How to Clean Wooden Pestles & Mortars

A mortar and pestle is a bowl and a short club commonly made from stone, ceramic, iron or wood that's used to crush or grind spices and pills, or mash certain foods. A wooden mortar and pestle works best when used with dry foods or spices with similar flavors because of its high absorption quality. Cleaning your wooden mortar and pestle requires minimal effort and prevents it from transferring flavors to different foods or spices. Clean your mortar and pestle after each use for the best results.

Things You'll Need

• Sponge
• Dish detergent
• Towel

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Rinse the mortar and pestle under warm running water to remove any loose food residue.

   • 2

     Dampen a sponge with warm water, and add two or three drops of dish detergent.

   • 3

     Wash the mortar and pestle thoroughly with the sponge to remove all traces of food particles or residue.

   • 4

     Rinse the mortar and pestle thoroughly with warm water.

   • 5

     Dry the mortar and pestle with a clean towel, and allow it to fully air-dry before storing.