Pocket Nutmeg Grater

A mints tin or a small clear top tea tin and a soda can piece become a little pocket or purse nutmeg grater with a little work and a few simple tools!

Materials:

1 mint tin - preferably the tall long tube kind.

Or

1 round clear top tea/mint tin - this one is from David’s Tea

1 soda can

Tools:

1 small Phillips screwdriver OR a small star bit screwdriver

1 hammer

1 pair tin snips

1 pair pliers - I used round nose, but needle nose or chain nose would also work well. (not needed for round tin style)

1 marker

Using a marker, draw an outline of your tin opening on the bottom of the soda can. The bottom of a soda can is thicker, and so it works very well for making the grater surface.
Once you have your grid marked out, use your small Phillips or star bit screwdriver and your hammer to carefully punch just the tip of the screwdriver through the tin. This creates the grater surface, much like you see on a store bought spice grater.
NOTE: if you hit the screwdriver too hard it will punch all the way through, and you will need to start over with a new can bottom.
2ND NOTE: punching the holes too close together can cause the tin to tear! Space appropriately!

Using the tin snips, cut out your grating surface.

For the mints tin, cut 1/2 inch around your outline or the largest you can manage - the space outside the outline will become the lip to hold the grater plate in place.

Once cut out, use the hammer to tap the tin flat around the grating surface (don’t hammer on the grating surface itself - you will dull the grater!)

Next, use the tin snips to make little cuts from the edge to the outline in order to make bending the tin into shape easier. Use as many or as few as you like.
Once cut, use the pliers to bend the tabs down. Once bent, fit the grater to your mint tin. You can use the pliers or gentle taps with the hammer to form the tin lip more closely around your mint tin.

For the round tin style - pop out the clear plastic part of the lid and use the marker to outline it on the inside of the grater surface (outside of can). Cut the exact size of the outline - follow the inside edge of the marker circle. Test your fit as you go - you want the tin circle to fit inside the lid just like the plastic circle does.

Decorate your mint tin turned Pocket Nutmeg Grater however you like. Once decorated, add nutmeg seeds to the inside of the tin, leaving room to store your grating top inside.

Whenever you want some freshly grated nutmeg, pull out your Pocket Nutmeg Grater, pull a nutmeg seed and your grater top from the tin, put the grater top in place, and grate some nutmeg! I have found slow and firm works the best for me - use it however you like - just don’t grate your fingers!!