I burnt the steamer pan the other day. I bought it from a car boot sale years ago, it's just the right size for the steamer basket thing. I thought I had put enough water in it, but obviously not going by the stink coming out of the kitchen . I lifted it off the gas stove and held it over the sink. The lump of hot metal sizzled and crackled as I carefully dripped some water into it around the edge.
Luckily the vegetables were not burnt so I ate them. Not looking forward to cleaning the pan, I filled it with water and left it to soak on the draining board. I wonder how long it will need before I attack it with a scouring pad. It was there for 24 hours before I felt ready to lift the basket thing out and inspect the damage.
Very innovative! I am glad it worked. Here's to pickled onions and clever mature ladies!
ReplyDeleteYes, very clever response. Our country, USA, celebrates Thanksgiving tomorrow. No family gatherings due to covid but I have planned a nice turkey dinner with all the trimmings for myself. Will be lots of great leftovers for next couple days. Yippee 😁
ReplyDeleteThe day was saved!
ReplyDeleteTo rescue pans I put cold water and a tablespoon of washing soda in the pan, lid on, bring to the boil and leave to cool.
Generally doesn't need any scouring, the burnt layer just lifts off.
Must try this method, it seems the easiest and least expensive possible! Thanks.
DeleteGood tip! Arilx
ReplyDeleteAlso try baking soda and hot water to soak burnt stuff in.
ReplyDeleteVicki in Nebraska US
What else is baking soda used for? Should I buy some?
DeleteI got my baking soda from the pound shop ages ago.It works like Ajax,xx
DeleteSo you don't bake with it then? I have never bought any. I have used Ajax in the past, and Vim, but it takes an awful lot of scrubbing to remove all the gunge.
DeleteI think baking soda in the USA is bicarbonate of soda here..you can get culinary grade, or cleaning grade in a hardware shop
DeleteYes, same stuff, used in baking as well as excellent for cleaning. An open box in the fridge absorbs odours, so I've heard, but I prefer to wash out my fridge.
DeleteI use a small squirt of biological liquid or powder. Then add water and slowly boil. Leave overnight and should come clean. Going to try vinegar next time.
ReplyDeleteMy wash up liquid is not biological so I'm not sure if it would work. The vinegar method needs hardly any scrubbing at all. The blackness just dissolves.
DeleteBiological? Do you mean biodegradable?
DeleteI'll have to remember that tip (I have been known to do this to several pots over the years!)
ReplyDeleteI have the habit of putting a pan on the gas stove and walking away from it to do something else. Must stop that.
DeleteI'll have to remember that vinegar tip and don't know why I didn't think of it. I use vinegar to clean inside the electric kettle several times a year.
ReplyDeleteIt works wonderfully. I will now try it in the kettle.
DeleteKettle method: add one cup vinegar to kettle, fill to maximum, boil, but watch it at boiling point as it fizzes and overflows everywhere if you don't turn it off and open the lid. Then leave it over night. in the morning, empty out the vinegar water, fill kettle to maximum, boil, tip THAT water down the sink, refill the kettle, boil again and tip the second lot of water down the sink, then the kettle is ready to use. The two boilings are to make sure no trace of vinegar is left, you don't want that in your coffee.
DeleteThanks for that tip, I always have a large bottle of white vineagar for cleaning.
ReplyDeleteI add the skin of lemons (no pith) to a jar of it and after a few weeks it can be diluted and used as all purpose cleaning liquid in a spray bottle.
My cooktop is gas too and I sometimes burn things, my usual remedy is boil a chopped onion in it and leave overnight to fix burnt on gunk.
One time many years ago I turned on a pot with a steamer just like that one in it, filled with brocolli, while husband and I were cooking dinner. Unfortunatley, he neglected to tell me he had not put ANY water in the pot under the steamer yet (still no idea why it was on the burner then!). When we realized it was burning terribly and picked up the pot to throw it in the sink, the entire bottom of the pot melted away! Must have been cheap pots. We were extrememly lucky we didn't end up with molten metal on ourselves, nor did we set the house on fire. :-(
ReplyDeleteI did that once, not concentrating on what I was doing. Luckily the pan, this pan, survived. Now I make a point of taking the basket thing out before I put the water in.
DeleteGood thinking. I always try to have a large jug of vinegar on hand. Your post reminds me I'm running low.
ReplyDelete