How to Grind Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks

Cinnamon is one of the spices I love to include in most dishes. This is my top choice when I am hungry and craving something sweet. True Ceylon stands out as the top choice among all the different types of cinnamon available.

It also has numerous delicious recipes and enhances the flavor of your preferred dishes and desserts! However, the initial stage in preparing these incredible recipes is to grind Ceylon cinnamon. So, how do you actually do this the right way?

Well, I’m here to explain how you can do it to make the most awesome Ceylon cinnamon recipe out there.

Why Grind Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks in the First Place?

Before getting into the nitty gritty, it’s important to learn why we need to grind them to begin with. Grinding cinnamon of any kind is essential to keeping them fresh and releasing the flavors.

The same literally applies to Ceylon, too! Grinding allows the essential oils and all the nuanced flavors to escape for a more pungent taste and aroma. In fact, a study published by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Industry explains that ground cinnamon loses 20% of its essential minerals within the first six months of storage.

This means grinding them before use is necessary to enhance the flavors, resulting in a more delicious bite of those great recipes!

Tools You Will Need

Next, what tools will you need to start grinding your cinnamon sticks? The good news is that they aren’t hard to find and are relatively affordable in stores like Druera https://druera.com/products/ceylon-cinnamon-sticks.

• Ceylon Cinnamon sticks
• Spice grinder or coffee grinder
• Fine-mesh sieve
• Airtight container

A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Prepare the Cinnamon Sticks — First, you must set aside the Ceylon cinnamon sticks. This is done by slowly chopping the fine sticks into smaller pieces so you can grind them even finer later with a mortar and pestle. If you don’t know what that is, it’s a large bowl with a straight bashing stick that crushes spices and other ingredients (including Ceylon).
2. Turn on the spice grinder and use it — Next, load the grinder with the finely chopped Cinnamon to start refining the texture of the spices. Remember, don’t overload the mixing cup with too much Ceylon so it won’t overflow. This also doesn’t help refining since they are cramped there, and the mixer can’t grind the ingredients properly. Once this occurs, grind and place the more refined Ceylon into a mesh sieve to separate the larger chunks. You can even re-regrind these, so you won’t put any larger pieces of Ceylon to waste.
3. Place the even more refined pieces into the mortar and pestle — The next step is to place the Ceylon in the sieve into the mortar bowl so you can grind it one last time. Hold the grinder tool and slowly mash it against the rigid mortar. Then, pace up the mashing until you hear splitter-splatter sounds. This sound means that the Ceylon’s juices are extracted a bit for that fresh taste we want. Once the sound stops, it can be placed in a sieve for cooking or storing.
4. Store or add to your recipes — Once the grinding is finished, you are ready to store or add it to your favorite recipes! We recommend storing these in a strong mason jar and placing them inside a fridge to preserve the flavors. Otherwise, feel free to mix it up in your favorite desserts and dishes for the best Ceylon cinnamon experience!