shooting salads

[Norman Albers]

I just got my own SaladShooter for like $30 and I am baaaad. I've been without a food processor for a while, and I crave coleslaw. Fresh cabbage salad has to be extremely healthy to eat. In fact, a few years ago Science News described a study showing Russian women have not so much incidence of breast cancer and this was tied to eating cabbage. Anyway, my question: is it a mistake to make an acid vinegar salad in a stainless steel bowl? Once my mom sent a new set of stainless Farberware silverware, knife, fork, spoon. The instructions mentioned not leaving them in acid foods, implying leaching of some metal I do not need, like chromium or nickel. Is this indeed good kitchen practice, to keep such acid foods in glass bowls instead?

[iNow]

You should try to mix in a non-reactive bowl when acid is involved. I am not certain as to the health issues, but I do know that the food is impacted.

 

Wiki has a good page on the different metals in cookware and how they react:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookware_and_bakeware#Metal

 

 

Also, from a quick google, I found the following explanation pretty clear and straight forward (although, I have not verified it's accuracy):

 

 

http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipes.recipeListing/filter/dianas/recipeID/1012/Recipe.cfm

Non-reative Bowls or Cookware:

 

Non-reactive cookware is anything made of a material that does not react chemically to food cooked in it. Stainless steel is the most common material used to make non-reactive cookware.

 

Cookware made of aluminum, cast iron or copper can react with acidic foods such as tomatoes, lemons, vinegar, giving them a metallic taste; if cooked long enough, it will discolor the food as well. Other foods can be cooked in pans made of these materials without problems.

 

Most better quality aluminum and copper pots and pans are lined with stainless steel to make them nonreactive. You can also purchase aluminum cookware that has been anodized. This process changes the chemical makeup and makes the surface almost (but not completely) non-reactive. When in doubt, however, stick with stainless steel and avoid any adverse reaction entirely.

 

<pauses to Google further...>

 

Aha...

 

http://www.vegetarianorganiclife.com/44.htm

Highly acidic foods, for instance, can make low quality materials chemically react and leach those chemicals into food as it cooks, which we ingest when we eat the food.

 

Contrary to what some manufacturers say, research suggests that aluminum and Teflon can be toxic to our bodies and the environment. Moreover, the quality of the craftsmanship of cookware determines how heat is conducted at various temperatures making cooking easier or more difficult.

 

As you mentioned, glass cookware is safe and non-reactive but a poor conductor of heat, hard to find and easy to break.

 

Non-stick and Teflon cookware is not safe because metal utensils damage them easily breaking the coating, which gets into our food. Also high heat makes it release harmful fumes. Some of the chemicals used to make them are believed to cause cancer.

 

Although anodized aluminum has a corrosion-resistant surface that prevents it from reacting with food, it's definitely something to stay away from because it’s unsafe for the environment.

 

Copper is the best conductor of heat, but it needs to be lined with tin to prevent it from reacting with food, I don’t think it’s a good idea to over use such a reactive metal, which becomes a factor when the tin scratches. It’s also really expensive and hard to maintain.

 

Stainless steel is not the best conductor of heat, but this cookware can be safe and non-reactive. One of the top companies making high quality stainless steel cookware is All-Clad. I own a set of high quality five-ply stainless steel cookware, which are good for cooking, safe and non-reactive to food. They're also easy to clean. Watch out though, a lot of stainless steal cookware is very low quality and not worth buying. Look for thick bottoms that have heat-conducting layers of copper, high craftsmanship and "18/10 stainless steel." Unfortunately, the best stainless steel cookware is also the most expensive, in general.

 

Porcelain enamel-coated cast iron cookware is great. If you want peace of mind and can buy this expensive cookware without going bankrupt, I recommend Le Creuset porcelain enamel-coated cast iron pots. They’re completely non-reactive with foods. The enamel used is perfectly impermeable; it won’t react with any food no matter what heating temperature is or how acidic the food may be. The best part is that these pots are not only good for stovetop cooking but can also be used under the grill or in the oven. Do keep in mind, however, that the knobs on the lids can only withstand up to 400°F in the over. Also, if the pots are low quality, the enamel can chip, making the pot useless, so only use wooden utensils with this type of cookware. I use my Le Creuset cookware every day, and prefer cooking in large pots to avoid splashing food all over the stove. One caveat is that these are extremely heavy and can be problematic for those with arthritis. In fact, I should consider handling and washing these pots part of my daily weight training routine.

[Norman Albers]

Whoa Betty, thanks iNow. You are offering a very different perspective! If I make a bunch of slaw into the large stainless mixing bowl, it is OK to keep it for 5-6 days? There was an instruction sheet with the full-sized knife-fork-and-spoon that said to not leave it in acid foods!<<Yes I cook eggs and do saute in a favorite enamel cast iron, most excellent and beloved 9" pan. Looking at the bottom, it says Descoware SPECIAL made in Belgium. One of my best flea market purchases.>>

 

Then again I put im a stainless steel air inlet pipe with predrilled holes into my woodstove, and this lasts in an acid environment.....you may call me the "MAN OF STAINLESS'.