Is it a good idea to grind dried oregano with a mortar and pestle?
Someone explained to me that I could increase the surface area of my herbs significantly when grinding them in a mortar with a bit of salt. It is indeed quite easy to grind them down to a powder. I do have the impression though that my sauces get more bitter when using powdered oregano. Is there any basis to this? Am I just using to much oregano given its increased "aromatising efficiency"? Or am I indeed releasing some substance that would otherwise be locked in the leaves?
Best Answer
By grinding it, you are also increasing the surface are of the herb when it reaches the tongue, and you are exposing the raw/inner (bitter) flavors of the herb to the mouth. When cooking with it "un-ground", the cooking process extracts just the oils from the herb, and leaves the leaf in tact which does not taste unpleasant to the senses.
I would certainly use less of a ground herb, but my preference would be to leave it in it's natural dried state, and if you want more taste just increase the quantity. The only exception I have for this is when making rubs, where the fat of the meat (or oil for a bread dip) typically complements the bitter flavor of the ground herb.
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How do you grind dried oregano?
Use a coffee grinder, which can double as an herb grinder, to shred up the rosemary and oregano. You can be as precise or mix it up like I did. I simply mixed the two herbs together. Only grind a few herbs as at a time since it will overwork the motor when too much is put inside at one time.What do you grind in a mortar and pestle?
Items that are good to grind or crush in the mortar and pestle include peppercorns, spice seeds, herb seeds, fresh herb and spice leaves, rice, nuts, other plant seeds, hard candies, sea salt, and so on. Anything used for baking or eating that can be crushed is likely to work in the mortar and pestle.Can I use a mortar and pestle for fresh herbs?
The mortar and pestle is a great tool to use with either dried herbs or fresh ones.How do you grind dried herbs?
Grinding herbs is a common way to use them in recipes.Never Use an Oven or Dehydrator to Dry Herbs Again With This Century Old Method
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Answer 2
I prefer to use a personal blender like the nutriblast that comes with a dry ingredients blade. As long as you remove the stems, it comes out soft and fluffy and aromatic.
If you're worried about the surface area of the herb being exposed, then steep the herb in a piece of cheesecloth, then remove and discard. In this way, the flavors are instilled into the product, but the herb itself isn't present in the dish.
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