• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Dora's Table
  • About Dora
  • Recipes
  • Ebooks
  • Food Photography
    • Portafolio
  • Español
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Snapchat
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Dora
  • Recipes
  • Ebooks
  • Food Photography
    • Portafolio
  • Español
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About Dora
    • Recipes
    • Ebooks
    • Food Photography
      • Portafolio
    • Español
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Cookware » How to Cure a Molcajete -VIDEO

    How to Cure a Molcajete -VIDEO

    Published: Jul 27, 2019 · Modified: Oct 10, 2020 by Dora S. · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Disclaimer: The post is in partnership with Hernán & may include affiliate links.

    Learn how to cure a molcajete in four easy steps. Curing or seasoning a molcajete can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. It is actually rather simple, but I won't lie to you, it is time-consuming. That's why I will walk you step-by-step through the process, and answer every question you have ever had about a Mexican molcajete.

    White rice in a molcajete ready to be ground

    What is an authentic Mexican molcajete?

    A molcajete is a mortar and pestle made out of volcanic rock (basalt) that stands on three legs. It has been used in Mexico since pre-Hispanic times to grind spices and grains. The word molcajete comes from the word “mollicaxtli” which means stone box for making salsa or mole. It is probably the most used and loved tool in every Mexican kitchen and it is often passed down from generation to generation. (Fun Fact: the hand grinding tool or pestle is called tejolote)

    Pulverized rice in a molcajete

    Where to buy a molcajete?

    Did you know that some stores sell molcajetes that are made with a mixture of cement and rock?? These molcajetes are usually cheap, very smooth in appearance, and light in weight. Before you buy a molcajete make sure it is from a reputable source. If your molcajete is made with cement it will never stop releasing grit into your food! I bought my molcajete from Hernan Mexico and I highly recommend them.

    A close-up of the pulverized rice where you can see the grit.

    How to Cure a Molcajete?

    A molcajete must be seasoned or cured before using it for the first time. To season a molcajete first:

    1. Wash really well with water and a stiff brush.
    2. Pour a handful of uncooked rice and grind to a powder using your pestle (tejolote). Make sure to use the whole circumference of the molcajete bowl, not just the center. You can add a little bit of water to the rice to make the grinding easier. Your first grind will result in a grayish rice paste. Discard the ground rice, and rinse molcajete.
    3. Repeat the process as many times as needed until the ground rice is white in color and has no grit in it. This will take a while but will allow you to really get to know your molcajete and make it truly yours.
    4. The final test is to grind 3-4 cloves of garlic and kosher salt evenly around the inside of the molcajete. Check for grit. Rinse the molcajete and tejolote and allow to air dry. Your molcajete is now ready to use!!

    Beginners Tip: Place a kitchen towel under your molcajete before grinding to avoid damage to your countertops.

    6 cloves of garlic in a molcajete

    How to Clean a Molcajete

    Now that your molcajete is seasoned, after every use simply wash with water and a stiff brush and allow to air dry. NEVER use soap, soap can get into the crevices of your molcajete and change the flavor of your food.

    Hernan molcajete surrounded by tomato, onion, and peppers

    The Best Molcajete Salsa

    They say the taste of salsa made in a molcajete cannot compare to one made in a blender. Grinding in a molcajete allows the spices and herbs to release their natural oils and aromas, resulting in a deeper and more profound flavor. For me, using a molcajete makes me feel connected to the women, my ancestors, who hundreds of years ago ground their salsas in a molcajete. I don’t know, it almost feels like a special ritual, one that is worth repeating over and over again.

    Salsa molcajeteada in a large molcajete surrounded by tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic

    « Gallina Pinta (Bean and Hominy Soup)
    Vegan Raspberry Ice Cream with Almond Crumble »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Stuart

      June 09, 2022 at 10:47 pm

      I got my molcajete yesterday. Tonight, I seasoned it as directed with rice and a little water. there was a little grit after the first rinse, so I did it again. The second time the water had no grit. I put 3-4 small cloves of garlic and a tablespoon of salt and made a paste. This time I found a tiny bit of grit so I did it again, this time no grit. Very excited to use it tomorrow to make guacamole! Thank you for the information and the video.

      Reply
    2. Meagan Lopez

      April 29, 2021 at 3:20 pm

      I have cured mine and just made salsa (which was great!) But after washing with only water and bristle brush i think a mold grew. I soaked and used a toothpick to clean out all the crevices and it took forever but i think it is clean now. How can i prevent this from happening and why did it happen to begin with?

      Reply
      • Dora S.

        May 06, 2021 at 8:54 am

        That has never happened to me. After you wash it make sure to let it air dry.

        Reply
        • Valeria

          May 18, 2021 at 7:09 am

          Is it normal/ok that after grinding the rice, some rice stays in the little holes of the stone?

        • Dora S.

          June 20, 2021 at 6:02 pm

          Yes, to help get some of that out you can leave the molcajete soaking for an hour submerged in water then scrub it with the brush.

    3. Adriana Cervantes

      February 26, 2021 at 12:19 pm

      Thank you. I just got mine and plan to share a video of some of the process (my camera died lol). Also, my sister's name is Dora :)

      Reply
      • Dora S.

        February 26, 2021 at 5:31 pm

        How long did it take you to cure it. I feel like it took me forever.

        Reply
    4. Kasondra Winkler

      January 09, 2021 at 4:06 pm

      Thank you! Just did mine with these awesome instructions!

      Reply
    5. Erin

      December 06, 2019 at 6:16 pm

      I've been trying to get mine seasoned but the rice doesn't seem to want to grind down. Am I doing something wrong? I scrubbed with a brush and plain water and I've tried grinding just the rice and I've tried adding the water and it doesn't want to grind into a powder at all. I spent over 45 minutes trying it with no success. Help!

      Reply
      • Dora S.

        December 07, 2019 at 1:38 pm

        Hi Erin, you need to add a considerable amount of force to grind the rice. If rice is too difficult you can do it with garlic and salt.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome. I'm so happy you're here.

    I’m Dora, and I make traditional vegan Mexican recipes that are easy, mostly healthy and delicious. Find out more →

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube

    Comforting Soups

    These tomatillo poblano white beans are a warm stew of perfectly creamy beans, tomatillos, spicy poblano pepper, onion, cumin, and oregano.

    Tomatillo Poblano White Beans (The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook for Your Instant Pot)

    This vegan Mexican meatball soup is a hearty soup filled with carrots, potatoes, celery, and amazingly tender meatballs.

    Vegan Mexican Meatball Soup

    A white and blue bowl filled with vegan seafood stew surrounded by lime, chiles, and cilantro

    Vegan Matamoros Style Seafood Stew

    Mexican vegan lentil soup in a white bowl surrounded by tomato, cilantro and onion

    Mexican Vegan Lentil Soup (Sopa de Lentejas)

    bowl of menudo with a spoon digging in

    Vegan Menudo

    Gallina pinta soup in a melon colored bowl surrounded by lime, toasted bread

    Gallina Pinta (Bean and Hominy Soup)

    See More;

    Subscribe

    Join the community and get the Our Vegan Mexico Ebook!! 32 authentic vegan Mexican recipes

    Privacy Policy

    Popular Posts

    birria taco being dipped in broth

    Vegan Birria Tacos

    cantaritos locos on a blue and white background with grapefruit halves

    Cantaritos Locos

    a close up of the vegan flan covered in caramel

    Vegan Flan

    How to Make Sopa de Fideo

    This salsa molcajeteada combines pan roasted tomatoes, garlic, and peppers to make a spicy and hearty salsa. They are pureed in a molcajete.

    Salsa Molcajeteada

    Potato and chorizo tacos. Serve the crispy bits of spicy chorizo mixed with the slightly golden potatoes on a warm tortilla and top with salsa.

    Homemade Vegan Chorizo

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About Me

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme