| Perhaps the only thing that we don't want to do after cooking the food is cleaning the cooking utensils. There are some of the cooking utensils which are made from aluminum or steel which are difficult to be cleaned. The tips below will make you feel comfortable when it's time for you to clean the utensils. COOKING UTENSILS of various materials differ in the care they require but have a few traits in common. Here are some suggestions applicable to all. If food is badly stuck on a pot or pan, or has been scorched or burned in the bottom, put hot water in the pan and boil it for a few minutes. The food will be softened and can then be removed easily. Wooden spoons are good for stirring foods while they are cooking because they minimize the chance of scratches and dents. And never dunk very hot pans in cold water; such treatment is disastrous to some kinds and scarcely helpful to any. Plastic sponges are good "scrapers" and harmless to all cooking utensils. In washing pots and pans mild detergents are effective. They deal more competently with kitchen grease than soap and are kinder to your hands than heavy duty detergents. Now for specific materials. NEW ALUMINUM WARE remains bright and shining for a long time with ordinary washing and rinsing. If the finish becomes dark or dull, rub it up with a soaped steel wool pad. For best results rub in one direction, using straight even strokes rather than a circular motion. After this treatment aluminum emerges from a hot rinse bright and clean. Spinach, potatoes, and other alkaline foods tend to darken aluminum and so do strong soaps and detergents. Acid foods like apples and tomatoes brighten it. Neither reaction affects the food in any way. However, food should not be stored in an aluminum pan because chemicals in the foods sometimes cause pit marks. There is no danger of food poisoning involved, but the marks make the utensil unattractive in appearance and difficult to clean. Never use metal sponges or scouring powders on aluminum; they are too harsh for it. STAINLESS STEEL needs only hot suds; it never rusts and is damaged only by long contact with foods containing salts and acids. Pit marks, when they occur, are practically impossible to scour off, but you can try steel wool and a scouring powder. BLUISH GRAY HEAT MARKS sometimes appear on the sides of stainless steel vessels. If they are light they can be removed with copper polish or scouring powder on a cloth. (Keep the flame low, if you use a gas range, to avoid heat marks on stainless steel.) Samae, made by the Revere Company, cleans effectively both steel and copper and is made especially for their copperclad stainless steel vessels. Other copper polishes (Twinkle, Copper-Brite) perform a similar job. Follow the directions on the containers of these products. GLASS AND ENAMELWARE cooking utensils share a number of traits, since enamelware consists of glass over steel. You can avoid scorching food in them by applying heat cautiously at the outset. Glass heats quickly but the heat is spread unevenly. Since glass is sensitive to sudden temperature changes be careful not to put hot glass or enamelware into cool water or to place it on a cold surface. GLASS COOKING VESSELS CAN BE CLEANED with any material you select and no chemical found in food damages them. For burned-on food and hard-to-clean spatters use a plastic sponge or steel wool. Steel wool cuts more sharply. You can also use scouring powder, or if food has burned on, let them soak in water and baking soda. For the food which is burned at the bottom of the pan, and difficult for you to wash, put hot water in the pan and boiled for few minutes, the pan will be easily cleaned. The aluminum ware can be cleaned using soaped steel wool pad. |
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