How to Grind Chinese Herbs

Chinese herbs, which are usually medicinal and used in alternative medicines, are often ground up. Whether using the Chinese herbs for cooking --- like adding ginger or garlic to a meal --- or for making herb teas, or to make herbal capsules for medicinal use, there are some methods of grinding the herbs.

Things You'll Need

• Mortar
• Pestle
• Herb grinder

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Instructions

Mortar and Pestle

• 1

  Place the herbs in small amounts in the bottom of the mortar. The mortar is the small bowl. Work with small amounts to make it easier to grind up into a powdered or paste state.

• 2

  Press the pestle down onto the herb. Move the pestle back and forth to break down the herb while using downward pressure to pound the herb into a powdered or paste state.

• 3

  Move the pestle in a circular motion to break up the smaller pieces. Alternate the back and forth and circular motions until the herb is completely ground up.

Grinder

• 4

  Plug in the herb grinder. An herb grinder is electric, so plug it in first and set it on the counter.

• 5

  Put the herb into the herb grinder. The exact amount will differ for each grinder, but usually there is a mark on the grinder for minimum and maximum amounts.

• 6

  Place the lid on top and press down on the button, which is usually on one side of the lid, until it turns on and grinds up the herbs. An herb grinder is usually very quick and takes only a few seconds.