight with the food processor!:q :B
I did grind some pepercorns (even though I now have my very own pepper grinder), just to see how it went- Went OK!
I guess I made it because, well, I'm influenced by those cooking shows on TV!:B SWMBO says it will just sit there gatehering dust, and she's probably right, but youv'e got to havea go!, And well, my daughter is a gourmet cook, so when she's over she can cook us up a feast, using the mortar and pestle!(I hope):D

[Frank&Earnest]

Wow, I did not realise pesto was so popular. Do you make it right though, with real pinenuts? I did not realise these were so widely available either. (I have to confess: I am not a fan of pesto, even the real one... forget those in jars)

[cedar n silky]

Wow, I did not realise pesto was so popular. Do you make it right though, with real pinenuts? I did not realise these were so widely available either. (I have to confess: I am not a fan of pesto, even the real one... forget those in jars)
My gourmet cook daughter made it with Macadamia nuts and basil ,garlic, olive oil, parmassen etc. Better than the pine nut version IMHO!:D
Mine doesn't seem to turn out like hers though. OH!:B I just realised why! I forgot a fresh tomato! I also over blended it I think!:doh: You know how cream turns to butter if your not careful. Maybe I'll try the next batch with the mortar and pestle, less chance of it becoming "butter" .:D

[rsser]

The hard way does produce a better result, and if done fresh without too much basil makes for a sweetly nutty dish. Most pesto has too much basil ... presumably cheaper than pine nuts.

[rsser]

As luck would have it my Macedonian cleaner broke the wood mortar she inherited from her Mum so I've offered to turn a replacement.

Tony did you manage to turn your pestle without the dimple in the mashing end? Or did you just sand it off, off the lathe?

[Bleedin Thumb]

Cedar, nice job.
my preference is for the mortar to have about the texture that yours has, but I also find that it is important to have some grip on the pestle to keep a grip on what your grinding. You will notice on the better type of stone pestles that the lower section is unpolished, therefore more grip when grinding.

[OGYT]

I must be coarse and ignernt. Don't have th' slightest idea what pesto is.
Just a meat 'n taters sort o' bloke, here. :)

[rsser]

Tsk Al.

It's a thick paste made by pounding or processing: basil, pine nuts, olive oil, parmesan cheese and (I think) garlic, plus seasoning. It's used in a dollop on top of a bowl of pasta.

There are variants using other nuts and other herbs. You can buy the stuff ready-made but it's a waste of time compared to the original.

So now you know ;-}

[ozwinner]

I must be coarse and ignernt. Don't have th' slightest idea what pesto is.


Its a flyo that buzzes around your heado.

Alo :U

[OGYT]

That explains it, Ern. I don't eat pasta. My theory is, "why?". Just eat th' stuff that goes on it, and it'll taste the same. :D Thanks for the explanation, Mate.

Good one, Al-o. :rotfl:

[rsser]

It's good on fresh crusty bread too ;-} Even on steak.

[rsser]

Well here's my take on the M&P.

About 7" wide; mortar out of walnut (the nut tree, not the flowering); pestle out of almond.

My guess is that it's too small for my cleaner who wants to make paste out of chillis etc but we'll suck it and see.

Bit short of larger blanks; NIP might do ... got plenty of that. Can't find a density figure for it though it's fine grained enough. Bootle doesn't reckon it's an Australian timber.

Sorted the problem of getting a clean pestle end by turning a tenon on the headstock side after shaping and then holding it with the chuck to finish the mushing end.

Finished with Rustin's DO. The maker claims it's food safe.

[Mrs Woodpecker]

Beautiful. As for design, as long as it is round and deep enough for the herbs etc, nothing else is relevant. Shirley

[rsser]

Thanks Shirley.

Welcome to the forum ;-}

Herbs yes ... chilli paste not sure. Maybe she cooks with those ones around 75-100mm long? I've got no books on Greek Macedonian cuisine.

Got a couple of nephews in Rocky ... not far from you?

[TTIT]

I must be coarse and ignernt. Don't have th' slightest idea what pesto is.
Just a meat 'n taters sort o' bloke, here. :)I'm glad you had the gumption to ask Al!!! I didn't 'ave a clue either :shrug: Don't have any of that fancy tucker out here in the sticks.:B

[TTIT]

.....Got a couple of nephews in Rocky ... Well isn't it about time you visited the poor blighters and side-stepped out to say G'day!:;

[OGYT]

Pap always said, if you don't ask, you won't find out... and I guess in my lifetime I've found out more than a few times. :)
Nice one, Ern, now mash somethin', see how it works. :D

[rsser]

Well isn't it about time you visited the poor blighters and side-stepped out to say G'day!:;

Sounds good.

Another year or so of wage slavery and I might be let out on parole ;-}

[hughie]

Another year or so of wage slavery and I might be let out on parole


had me parole cancelled...musta been sumfin I said :U back to the road gang for a couple of years yet.




apologies for the hijack.

[cedar n silky]

As luck would have it my Macedonian cleaner broke the wood mortar she inherited from her Mum so I've offered to turn a replacement.

Tony did you manage to turn your pestle without the dimple in the mashing end? Or did you just sand it off, off the lathe?

Nice job on the M&P Ern. I was away trying to catch Winter Tailor, so I was a bit late in replying.
Alas I did end up carefuly sanding the dimple off:B I suppose if I was mass producing them, I might work out a way of holding them in the shark jaws, and rigging up some sort of a cup chuck to do the other end, but asa one off I did it the easy way!:D

[cedar n silky]

I'm glad you had the gumption to ask Al!!! I didn't 'ave a clue either :shrug: Don't have any of that fancy tucker out here in the sticks.:B
You might be surprised Vern! All that "bush tucker" is very much in "vogue" in the big smoke.
Native Lemon Myrtyll,, etc etc?

[rsser]

Thanks Tony. I went ahead with the method described above. Pestle was short and thick enough to hold a tenon stub in a chuck. Then I just parted it off with a very sharp tool. Job done.

[cedar n silky]

Pap always said, if you don't ask, you won't find out... and I guess in my lifetime I've found out more than a few times. :)
Nice one, Ern, now mash somethin', see how it works. :D
Al, I don't know if you have got much ocean around Texas, but I agree if "you don't ask you wont find out"! I draw similar parralels with woodturning and my other hobby, fishing!:B I was doing the "pipi dance" which is a rather vigorous twist (do you remember the dance?) on the ocean's edge in bare feet. It looks pretty silly!:B The idea being that as the waves receed and the sand washes from under your twisting feet, you might feel a pipi! (A white shell fish a bit like an oyster, and a very good bait for fishing). I have been doing it like this for a couple of years, and the other day a very weatherbeaten, sunburnt elderly gentleman must have taken pitty on me, and came over and said "I'll show you a far easirer way" he pointed to some slightly raised mounds of sand a bit higher up on the beach, stuck his knife in and flicked a pippy out. It was then I noticed these mounds were all over the place, and I had probably been walking on top of them for years!:B :doh:

[rsser]

That's a gem Tony! Thanks.

Al, the M&P are a gift .. so we'll have a delicate conversation when Mary the cleaner turns up this week. .... it's been made for her but will she find a way of saying 'chilli paste with that ??!!'

Reminds me of the old joke about Adam in the garden of Eden. He comes up to an elephant who says 'Now how on earth do you pick up peanuts with that?!'.