The Home of Quality French Copper
As tin lined copper pans are used and age in our kitchens, the surface of the tin can become dark, sometimes a little patchy in colour and in some cases of unused pans, go a little ‘furry’ on the surface. This is all perfectly normal from regular use and ageing tin. Sometimes we feel after polishing our copper outsides, that we would like our tin linings to have a little lift? Sometimes we look at our pots and think – what is the insides could match the outsides? Darkening tin is usually the price we pay having wonderful copper pots with tin linings but there is a little trick we can use to take away some of the oxidation that occurs on tin.
Should you feel that you would like a lining that is more shiny and lighter in color, then use the galvanizing method outlined below.
Should you wish to use this method, your pan should be clean and free of food residue and oils – the tin surface needs to be in contact with the solution
What you will need:
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons or 50 grams of table salt or salt without any iodine or other ingredients (so not unprocessed sea salt)
3 Tablespoons or 50 grams of Sodium Bicarbonate
1 Sheet of Aluminum Foil
Method
1. Fill your pan almost to the top with water place on your stove and bring to the boil.
2. Turn off the heat and add the salt and sodium bicarbonate
Let this dissolve in the hot water
3. Fold the aluminum foil so it has several layers and fits into the pan.
4. Immerse the foil using a wooden or nylon spoon – caring to keep your fingers out of the hot solution.
Wait for around 20 minutes and the darker oxidation on the tin will transfer over onto the foil.
The secondary effect is that the oxidation on the pan becomes easier to remove so the inside of the pan will need a wipe with a dishcloth and then a good wash in soapy water. Should the water level be visible there may be a ring formed on the inside of your pan – try to get the solution to the highest point you can to minimize this.
If you pan is heavily oxidized, you may need to repeat this process to get the lightest possible tin.
As with all tin linings – never scrub or use abrasives!
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