I had to throw away the food - my husband did not know that you can’t store food in aluminum utensils

As in many large families, I have a lot of old dishes in my house that have been used for several decades to prepare and store food. I had never thought about why food should not be stored in aluminum dishes, although my mother and grandmother warned me about this. All generations of our family used an aluminum pan to boil milk, but never left it in it for the night. But the husband somehow out of ignorance left sour cabbage soup in her - alas, I had to pour them. Now I will tell you why.

Aluminum properties

After completing the school course of inorganic chemistry, it is easy to understand how the recommendations not to store finished dishes in aluminum pans are related to the ability of the material to enter into chemical reactions with various substances.

Aluminum remains stable only in a neutral environment, and with a change in acidity enters a chemical reaction:

• in an alkaline solution - with the formation of aluminates;
• in an acid solution - with the formation of aluminum salts.

If the acidic or alkaline solution stays in the aluminum container for a long time, the protective oxide film dissolves - because of this, the metal reacts with the liquid and passes into the solution.

Aluminum can gain access to food even when the surface is mechanically damaged, for example, when the dish is intensively mixed with a metal spoon. The ingestion of aluminum in food can change its taste, and the use of such food can adversely affect health.

It is not recommended to use aluminum forks and spoons in everyday life, but you can cook in pots and pans from this material.

Cooking tips in aluminum cookware

Without fear, you can cook in pots and other aluminum containers with a protective non-stick coating. The metal is protected from contact with food by a durable composite or other layer and does not enter into chemical interaction with products. Such dishes can also be used to store ready meals.

If there is no protective layer on the inner surface, prepared food cannot be stored in such a container.

I use my pots and pans for cooking, observing the following rules:

• I don’t cook very acidic products in them, for example cabbage sauerkraut, cranberry jelly or fruit drink;
• I use a wooden spoon or a plastic spatula to mix;
• I immediately place the finished dish on plates or transfer to a glass or plastic container for storage.

After emptying the dishes, immediately wash the dishes. In order not to damage the metal surface, I use only soft foam sponges and a regular detergent. It is impossible to get the same gloss from aluminum pots as stainless steel utensils, and special products for gloss can enter into a chemical reaction and damage the surface.

Advantages and disadvantages of aluminum

Aluminum kitchen utensils have their pros and cons, knowing which you can use it correctly in your kitchen.

Main advantages:

• lightness - pans weigh much less than cast-iron counterparts;
• fast heating and cooling;
• relatively low price.

Negative sides:

• the metal may react with the contents of the pan or pan;
• due to the high thermal conductivity, food can burn;
• it is impossible to achieve a specular gloss on the surface, stains may occur if used improperly.

I continue to use aluminum dishes, which I inherited from older generations, but I try to observe safety precautions and never leave ready meals in the dishes in which they were prepared.

Katerina Ozerova