|
Post by olebama on Aug 27, 2017 9:43:54 GMT -7
Regarding the pemmican thread recently. To make pemmican you have to grind up the jerky to a powder. So I am looking for a mortar and pestle. I heard that stone can leave stone bits in the food. I have seen steel, cast iron, various stone/porcelin, and even wood. So any thoughts or suggestions on material and or size?
|
|
|
Post by graf on Aug 27, 2017 11:30:01 GMT -7
Got mine off Amazon couple years ago it's some kind of glazed stone I have used it a lot works well
|
|
|
Post by Cwi555 on Aug 27, 2017 11:52:40 GMT -7
Many moons ago, I got my hands on a scraped nickel valve which I turned into a mortar and pestle. The original ingot was machined into a globe valve body, the valve body halves were screwed up and put to scrap. It made a dandy mortar. The rest went into the pestle.
You're right to be concerned about stone chips and wood splinters. I would suggest metal version in stainless, brass, or other corrosion resistant metal. Stick with the wood/stone variants if your making black powder.
|
|
|
Post by cajunlady87 on Aug 27, 2017 14:56:01 GMT -7
I have both wooden and ceramic pestle and those were hard for me to come by. I can understand the concerns of splinters and chipped pieces but at the same time it seems gentle usage wouldn't create those problems. Pharmacists have used them for generations and this is the first I hear of such happenings and I haven't had this problem. Just my 2 cents.
|
|
|
Post by olebama on Aug 27, 2017 15:37:26 GMT -7
thx. Being a chemist, I have used them. But never for food. I guess I wouldn't be too concerned about wooden splinter. I was mainly concerned about teeth.
|
|
|
Post by thywar on Aug 27, 2017 16:39:29 GMT -7
I agree that stainless would be best. Find a scrap yard that gets stainless and maybe make your own? I would think any heavy stainless cooking bowl would suffice. Probably any round heavy object would work to crush it. I've been giving some thoughts about turning a mortar and pestle to sell for graduating pharmacists.
|
|
|
Post by woodyz on Aug 27, 2017 16:58:22 GMT -7
|
|
|
Post by thywar on Aug 27, 2017 17:21:39 GMT -7
Crushing is the key. If you have to pound it use something else. With a mallet
|
|
|
Post by olebama on Aug 27, 2017 19:03:51 GMT -7
Thanks gang. Now that brings me to another thing. Making corn meal from corn. I have seen the big wooden mortar and pestles that at least some indians used. I have even tried one and wouldn't want to have to do that. However. Has anyone seen that size anywhere for sale? I have looked around some on google. I did find instructions on how to make one: www.jonsbushcraft.com/mortarandpestle.htm
|
|
|
Post by woodyz on Aug 27, 2017 20:57:35 GMT -7
|
|
|
Post by olebama on Aug 28, 2017 10:21:34 GMT -7
Thanks, woodyz. I keep forgetting about these things. I have heard that some of them are not very sturdy when you start putting corn thru them. Is this the one that you bought? Have you tried it out?
|
|
|
Post by cajunlady87 on Aug 28, 2017 11:49:38 GMT -7
I like this thread cuz this is a topic we hadn't discussed before and it does give us food for thought.
|
|
|
Post by woodyz on Aug 28, 2017 12:34:57 GMT -7
|
|
|
Post by woodyz on Aug 28, 2017 12:43:20 GMT -7
course you could take that crank handle off and replace it with a steering wheel even a bike hub and it would be easier to turn. I guess you could even replace the crank with a bike gear and run a chain and peddle it to flour.
That may be where you would get into cracking the cast iron. But the make them in stainless steel too.
|
|
|
Post by olebama on Aug 28, 2017 15:13:37 GMT -7
thanks for the info. maybe stainless is the way to go, i will check on that. Yes, this would work better that mortar and pestle.
|
|