Aluminum pot turning black inside

[George Shirley]

Got a question today from someone on a mailing list (gardening) that I
belong to. Her aluminum BWB canner pot turned black on the inside while
BWBing canned tomatoes. I told her that in all probability her jars
weren't sealed properly and tomato juice leaked into the pot turning the
interior black. She's a bitter old biddy who constantly complains about
anything modern so I mentioned checking pH of tomatoes prior to BWB,
tightening rings hand tight only, etc. Got a diatribe on us modern
canners (Ho, ho, ho, I like modern). Anyhoo, can any of you think of
another reason her pot turned black on the inside? Doesn't do me any
good to suggest she get a modern book or go to a "official" website for
best methods.

George, whose pots have never turned black on the inside, even when a
jar of tomatoes broke in the canner.

[zxcvbob]

"Black" probably means dark gray. Scrub it gently with cream of tartar
and water paste to remove some of it, and add a little vinegar or lemon
juice to the water next time she uses it might help. (leaking jars of
tomatoes might have protected it :-)

Bob

[Ginny]

Acid will clean it up like new so boil water with some vinegar in it. My
mother used to clean hers up by cooking rhubarb in it when it darkened.
I don't know why it happens. I have been told salt in the water may
prevent it but I haven't proved that. The tomatoes leaking should have
had the opposite effect.

--
Ginny - in West Australia

Plan ahead ... It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark. -- Unknown

[George Shirley]

She says she had jarred tomatoes that leaked last year and that Cream of
Tartar costs $5.00 a can where she lives. I mentioned adding vinegar to
the pot, as I do, to prevent discoloration and/or calcium deposition and
a whole bunch of the "chemical experts" jumped me about the tomatoes
being acidic and the vinegar being acidic and how would that help. Try
teaching some basic chemistry to folks who think salt is a harmful
chemical. Thanks anyway Bob.

George

[zxcvbob]

If you never use your aluminum pots, they'll stay nice and shiny. (They
dull a little, but you know what I mean.) Turning dark on the inside is
just a sign that they are being put to good use.

Of course, she may just be one of those people that's never happy unless
she is miserable. ;-)

Bob

[The Cook]

All of my aluminum pressure canners and BWB pots are dark for several
inches because of the minerals in the water. I think they got worse
when we moved and now have well water. Water tastes just fine. I
just don't worry about it.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

[George Shirley]

You hit the nail on the head. I've known this woman for about fifteen
years now and she has always been a grump and never happy with anything
that even smells of change from what she's known all her life.

George

[rossr...@forteinc.com]

On Tue, 04 Sep 2007 10:44:16 -0500, zxcvbob <zxc...@charter.net>
wrote:

>Of course, she may just be one of those people that's never happy unless
>she is miserable. ;-)
>
>Bob

So, how long ago did you meet my wife's mother?

Ross.