I have scads of copper molds and copper wares to add to
the shop yet so please check back if you don't see what you are looking for. - One of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls found in Israel is made of copper instead of fragile animal skins. The scroll contains clues to a still undiscovered treasure.
- Archeologists have recovered a portion of a water plumbing system from the Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt. After 5,000 years, the copper tubing was still in serviceable condition.
- A copper frying pan at
the University of Pennsylvania's museum has been dated to be more than 50 centuries old.
- When Columbus sailed to America, his ships (Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria) had copper skins below the water line. The copper sheathing extended hull life and protected against barnacles and other types of biofouling. Today, most seagoing vessels use a copper-based paint for hull protection
- Archaeological evidence indicates that copper was used as far back as 10,000
years ago in western Asia.
Copper is a natural element essential to all plant, human and animal life, it is necessary for good health. It helps humans maintain a healthy heart, liver, brain and it needed for good bone development. Humans get copper in foods they eat such as chocolate, milk, nuts, seeds, chickpeas and oysters. Copper also makes the best cookware due to its conductance of heat and it is beautiful to look at. Actually, the older it gets the prettier it becomes.
Unlined copper molds ARE safe to use. The food product is not kept in it for a long enough period of time to cause any problems. And what problems could occur? COPPER IS GOOD FOR YOU IN SMALL QUANTITIES, see the above paragraphs. Unlined copper pots are used in some of the best French kitchens and unlined copper is perfect for heating chocolate. CLEANING:
Clean the inside
of your copper cookware with a soft cloth or sponge and a mild dishwashing liquid. Abrasives and metal scrubbers should not be used as they will prematurely wear the tin lining. It is recommended that you DO NOT use the dishwasher for your copper ware. If you have trouble removing some stubborn, cooked on food, try deglazing (over a low heat pour liquid in the pan and stir with a wood spoon to dislodge the food bits stuck to the bottom) the pan over low to moderate heat using plain water. If
your food is sticking, try using a lower heat. One of the beauties of copper is that you can cook at much lower temperatures.
POLISHING:
While polishing your copper cookware will help to maintain its gleaming shine, it is absolutely not necessary in regards to its performance. The lovely patina that copper takes on over time reflects its durability and its use. If you prefer the shiny appearance of new copper, it is recommended that you polish it with
a good commercial product such a E-Z Way Metal Cleaner. This seems to be the easiest product to use and gives the best results. You may also use a homemade mixture of 1 cup coarse salt, 1 cup white vinegar, and enough cornmeal to form a paste. Wipe the mixture on the copper and rub lightly. Remove the excess paste under running water and dry with a clean cloth. Use the above very carefully as it could scratch your copper piece. *** If there is a lacquer coating on your copper it will streak and spot when you do this, only elbow grease and a good metal cleaner will get the lacquer coating off of copper.
To extend the life of the tin lining of your copper cookware try to avoid using metal cooking utensils instead use wooden or plastic utensils. The new silicone utensils are also excellent to use with your old or new copper cookware. Sometimes age, wear and tear take their toll on cookware especially copper cookware and it needs to be retinned. This is a good source for retinning of copper and other
metals - http://www.retinning.com/ I personally adore copper and think that it lends an old world look to my environment. I especially love to use it outdoors. I have found the following recipe a great way to hasten the "aging process" of the copper. For a quickie copper patina mix together: 1 cup of vinegar, 2 -4 Tbsp. of salt and 1/4 cup of ammonia. With gloves on your hands, dip a rag in this mixture and liberally rub on
your copper piece, repeat as needed until desired patina is achieved. Recipes:Royal Plum Pudding
Serves 10-12
1 lb. can (2 c.) purple plums
1 pkg. Gingerbread mix
1/2 tsp. Salt 1 cup light raisins or currents
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Drain plums, reserving syrup for sauce. Cut pitted plums into pieces. Prepare gingerbread according to pkg. directions adding salt, plum pieces, raisins and nuts. Transfer to well greased mold (*see below). Bake 375, 1 hour. Loosen edges and immediately un-mold on serving plate. Meanwhile prepare:
Plum Sauce
1/4 c. sugar 2 tbsp cornstarch 1 tbsp. Lemon juice
Add water to reserved plum
syrup to make 1 1/2 c. Combine sugar & cornstarch in small sauce pan. Gradually add syrup. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thick & boiling. Cook 1 minute. Add lemon juice. Serve warm over pudding. Flame with brandy if desired.
Apple Cake
3 cups flour 1 cup salad oil
2 cups sugar 1/4 cup orange juice
2 tsp. baking powder 2 1/2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
Prepare copper tart pan by brushing it with melted shortening and then flouring thoroughly. Mix the above ingredients together to make the batter. Alternate layers of the batter with the following apple mixture:
4 apples peeled and sliced
5 tbsp. Sugar
3 tsp. Cinnamon
If desired place some sliced apples in the pan in a decorative design before adding the batter. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Unmold
after allowing to cool 15-20 minutes. (cake will still be slightly warm).
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