0

I am looking for a large (approx 2' x 4' x 1.5') vessel in which to warm maple syrup for production. My first thought is to use a "pot" of some sort but I am not sure how to prepare it to both be 'non-stick' and so that flavors will not be transferred from the pot to the syrup. Is there a way to treat a large pot to do this?

I have looked at stainless steel pots in this size range, but they are more expensive than I care to invest in this project.

Are there any other alternatives accomplish the same goal?

Cos Callis
  • 18,155
  • 6
  • 60
  • 93
Jonathon
  • 265
  • 1
  • 10
  • 2
    Possible duplicate of [Carbon steel seasoning](http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/60037/carbon-steel-seasoning) – Catija Apr 04 '16 at 19:21
  • Ya, if you read my question it is clear that I am asking about a radically different thing. Frying eggs, vs my question boiling water – Jonathon Apr 04 '16 at 19:25
  • why would you use a carbon steel pot for boiling water? – rumtscho Apr 04 '16 at 19:37
  • Because stainless steel pots of the size I am looking for are typically hundreds and hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars. – Jonathon Apr 04 '16 at 19:41
  • 1
    @JonathonWisnoski It looks like most giant stock pots are aluminum, and they're not insanely expensive, e.g. $150 for a 160qt pot. – Cascabel Apr 04 '16 at 20:09
  • What is your concern with creating a 'non-stick' surface in a pot designated to 'boil water'? (...I've heard of 'hard water'...but 'sticky water'?) – Cos Callis Apr 04 '16 at 20:14
  • What size are you looking for? I don't know that I've ever heard of large carbon steel pots... most of the large pots we have are aluminum and they're pretty inexpensive. – Catija Apr 04 '16 at 20:19
  • @Catija Around 2' wide by 4' long, and somewhere around 1.5' deep. But this is probably more like a minimum than everything else. – Jonathon Apr 04 '16 at 20:26
  • OK, so I think we're all really curious what you're doing with a pot that big... and I'm intrigued by the fact you're looking at something rectangular... which isn't something I'm familiar with... though I suppose it could be oval? – Catija Apr 04 '16 at 20:37
  • An oblong pot? Almost sounds more like a turkey roaster. ... but larger ... 2' across, 18" deep would be 140qt. – Joe Apr 04 '16 at 20:39
  • @Joe But I'd like to see the turkey that needs a four foot length ;) – Catija Apr 04 '16 at 20:41
  • It would be for use in maple syrup production, boiling sugar water until the desired consistency. They all used to use steel pots and pans, but the industry has mostly moved to stainless now. All pots were at one time steel or cast iron, I am not sure what anyone did, if anything, to prevent a iron/rust/metal taste. – Jonathon Apr 04 '16 at 20:44
  • well, home cooks also have moved to other materials exactly because the reactive metals are more capricious - leach flavor, rust, etc. – rumtscho Apr 04 '16 at 20:47
  • 2
    @JonathonWisnoski, Here is an idea from something an uncle of mine [a professional bee-keeper] would do to harvest honey. Put heating elements under a steel treated ... Bathtub. You can even plumb in a drain to let the warm syrup flow out. Here is one [porcelain enameled steel](http://www.homedepot.com/p/American-Standard-Cambridge-5-ft-Right-Drain-Soaking-Tub-in-Arctic-2461102-011/206296728?cm_mmc=shopping-_-googleads-_-pla-_-206296728&ci_sku=206296728&ci_gpa=pla&ci_src=17588969&gclid=Cj0KEQjwoYi4BRDF_PHHu6rI7NMBEiQAKZ-JuB5ot6bTlgQBj8BfkxRCN-EfkyVEpy09FwYM0RwvIVkaAmAX8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds) – Cos Callis Apr 04 '16 at 21:02
  • @Jefromi but he's looking for something non reactive. Aluminum is almost as reactive as zinc. – Escoce Apr 05 '16 at 20:43

1 Answers1

1

You can't do it. Cooking vessels are divided into reactive and non-reactive. Practically all uncoated metal pots (except for stainless steel) are reactive. This means that they will leach an off taste into the food. There is no way around it, and seasoning won't help either. It is effective for frying, but not boiling.

If you want to have no metal leached into your food, you need to buy a nonreactive pot.

rumtscho
  • 134,346
  • 44
  • 300
  • 545