The Easiest Way To Clean Stuck-on Food From Pots and Pans
On weekdays, I make quick, tried-and-true recipes the whole family likes, but on Sundays, I get to pick what we eat for dinner with no stipulations. Maybe the lasagna I’ve been craving or chicken biryani. I look forward to cooking, but the hard truth is that cooking and cleaning go hand in hand, and I am left with lots of dirty pots and pans to wash.
After loading the dishwasher, my husband moves the Dutch oven and cast iron skillet (two kitchen workhorses we love) into the sink, hoping that a good long soak will loosen stuck-on foods. Unfortunately, soaking is never enough to lift all that burnt-on stuff.
Harsh abrasives or scouring pads damage the enamel finish and remove the seasoning off cast iron. So what do I do instead? I turn to the one ingredient I have sitting on my counter at all times for the job: salt.
CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE.
I sprinkle coarse salt over the bits of food that don’t want to come off. Then I take a damp sponge and rub it until the stuck-on bits lift off. It doesn’t take long, and my pots and pans are clean and ready for our next cooking extravaganza.
How To Scrub Your Pots and Pans Using Salt
Let’s say I have a Dutch oven with burnt, stuck-on food around the outer edges. I start by washing it with a soapy sponge and water. If it has stuck-on bits that won’t scrub off easily, I rinse it and pour out the water—excess water will dissolve the salt quickly, which I don’t want.
I sprinkle a tablespoon of coarse salt all over and rub it in circles with the sponge using the same amount of pressure as I do when washing with soap and water. The salt acts as a mild abrasive.
