HELP! Let steamer boil dry, is pan ruined?

[PeelingmyselfofftheCeiling]

Have just put carrots on to steam for puree in brand new steel steamer, and forgot let it boil dry so pan now burnt black from the carrots. How do I rescue it?

No idea but OH did this last week so watching with interest.

Ok, in the absence of any more technical suggestions I just scrubbed like crazy and it seems ok. For sine reason the pan I also boiled dry doing eggs never did though - the steel went wierdly dark instead. No clue.

Boil lemonade in it!

Really pottering? Does that nor just add burnt sugar to the equation?!

We've done that loads, a combination of scrub, soak, scrub soak etc, usually gets it sparkling again!

If it is solid stainless steel, then you can scrub it with a green nylon pan scourer. If need be you can add Barkeepers Friend which is a slightly abrasive powder (made of ground pumice, I think)

If all else fails wire wool will do it but will scratch the surface.

If it got very hot, the heat-absorbing thick pad on the bottom of the outside of the pan may crack off. the pan is then ruined and fit only for the bin.

Burnt saucepans can be cleaned quite easily if you put some vinegar and water in the saucepan and heat gently. If you leave the mixture for a while the burnt stuff comes off without really needing to scrub, just a sponge will do... this has worked for me loads of times.

OP - I'm so glad to know I'm not the only person who has done this (mine was parsnips, but otherwise same scenario)!!

I just gave the pan a good old wash, and it came up OK. It's never been quite the same since, but perfectly serviceable.

Probably serves us right for our worthiness in steaming veg for first purees. Much good it did me - DS now 2, and won't touch anything green...