THE HOUSEKEEPER

Shannon News, 30 July 1929, Page 4

THE HOUSEKEEPER

A GOOD FRIEND

CARE OF ALUMINIUM.

There is so much to be said in favour of the appearance of aluminium, quite apart from other intrinsic qualities, that it well medits proper care on the housewife's part. One of the primary points to bear in mind is that aluminium is a-very rapid conductor of heat, and therefore retains heat much longer than most metals. So you can save a great deal of gas consumption when liquids by lowering the pressure as soon as the contents of the pan reach boiling po;ut. Experience will show how low a pressure of gas is. sufficient to keep then; boiling. .

When water i> first boiled in an alu

.I'inium pan it may be found that a dark tinge appears qh the inside of the vcr.od up i.y the wafer-mark. This r b a very thin ft.in of ■ aluminium salt, formed by the action of- the water on the surface of the' metal. But as this film will not flavour the contents and is quite harmless, its removal is not recommended, for its presence will pro-" long the life of the vessel. When cleaning aluminium ware use pure water only, as a general rule. It . is the best plan to scour with hot water and rinse with cold. Even the dirtiest pan will prove amenable to this treatment and "come up' J quite bright without any further polishing. A little soap may be used with hot water to clean the outside of very greasy pans_, but the lews soap used tho* : better. Never on any account should soda be used, though the amount of soda used in cooking green vegetables i* so small as not to signify. Very dark vegetable stains may be removed from an aluminium saucepan by filling the pan with water, placing a piece of lemowi in it and bringing to the boil. A stick of rhubarb is equally efficacious. Given careful treatment aluminium ware will last. literally a lifetime, so that it well repays any housewife to replace worn-out enamel pots and pans with aluminium substitutes.