Non-Reactive Pans

If you cook something acidic, such as tomatoes or pickling brine, in a pan that is made of aluminum or copper, the acid will react with the metal in the pan. Some of the molecules of the metal will leach into your food.


This can give your food a metallic taste. If you put the canned food that you cooked in this pan up on your shelf for later use, then while the jar is sitting there, the metal will gradually darken your food.

Because of their reaction with acid, pans made with aluminum or copper are called. "reactive pans." Cast Iron is a little less reactive, then copper or aluminum, but it is reactive.

To avoid this problem, you should use pans made with stainless steel, glass, or porcelain. It is OK if the pan has a copper or aluminum bottom, because the food won’t actually come into contact with the reactive metal in the bottom. If you use a granite ware pan, be sure that the porcelain coating is not chipped.