The whole reason for the selfsufficientish website was to offer a place where anyone can ask, HOW DO I...? So who knows why it has taken us so long to have a HOW DO I? section, but here it is. So if you want to know how to do anything selfsufficientish then here is the place to ask.
Jandra wrote:I don't know if my info is outdated or if the bicarb neutralizes it,
Jandra
We put vinegar and bicarb in a plastic container and make volcanos!
Let us be lovely
And let us be kind
Let us be silly and free
It won't make us famous
It won't make us rich
But damn it how happy we'll be!
Edward Monkton
Member of the Ish Weight Loss Club since 10/1/11 Started at 12st 8 and have lost 8lb so far!
You must be able to use vinegar in an aluminium preserving pan - how else do you make chutney. It's a bit scary though - maybe you should think about that shiny new stainless steel one Susie.
Maggie
Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Anais Nin
I thought vinegar was a no-no in COPPER preserving pans, which are just for jams. I've no idea what my preserving pan is made from - I suspect stainless steel though. Though when I make jam I usually just use a huge heavy based SS saucepan which is a bit lighter and easier to handle - doesn't have a silly bucket type handle in the way of skimming off scum!
Science to the rescue. Acetic acid DOES react with aluminium to produce Aluminium Acetsomethingorother. However, the vinegar in your preserving pan can't find any aluminium to react with. Raw aluminium, on contact with air, forms a coating of aluminium oxide, and that does NOT react with the vinegar. So, as long as you don't scour your pan with steel wool and then immediately make your chutney, you're protected by that oxide layer.
Don't Panic!
Mike
The secret of life is to aim below the head (With thanks to MMM)
As I do very little scouring of anything, ever, there's not much risk of that Mike. But, as usual, thanks for the info - it just reinforces my theory that elbow grease is bad for you, not just your elbows
Maggie
Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Anais Nin
I find that soaking things like that in denture tablets work. I burnt my preserving pan and when I put boiling water in and 3 denture tablets, left it overnight, the burnt stuff came off in one lump!! Fabulous!! Also good for cleaning 'bitty' teapots and getting rid of the fusty smell in water containers!
Sing like nobody's listening, live like there's no tomorrow, dance like nobody's watching and love like you've never been hurt.