⚙ Grinding in a Food Processor: How to Do It and How Long It Takes

Grinding in a Food Processor takes 1 min most of the time (usually between 1 min and 6 min).

In a food processor, grind in short pulses and check between pulses: it's easy to go from coarse to paste. (Sesame for tahini, on the other hand, is ground continuously.)

Time by Dish

Dish	Usual time
Roasted Pepper Spread	1 min
Homemade Nut Butter	5 min
Homemade Raw Tahini	2 min
Custard-Based Ice Cream (Crème Anglaise)	1 min
Almond Milk	2 min
Syrup-Free Tahini Chocolate Halva	12 min

Examples from the Recipes

Grind the oats in a blender about 30 seconds, into a coarse flour · 30 sec · Oat Pancakes with Yogurt and Berry Jam
Grind the roasted vegetables in a food processor with the walnuts, garlic, tomato paste, olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate syrup, cumin, paprika and chili, to a coarse spread, not completely smooth, and season with salt and black pepper · 1 min · Muhammara
Grind the pistachios in a food processor to a fine powder, and set aside · 1 min · Pistachio Gelato
Grind the sesame seeds in a food processor about 2 minutes, until powdered forms · 2 min · Homemade Whole Sesame Tahini
Grind the almonds in a food processor for about 3 minutes, until a coarse paste forms · 3 min · Homemade Sunflower Seed Spread
Grind the toasted sesame in a powerful blender 10-15 minutes, into a smooth paste (raw tahini) · 12 min · Syrup-Free Tahini Chocolate Halva

Tips

At first the nuts grind into crumbs and then into clumps: keep grinding, stopping now and then to scrape down the sides, until the oils are released and the mass turns into a paste.
Grind in pulses and stop while small lumps remain: good muhammara is coarse, not a cream.
The breadcrumbs and nuts thicken the spread. If it comes out thin, add another tablespoon of crumbs and grind again.
At first the sesame looks like dry crumbs: keep grinding, scraping down the sides, and after a few minutes it releases its oil and turns liquid.
Blend while the liver and onion are still hot: the butter melts into them, and the pâté comes out smooth.