(First of, sorry for another molcajete question but my research showed this as the best place to ask and get help.)
So, my mother gave me this molcajete, which my grandmother purchased in the 60s while living in Lorado, Texas. Apparently it hasn’t been used in well over 50 years. She doesn’t know much about it, as my grandmother passed away a long time ago; but she’s very certain it at least came from across the boarder back in the 60s.
I’ve done a lot of research on them since getting it, but I can’t find much information about “restoring” an older Molcajete that hasn’t been used much.
I’ve washed it (no soap), submerged it in water, I’m on dry rice grind number 8 and two rounds of garlic cloves and I’m still getting some grit in it when I run some rice through it. It definitely is *less* grit from when I started, so I guess I just need to keep working away at it?
It *does* hold water, it *is* quite heavy, and the molcajete and tejolote give off a burnt/sulphury smell when ground together. It’s made a little imperfect, had a lot of pores but it’s proven very easy to clean.
So…what do I have here? Is it a real one that’s just old and is going to need a lot of TLC to get cleaned/cured good to use? Do I just have a weird really old “fake” molcajete? Am I wasting my time trying to get it cured, or is this thing going to be awesome when I’m done with it?
by zach2thefuture