Guidance on How to Clean the Glazed Earthenware and Ironware

Earthenware needs to be handling gently. Below is some guidance to clean the glazed earthenware and ironware. In this article you will find some tips on cleaning the glass and enamelware.

THE CLEANING OF ENAMELWARE is usually accomplished easily with detergent suds. Use a plastic sponge for stuck-on foods, or put water into the pan and let it soak until the food is soft. Then scrape out the stuck foo women's jackets d with a wooden spoon or plastic pot scraper. Metal sponges and steel wool leave dark lines which have to be scoured away afterwards with a mild abrasive powder. To remove burned food from enamelware put water into the pan when it has cooled, add a few teaspoons of baking soda, and bring the solution to a boil. Stains on enamelware usually can be removed by rubbing them with a damp cloth dipped in baking soda. Ordinary household bleach on a cloth is effective too. For a very stubborn stain put more bleach on your cloth, cover the stain with it, and let it stand.

The newest enamelware is a staunch product, resistant to acids and chemicals. But as a precaution, never let acids remain on its surface and do not store acid foods in it Some enamels contain a chemical called antimony which acids could break down to form poisonous compounds. Strong acids, such as lemon juice, can damage the finish of most enamelware if they remain on its surface too long; they leave a rough etched spot.

GLAZED EARTHENWARE, so prized by fastidious cooks for recipes that call for long slow heating, must be handled gently to avoid chipping. Earthenware that is designed for use on the top of a stove should never be placed on a burner empty. Put the contents in first, apply the heat very slowly and then, when food and pan have been well warmed, use full heat if you like. For frying foods in earthenware, put the butter or oil into the cold pan and heat it very slowly to the proper temperature. Earthenware cracks and chips more easily than either glass or enamelware. It washes like a dish.

CLEANING CAST IRON. There is no trick to washing and scouring cast iron frying pans, Dutch ovens, etc., and you can use steel wool and scouring powders on them with abandon. Soaking them too long in detergent suds, however, tends to remove the penetrating pretreatment they are given which makes them cook well and minimizes the chance of rust. Wash iron pots and pans with detergent and hot water, rinse, and wipe them carefully and thoroughly dry. Do not store covered pans with their lids on or they may accumulate moisture and odors.

IRONWARE FOR COOKING provides a very even heat and is cherished for this characteristic in spite of its weight If it is not pretreated at the factory it is likely to be coated with lacquer to prevent rust. If you buy an iron pot or pan that is not labeled "pretreated" you will have to scour off the lacquer with steel wool or an abrasive powder, wash it in hot suds, dry it, and season it yourself.

TO SEASON AN IRON PAN coat it inside and out, including the lid, with an unsalted shortening or cooking oil, and heat it for several hours in a slow oven, or on a top burner turned as low as possible. It is a good idea to wipe on a little more oil from time to time during the heating period. Use a wadded paper towel for this. Last of all, when the pan has cooled, wipe off any excess oil. You should never have to repeat this operation, but for the first few weeks rub a little more oil on before and after use. Should spots of rust appear, scour them off promptly.

Avoid to heat the earthenware when it is empty to avoid the cracks as they are break easily. Use steel wool and scouring powders to clean the cast iron. For the iron pot which doesn't have labeled pretreated, you can use the steel wool or an abrasive powder. Enamelware can be cleaned by applying heat cautiously at the outsets. Burned food on glass cooking vessels can be cleaned with plastic sponge or steel wool. Enamelware can be easily cleaned with detergen suds.