Burnt popcorn

[Ohio Mom]

Ok, I had the smell,it is gone, but the pan has burnt on popcorn in the bottom of it. The pan is a stainless, copper bottom from Sears. It is a nice size and I hate to throw it away. Any suggestions???

[ABall]

can you put some water in it and boil it? Then after it cools enough scrape it off?

Ketchup or a cut lemon will make your copper shiny after you get it cleaned out.

[ABall]

I like to burn my popcorn slighly on pourpose (but thats microwave kind, I havn't delt with a pot for a long time, though I did burn the WHIRLY POP by putting food color in and it made it burn

[KrisRV]

wow, Ohio Grandma that is hard one with those kinds of pans... but you don't want to re cook it I hear on Rachel Ray show the other day if something sticks to the pan when it's cooked never put it in hot water or recook it as you are cooking it deeper in... good luck

[sixcloar]

Here are some suggestiosn I found on website:


Scotchbrite. Elbow grease. Maybe some citrus solvent.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 12:56 PM on September 8



Oven cleaner spray?
posted by bcwinters at 12:59 PM on September 8



Simmer dish soap and water for hours. Let cool, go at it with a scrubby. Repeat if you are making progress. If that doesn't work, I retire them to the garage for strange mutant non-food projects.

I have used the oven cleaner spray method, with major rinsing. It works, except that the pans seem to become very prone to burning food and themselves afterwards. I no longer use this method.
posted by QIbHom at 1:06 PM on September 8



Ovencleaner works really well for burnt food residue. Spray the inside, cover and leave overnight. Really baked-on food may take a couple of applications, but will eventually getback to bare shiny metal.

Lye-based oven cleaners are almost magic for cleaning metal. The sprays are much more effective than soaps, and acids, like lemon juice and vinegar, won't touch carbonized food---the chemistry is wrong.

The outsides you spray as well, but a good steel-wool abrasive, as others have said, is probably what you need.
posted by bonehead at 1:15 PM on September 8



This totally works: simmer a mix of water and dishwasher liquid like Cascade for about 20 mins. It works like a charm.
posted by CunningLinguist at 1:16 PM on September 8



from http://www.epinions.com/msg/show_~threads/cat_id_~17/id_~1569/forum_id_~181

"Another tip came from a stainless steel cookware sales rep. When food sticks to a stainless steel pan (uncoated) clean the pan as much as possible without using anything caustic like scouring powder or SOS pads and:
- Wipe the inside of the pan dry with a paper towel
- Cover the bottom of the pan with lemon juice (fresh or bottled) and wipe the inside pan wall with lemon juice
- Let the juice soak in for at least thirty minutes or overnight if you really burned something onto the bottom of the pan.
- Wash the pan, the stuck-on food should wipe out with soap and water.

[Ohio Mom]

And the winner is..........drum roll, please

Pam - dishwashing soap and water simmer in pan for 20 minutes, scrub with scrubby and wallllla!!!! Clean!!!

Thank you very much!!!

[KrisRV]

wow, that is great to know OhioGrandma thanks alot going to print that and keep it when I need it next time..

[Earthy]

Did you eat the popcorn?? Maybe you could have put burnt butter on it;)

[Jennifer R]

I have found that works well, Ohio Gma! My dh has burnt my copper bottom pot several times and it it usually something starchy like noodles! We are talking a mess!! It wouldn't have been so bad but this is a pot that had been my Grandmother's and her copper bottom pots and pans were something she took pride in and made sure she kept up with.

[ABall]

Nellie I love burned butter on my popcorn!

[Ohio Mom]

My dh probably put burnt butter on the popcorn!!! :)He is a funny eater. This happened about 2 months ago, I tried cleaning it and then set it aside. I am surprised it came clean.

[Jennifer R]

You thing burnt butter is bad?! When my dh and I were dating he came over to my barracks almost every day. He was in the Infantry and they were not allowed female visitors so he would come visit me. Well, one day he asked me to make as sandwich. Well, this irked me! I decided to make him one that would make him not ask again. I made it with cottage cheese, bologna and hot sauce. Big mistake, he wanted more!! To this day he amazes me with the combinations of things he will eat.

[Ohio Mom]

YUK!!! That is strange. I guess my dh is not too strange with his eating habits.

[homeschoolinmum]

That's too funny JenniferR!

[Earthy]

Jen That is so funny! Good thinking though:)

[KrisRV]

Jen, that is funny,
I made my dd kennel corn last night, we ask the lady at the store do you have the pan it says to use, she said oh no we use anything to pop it. Well I bought her some and came home and popped in my big frying pan well it smelled good at the begninng then it burnt really fast, even with me shaking the pan... oh it was a gross smell...