Shel_B

I didn't say anything about wanting "a shiny aluminum pan." I was just looking for suggestions on how to get the burnt on oil off of the surface. Shiny might be nice, but I have no expectations in that regard.

BKF doesn't work on this - tried it. Engine degreaser is considered a hazardous waste product, and using it around the home opens up the door to disposal problems. Plus, degreaser, as someone pointed out, isn't considered food safe, so cooking on a pan treated with degreaser doesn't strike me as prudent. How might it react with food? What might (even the residual cleaner) do to my oven? I don't feel like underwriting the cost of experimenting with it in my kitchen. YMMV

They are expensive here ... a friend and I went to East Bay Restaurant Supply recently, and we were stunned by their high prices. It used to be that the place was filled with bargains. I purchased quite a few things there in the past. The highly rated Cook's Illustrated pan is around $20.00 on Amazon, and priced similarly at other places.

I don't need a new pan. Already have a few. This was a gift from a neighbor, and my interest was in seeing if it could be rejuvenated.

Yes, Dawn Power Dissolver has been discontinued. Thanks for contacting Dawn. I’m sorry you’re unable to find the Dawn Power Dissolver. This product has been discontinued and it’s no longer available. We are currently in the process of updating our website to reflect this. Generally, decisions to start or stop making products are based on consumer demand, so feedback like yours is extremely valuable. Although your favorite product has been discontinued, you can try our Dawn Platinum Erasing Dish Foam. I think you’ll really like it. Thanks again for taking the time to write! Treveno Dawn Team I wouldn't spend the $$ that is being asked for the product on Amazon just to clean on old baking sheet. I know that the pan can be used regardless of how bad it looks, and I will use it. It's not in my nature to just toss something out if it can still be used. This is a thick, heavy sheet, and it's worth keeping. Compared to the thin, crap baking sheets that are mostly available, this one's a keeper. I've already used it as Anna N has suggested. And lined with parchment paper or foil, it will continue to provide some service. It doesn't take up any space to speak of. Thanks for all the suggestions. I learned about some new products ....

Yes, that seems to be what it is. I'd rather not damage the surface any more than necessary ... tried some BKF as was suggested above, but it was pretty much useless. Thanks!

A few days ago, a neighbor gave me an aluminum baking sheet. It's damaged with burnt on oil. What might be the best way to clean it? I tried soaking it in hot, and then boiling, water, using a strong solution of detergent.

I know that he'll like them. Plans are to make them the morning of his party. I want to make the pretzels, not buy toaster pop up prepared pretzels. While he may be Toots' grandson, he's no kid. He'll be 20 yo on his bday. What I really want to know is what I asked ... "Do you think adding the onion powder as Lisa suggests would be a good idea? What about a small amount of honey or molasses (I'd probably opt for honey as there's some in the cupboard)?"

Subsequent reading on the subject suggests that you're correct about longer times, although I'm not sure about higher heat in and of itself. I don't think it's the breed of pig as I used three different types and the results were all the same.

You are correct - Accent, which has been around almost forever, and is found on supermarket shelves everywhere. While many people eschew the product, and MSG in general, for health reasons, believing it contains excessive amounts of sodium, it actually contains less sodium than salt.

There are a number of good ideas in the article, many of which are probably known by most of us here at eG. However, it wouldn't be surprising if most everyone picks up a new idea or two. eG isn't that different than other sites. There is misinformation here, too. Not too long ago I followed some expert advice and completely ruined an expensive-to-make dish. Just chalked it up to my personal learning curve, and learned to trust my own instincts a bit more. Of course, I've received plenty of good advice here as well, quite a bit more than bad advice.

Point taken ... I do believe you're correct.

Here's a comparison between the lard I rendered (on the left) and the lard I purchased at the Latino market. The color difference is obvious. The darker lard seems to have a richer, more pork-like flavor, although the lighter, home rendered product has some flavor as well. I've rendered lard three times in the past three weeks, each time using a different technique, including rendering the fat with bits of meat attached. In all cases my lard was white and less flavorful than the Latino lard. Any thoughts as to how I can get the richer color and flavor from my product?

My limited experience suggests that you'll be fine without freezing. A couple of weeks ago I purchased a container of "Manteca" at a nearby Latino market. They had a big tub filled with pint containers of the stuff - must have had 20 or so in the tub when I got there, and the woman in the store said the tub had been filled with about 50 containers, and it had been out all day. No refrigeration at all. When it got home, the lard sat out until the next morning when I used some and put the remainder in the fridge, and that's where it sat for more than a week, after which I checked it for rancidity or any off flavors, and it seemed just fine, so it went into the freezer. The first batch I rendered has never been frozen, and it, too, is fine. It's been in the refrigerator about two weeks, and I just made another pint or so. A lot of words to say that you needn't be concerned.

Thanks for the suggestions, but I really have no need for such items, nor do I have the space. I'm sure your kitchens are far roomier, and more storage-friendly, than mine. However, it's nice to be aware of the possibilities, and my Google search for a lard press resulted in a couple of interesting videos, such as this one.

Well, I never heard of a lard press, so I Googled it ... ain't no way I've got room for one of those things here, nor would I waste my $$ on one if I did. Maybe if I had a commercial operation, but for a pint or two a year ... ?

Next month is Toots' grandson's birthday, and I've been thinking about making him a batch of pretzels, which he loves. Every time we go up north to visit, we stop at a German bakery and buy him a few pretzels. Some home made may make his day. Now, I'm not much of a baker, so using this mix seems like a good idea. Some ideas put forth in this discussion seem like they may work to enhance the young man's pretzel-eating experience. Do you think adding the onion powder as Lisa suggests would be a good idea? What about a small amount of honey or molasses (I'd probably opt for honey as there's some in the cupboard)? Here's info about the mix and how it's prepared. Any other thoughts on this project, anything I should know or consider? Thanks!

This is essentially what I'm doing this afternoon. I put about 1/4 cup of water into the processer and then added the pork fat (left over from a dish I made two weeks ago and which had been frozen). There were some remnants of meat attached to the fat, and I'm hoping that will add a little flavor to the rendered lard. I've rendered lard twice before, and even the one time when there were bits of pork attached to the fat, the results were as white as snow and not as flavorful as the darker, light-brown colored lard purchased at the Mexican market. However, I just diced the fat, added to a pot with a little water, and let the whole thing render. I have enough white lard ... hoping for a little more flavor from this batch. Here's a pic of it in the pan after about 20 minutes: And here it is after about an hour and fifteen minutes. You can see the rendered fat along the outer edge of the solids.

The bag I bought at Costco didn't have smaller packages in it. The cloves were all medium sized or small, no large cloves at all. The fresh cloves I get here from various sources have lots of large cloves per head, but to be fair, I often pick through the heads carefully looking for heads with larger cloves. One place has their fresh heads in large bins, and often some big cloves fall from the heads, so when I see them, I buy them. Makes prep a little easier as the cloves don't have to be separated from the heads - not a big deal, but since I don't care to work with garlic ...

We're similar in that I dislike peeling garlic. Recently, at the recommendation of CI and a friend who has one, I purchased this garlic press, and was very happy to discover that it will press the smallest cloves in a head without need to peel them. Likewise for the larger cloves. Not suggesting that you get this as a solution to your problems, as other presses may do the same thing, perhaps even better in some ways, but such a press is an option. And for those who'd suggest that other techniques of mincing and preparing garlic exist, well, I use 'em all - just depends on what result is desired. I'm going to Costco on Thursday and I may get another bag of garlic to freeze, if they have California garlic in bags. I think they do.

Just curious ... if you're not planning to freeze it, why buy more than you can eat in a reasonable time?

That was the plan. Looking at the blade assembly, I noticed that one blade has an obvious, but small, upward curve running towards the tip. I don't know if that's a design feature or if someone ran a pile of rocks through the machine <LOL>

Contributing to this problem, many recipes specify canola oil. Why this is done escapes me.

I can figure it out from your explanation, but by the time I purchase the items needed to do the sharpening, it may be less expensive, and certainly more time efficient, to just buy a new blade.

Be sure to get an oil that's designated for high heat.