What to Know About Cinnamon Sticks
How to grind up cinnamon sticks. I have always loved nature not because people talk about it but for the wonders that surround it. Have you for once decided to pick one natural product and study on your own? I mean, just study a piece of nature and find out the astonishing facts. Oh, less I divert from the main topic.
How to grind up cinnamon sticks isn’t the topic we are pursuing? Yes, don’t worry, we are gonna deal with it thoroughly.
The cinnamon sticks have been used for various purposes, in the health line, they can help in the lowering of blood sugar, what a great reason to have these sticks in your home. Wow, now let’s keep reading, we are going to do justice to this topic in no time.
Cinnamon does not end its benefit here, it can also act as an anti-diabetic agent which means it regulars blood sugar levels through various mechanisms.
Cinnamon sticks, do you know are spices? Of course, they are spice sticks that are gotten from the bark of the tree known as the tropical evergreen. How are they taken from this tree?
The tree is definitely stripped and then the strips are allowed to dry in the open air. Once they are dried, you will then cut them into the popular small sticks and shapes you and I know.
The sticks are then ground into the common cinnamon powder that you can use in cooking and baking. You must also understand that cinnamon is an important spice in many dishes, including meat stews, Eastern fare, and baked foods such as pastry, apple pies, and what have you.
Anytime you are in need of cinnamon powder, always remember that you can always grind the sticks and improve your recipe.
Well, now, you are willing to grind your cinnamon stick into powder. There are various means to do that you already know. You can grind your cinnamon sticks with a mortar and pestle, coffee grinder, and spice grinder either manual or electric. You can also grind your cinnamon through local means such as crushing the sticks with a hammer, bottles, and other simple tools not mentioned.
How to Grind Up Cinnamon Sticks
What about if you want to grind your cinnamon stick in various ways? Let me focus on some specific tools that can deliver this task for you. Ok, I suggest a coffee grinder, spice grinder, mortar and pestle, and then some other local tools as will be mentioned.
How to Grind Up Cinnamon Sticks Using a Coffee Grinder
When you grind up cinnamon sticks with a coffee grinder, you get more than the average cinnamon-flavored dust. Whether you have an old coffee grinder in the back of your cabinet or you just want to take care of some kitchen cleanup, this hack is a great way to use it:
1. Place the cinnamon sticks provided into an automatic or manual coffee grinder. If you realize that the sticks are too long, break them into smaller sizes using your hand so that the lid of your grinder can cover the sticks to avoid spillage or obstruction.
2. Start your grinder and run until you are sure the cinnamon has been completely ground. If your grinder is manual, turn the grinder blade using the cramp until you get your desired consistency. However, to get perfect ground, make sure that the grinding is done with several short bursts varying in length and frequency depending on the amount and type of cinnamon you are grinding.
3. At this point, you can remove the cinnamon powder from your grinder and pour it into a small container, preferably a small bowl but it can be any container that is big enough to hold the amount of the cinnamon powder ground. Related article: How to Grind Coffee Beans Without Grinder in 2023?
How to Grind Up Cinnamon Sticks Using Spice Grinder
When you’ve got the perfect recipe for your homemade apple cider and the main ingredient is ground cinnamon, you can find yourself in a bit of a pickle if all you’ve got is whole cinnamon sticks. Luckily, there’s an easy solution: just use your spice grinder! Here’s how:
1. Add your cinnamon sticks to the grinder.
2. Put on the lid and begin to grind.
3. Continue grinding until you’ve got the consistency of finely-milled cinnamon that you’re looking for. That’s it! Now you’re ready to add your ground cinnamon to any recipe that calls for it.
How to Grind up Cinnamon Stick using Pestle and Mortar
Mortar and Pestle are as ancient as time and humans. Our ancestors in fact enjoyed their grindings using this tool. Are you planning to use them to grind your cinnamon too? Well, there is no problem; here are some steps you can follow:
- Dust your mortar and pestle and then pour your cinnamon sticks.
- Ensure that the cinnamon sticks are dried though so that you can get your powder.
- Don’t allow the inside of the mortar bowl to wet.
- Start pounding your cinnamon sticks in batches in small quantities until you attain your desired texture.
- Pour the cinnamon out of the mortar and transfer it into a bowl.
- Preserve for the next usage.
How to Grind Cinnamon Stick with Grater
A grater is another simple tool you can use to grind your cinnamon sticks when you don’t have any other grinder available. This method is simple and effective and as such, a good hack you can try.
The Steps to Grinding your Cinnamon Using Grater
1. First of all, wash your cinnamon stick in clean water.
2. Cut the cinnamon sticks into small pieces if you are using a manual grater, if you are using the traditional grater, there is no need to cut the sticks into smaller pieces.
3. Grate the cinnamons until they are exhausted.
Other Methods of Grinding Cinnamon Sticks to Powder
It’s a fact: cinnamon is one of the most delicious, warming flavors around. If you’re looking to make your own cinnamon-based delicacies, it’s important to know how to grind your cinnamon sticks into that perfect, fine powder we all know and love.
There are several ways you can grind your cinnamon sticks, including:
Microplane Zester
If you are using Microplane Zester to grind your cinnamon sticks, follow the steps presented below:
Grind cinnamon sticks using Microplane Zester.
Step 1: Measure out the amount of cinnamon you need for your recipe.
Step 2: Break down the cinnamon sticks into small pieces. Use a rolling pin, a heavy spoon, or the bottom of a heavy pan to roll over the cinnamon stick until it breaks into small pieces.
Step 3: Grate the cinnamon over a piece of wax paper. Use a Microplane zester to grate the cinnamon over a sheet of wax paper. If you do not have this kitchen tool, you can use a cheese grater instead. Related article: How Do I Make Banana Smoothies in 2023?
Ziploc bag and meat tenderizer
In order to grind cinnamon sticks using a Ziploc bag and meat tenderizer, you will need:
-Cinnamon sticks
-A large Ziploc bag (or two)
-A meat tenderizer
-Steps:
1. Place your cinnamon sticks in the Ziploc bag. If you’re using more than one bag, place the cinnamon into one and then put that bag into another one to prevent leakage.
2. Using the meat tenderizer, break the cinnamon up by pounding on it inside the bag with the tenderizer. Give it a good pounding, but don’t pound too hard or the cinnamon will leak out of the bag.
3. Once your cinnamon is in small enough pieces, remove it from the bags and use it as desired!
High-Speed Blender
You can grind cinnamon sticks using a high-speed blender. Here’s how:
Step 1: Add cinnamon sticks to the container and secure the lid.
Step 2: Select Variable 1.
Step 3: Turn the machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10/High.
Step 4: Blend for 30-60 seconds, until desired consistency is reached.
Step 5: Use the tamper to effectively press ingredients into the blades while blending if necessary.
Food processor
Cinnamon sticks are delicious and add wonderful flavor to your dishes, but they are hard to grind. Here is a detailed explanation of how to grind cinnamon sticks using a food processor:
1. First, take out your food processor.
2. Next, place cinnamon sticks into the processor bowl. Only fill the bowl about 2/3 full so that the cinnamon has room to move around in the processor.
3. Then, put on the lid of the food processor and secure it so that it does not come off during processing.
4. Finally, press ‘on’ and let the food processor work until you have ground cinnamon of your desired consistency.
Now that I have provided various methods on how to grind up cinnamon sticks, we can then answer some questions and answer.
Question and Answers for exploration
You need to read these questions and their answers to know more about grinding cinnamon sticks. They are like guides to benefit more from the cinnamon sticks and the powder.
How Do You Grind Cinnamon Sticks Without a Grinder
If you observed, you will realize that I didn’t mention anything about the simple tools we have at home as a means to grind cinnamon. The fact is that you can use a tool as small as a hammer to grind your cinnamon stick to your satisfaction but it can be as smooth as using a spice grinder. Mortar and pestle is another ideal tool you can use in grinding your cinnamon stick into powder.
How Do You Grind Cinnamon Sticks by Hand
If you don’t have a grinder or mortar and pestle, other alternatives you may want to try are things like a hammer, glass bottle, side of cutlass, chef knife, and many other simple tools not mentioned. The idea here is to ensure that your cinnamon stick becomes powdery.
Can You Grind Cinnamon Sticks in Food Processor
A food processor for sure is known for its generosity when it comes to grinding food items. Cinnamon sticks can be ground in a food processor, blender, spice grinder, or mortar and pestle and this can be done with immediate effect.
Can I Grind Cinnamon Sticks in a Blender
If you are sure that your blender blade is strong enough to take the toughness of a cinnamon stick, definitely you can grind up a cinnamon stick in a blender into powder. Take the quantity needed out of the sticks, and place them in your blender. Ensure the sizes picked are cut into small pieces that your blender can carry. Although, a blender can only grind cinnamon sticks in small batches, unlike a food processor that can take more quantities.
Is Ground Cinnamon the Same As Cinnamon Sticks
The first biggest difference between a cinnamon stick and powdered cinnamon is the shape and appearance. Ground cinnamon is the cinnamon bark ground to a powder while cinnamon sticks are consistent with the bark that is rolled up into quills. Both cinnamon may be similar in many cases but the cinnamon sticks have more flavors compared to the ground cinnamon.
What Can I Do With Cinnamon Sticks
There are 5 reasons I can give you to put your cinnamon sticks in your spice rack.
1. The cinnamon tisane is very important in herbal tea and can comfort you as well when you take a mug of cinnamon tisane.
2. You can flavor your oats by adding them to your oatmeal during cooking.
3. You can use one as a drink stirrer.
4. You can spice up your coffee by adding cinnamon to it.
5. Add it to meat in the slow cooker for a good taste and flavor.
Can I Grate Cinnamon Sticks
It depends on the texture you desire. If you need powdered cinnamon, a spice grinder may want to be your best choice, however, if the smoothness of the cinnamon sticks is not your problem, grate them using the fine blades of a box grater. Remember, you can make your cinnamon sticks finer by grinding them in a spice grinder.
Conclusion
Grinding up cinnamon sticks is not as hard as people think it. If you can follow the methods mentioned above, you will end up grinding your cinnamon sticks well. You can also preserve them when they are already turned into powder.
I answered a lot of questions, in the answers; I mentioned that it is not only a coffee grinder that can grind up cinnamon sticks. A food processor, mortar and pestle, grater, spice grinder, blender, and even simple tools such as a hammer, bottle, and so on can grind up your cinnamon sticks.
From now on, you shouldn’t have a problem grinding your cinnamon sticks. There are lots of tools out there you can simply get whether manual or electric to do the job for you.
What is your opinion about our topic of discussion? Do you have any contrary opinions? I will like to read it in the comment box for improvement on this topic in particular or others as it may be necessary.