How to ignite a cauldron?

Kazan is a popular tool for stewing and stewing vegetables and meat. It differs from ordinary pots and pans in a semicircular shape, which evenly distributes heat along the walls - this allows you to more efficiently process the entire volume of food. In this article, you will learn how to properly anneal the cauldron, as well as how to prepare a new cast-iron cauldron for the first use.

Most often, the cauldron is made of cast iron. While new kitchen utensils and utensils made of different materials can be safely washed and used immediately, then cast iron needs special initial processing procedures.

In the very manufacture of cast iron accessories in factories, it is actively used technical grease that eats tightly into the walls of the dishes. This lubricant preserves the appearance of the product, protects it from corrosion and chipping. When heated, this grease emits an extremely unpleasant odor, not to mention the fact that it simply harms all foods and makes them unsuitable for human consumption.

Heat treatment removes most of the grease and prepares the container for home use.

If we briefly describe the procedure for preparing a cast-iron cauldron, then it consists of several steps. The calcination methods themselves will be discussed in more detail below.

• Before use, be sure to wash the walls of the container under warm running water. For a more thorough cleaning, it is better to choose mild products - gels, liquid soap.
• Dry and dry the container thoroughly.
• Then the calcination procedure itself takes place. At the end of the procedure, it is worth letting the container dry naturally, do not allow water to enter.
• Soot, dirt and excess oil are removed with rags, napkins and mild cleaning agents.
• After calcining and cleaning the cauldron, it is recommended to treat it with any edible oil. It fills the holes in the porous surface of the cauldron, which creates a smooth non-stick coating.
• As soon as you process the cauldron with oil, it should be thoroughly washed again with warm water. Then you just have to wipe the container and it will be ready for debut use.

There are several proven methods of how to properly anneal a cauldron. It doesn't matter which method you choose, calcination and impregnation of the device with oil should be carried out as early as possible - preferably on the very first day of purchase.

This option is suitable for calcining both outdoors and at home. Most often, this method is resorted to in the conditions of an apartment. For the procedure only coarse table salt is suitable - the larger it is, the more useful the procedure itself will be for the cauldron.

Below is a step-by-step instruction for such an annealing.

• First, you just need to thoroughly rinse the cauldron under ordinary running water. Wash not only the inner, but also the outer walls, pay special attention to the bottom of the cauldron.
• Wipe all sides of the container dry with a dry cloth.
• Place about 2.5 kilograms of salt on the bottom of the container. The quantity can be increased depending on the size of the cauldron.
• Set the device over low heat and ignite for 1–2 hours.
• Monitor the salt condition to find out when it is ready. If the cauldron is completely calcined, it should turn rusty or brown.
• After the salt is colored, turn off the heat and let the cauldron cool slightly. After that, wipe all the walls of the cauldron with the same salt. In the future, it will not be possible to use it for the same purposes - this salt has already been saturated with oil.

The oil is not used directly in the process of calcining the cauldron, however, it is necessary after the procedure itself. The fact is that a cast-iron container, after dry calcination in an oven, on fire or with the help of salt, needs additional lubrication for high-quality work. This lubricant primarily protects the device from rust, and also makes the porous surface of the cast iron cauldron smooth and non-stick.

The operating sequence for oiling the instrument is described below.

• Usually olive oil is used, but if it is not available, then butter and sunflower oil are suitable, but not technical.
• After the calcining procedure itself, let the device cool down a little, and then pour about a liter of oil into a container.
• Put the container on fire.
• After the oil starts to boil and bubble, gradually tilt the container so that the oil flows in an even layer onto all the walls of the cauldron. You can help yourself with a scoop to reach hard-to-reach places and protect yourself from the risk of getting burned.
• After all the walls of the container are covered with oil, place it in the oven (previously preheated to 200 degrees Celsius).
• The device should be fired for 1.5-2 hours.
• Turn off the oven and let the container stand a little until the oil is completely dry. If, after drying, a little oil still remains on the cauldron, remove it with a cloth, water or detergent.

This method is not recommended if you have the opportunity to fire the cauldron in a different way.

In order to simply not be poisoned by these vapors, provide a constant flow of fresh air in the kitchen, and a good hood will also not interfere. The process of such calcination takes place in several stages.

• Rinse and dry the cauldron thoroughly.
• We heat the oven to an optimal temperature of 200 degrees, no more.
• Install the cauldron inside the oven, close the door.
• Before long, you will notice dark smoke emitting from the appliance. There is no need to open the door for the smoke to escape - modern ovens have special holes through which it can safely come out.
• Ignite the container until the smoke completely disappears. This usually takes 1 to 2.5 hours, depending on the quality of the oven and the size of the cauldron.
• Let the cauldron cool slightly, then just wash it under cool water. Do not use detergents, you can remove the soot with rags or a sponge.

In this case, the cauldron is exposed to high temperatures not only in the bottom area, but also in the area of ​​all walls.

Here the step-by-step procedure is as follows:

• rinse the container thoroughly with light cleaning agents or simply under a strong stream of running water;
• dry the cauldron and wipe with a dry towel;
• place the device on an open fire, while making sure that the heat always remains at approximately the same level;
• wait for about 3 hours until the acrid smoke begins to disappear;
• let the container dry on its own, then rinse it with warm running water and dry it;
• the fire must be extinguished, in the next few uses it will be unhealthy.

An aluminum cauldron is a budget option for stewing and cooking food. The peculiarity of such models is that because of the good thermal conductivity, the walls of the cauldron warm up very quickly and cool down quickly. In addition, these models are much lighter than cast iron ones. Aluminum cauldrons are not suitable for long-term cooking, for example, for simmering food (for this metal it is difficult to maintain one certain level of heat for a long time).

Aluminum containers are calcined for a different purpose than cast iron ones. Here the whole point is that aluminum during heat treatment emits special oxides, which form a dense protective film on the surface of the model. This film protects dishes from scratches and also serves as a good non-stick coating. Despite these seemingly positive aspects of cooking in aluminum cookware, there is one negative one.

The following recommendations should be adhered to during the calcination of the aluminum cauldron.

• If you choose to roast the cauldron over an open fire, you should choose damp logs to achieve a small but sufficient temperature. They inflame worse, but smolder longer, creating a large amount of optimal heat.
• Constantly monitor the deformation of the device, as soon as some wall begins to melt and settle down - immediately remove the device from the fire.
• Aluminum cookware does not need to bake as long as cast iron cookware. An hour and a half will be enough even with a cauldron of the largest size.
• In the case of calcining an aluminum boiler, it does not matter which method to choose, the main condition here is not to exceed the permissible temperature bar.
• After calcining, let the cauldron stand, then rinse with light detergents.

Before you burn a new aluminum cauldron, make sure it doesn't already have its own non-stick coating... Otherwise, such a procedure may, on the contrary, lead to the destruction of the protective layer. Moreover, keep in mind that aluminum appliances do not rust, and therefore do not need additional processing with vegetable oil.

When calcining a cast-iron or aluminum cauldron, you should adhere to the following cooking recommendations, as well as advice on safety measures at the time of the firing procedure.

• Heat treatment of this kitchen appliance is recommended to be carried out in the open air, and not in the walls of the house. In a closed, albeit ventilated room, there is too great a chance of poisoning with poisonous vapors and smoke from evaporated oil.
• Avoid sudden changes in temperature. A cauldron heated to incandescence should never be immersed in cold water. So it can not just crack, but burst and cause injury to you and your loved ones.
• Firing should be carried out out of the reach of children - they can not only be poisoned by poisonous fumes, but also scald with oil or burn themselves on the heated walls of the cauldron. All this will lead to severe burns and stress.
• Before purchasing an appliance, be sure to consider the dimensions of your burners, oven or stove if you decide to resort to these particular methods of ignition. The cauldron should fit freely into the oven opening and have access to air.
• For the first experience, it is best to choose an aluminum model - it is easier to care for it, it heats up and cools down faster.
• When cleaning the cauldron at home, it is not recommended to use aggressive cleaning agents. Regardless of the container material, they can cause irreparable damage to the coating or walls.
• We do not recommend moving the appliance even minimally during annealing. You run the risk of injury and burns.
• Never cover the appliance with a cloth or try to knock out a fire with a cloth. Also, don't try to put out the fire with flour.
• After each cooking, the cauldron should be rinsed and wiped with a cloth. If food suddenly starts to stick to the walls or to the bottom of the cast-iron model, be sure to repeat the procedure for soaking the cauldron with oil.

The fact is that the cauldron must be calcined at a temperature of up to 200 degrees; upon reaching a temperature of 230 degrees, some vegetable oils may very likely begin to burn.

If a fire does occur, try to follow the instructions below.

• Remove heat source. Put out the fire, turn off the gas, or turn off the stove as soon as possible. To quickly extinguish the fire, keep the ground nearby.
• In order for the oil to stop burning, you need to block its access to oxygen. To do this, cover the cauldron with a metal baking sheet or another metal object that can cover the entire container from above.
• Use a fire extinguisher in an emergency. Never try to pour water onto a hot cauldron.

In the next video, you will learn how easy and simple to anneal a new cauldron.