How often have you experienced rusting of utensils after you have cooked in them during the festive season? It is a struggle during festivals like Diwali when you have planned to prepare various dishes for the special spread and have less time to pay heed to how the cookware is looking.
Pans to kadhai, every utensil is put on a duty owing to the multi-course spread prepared during the festival. However, the festival continues for only 5-6 days but utensils remain on your shelves for years, even decades. Here are a few tips to consider while preparing a delicious festive spread.
Coat Utensils With Oil
If you have used carbon steel or cast iron utensils to cook sweet or savoury dishes, clean them and coat them with a thin layer of oil. It prevents the build-up of moisture which is a reason behind rusting. You can grease your fingers with coconut or any vegetable oil and rub them on the surface. It will maintain the shine and prevent corrosion.
Use Acidic Ingredients For Washing
Usually, when you are busy cooking, you might not look at the cookware which has started rusting. A quick solution to this is to wash it either with vinegar or lemon water solution. Both are acidic, a property which helps them dissolve the rust making it easier for you to get rid of it and prevent further corrosion of the utensil.
Clean Immediately
You must be tired of all the cooking. It is a task to prepare several dishes along with cleaning the house, decorating it, and ensuring everything in your environment is perfect. However, it is equally important that you wash the utensils immediately after use. If you leave them for a long time in the sink, the rust will start ruining them. Meanwhile, you can dip them in hot water to make cleaning a cakewalk.
Keep Utensils Dry
After washing the utensils, keep them dry. Let the water drain first, then you can wipe them with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. You can also leave them under the fan to dry completely before storing them inside shelves. Don’t forget to apply a thin layer of oil to prevent moisture build-up and corrosion.
Avoid Soaking
If you use iron utensils for cooking, avoid storing them in any liquid for long. It will act as a catalyst and cause the cookware to corrode faster. If you have cooked salty and acidic ingredients like tomatoes in an iron utensil, you should immediately clean it. While acids can remove rusting, cooking them can corrode the utensil.
Keep Utensils In Dry Space
Once washed and dried, keep the iron cookware in a cool and dry place. If humidity can seep inside the space, it can leave the metal rusting without you ever realising it until you take it out the next time to cook a dish. You should also avoid scrubbing these cookware with metal scrubbers. Steel or iron scrubbers are the best for this purpose and will remove dirt, grime, and grease easily.