By Ujjainee Roy
August 1, 2024
Copper cookware is renowned for its excellent heat conductivity, making it a favorite among chefs and cooking enthusiasts. However, copper is a highly reactive metal, and cooking certain foods in unlined copper cookware can lead to copper leaching into the food. This not only alters the taste but can also pose health risks due to copper toxicity. Here are foods that should never be cooked in copper.
Tomatoes are highly acidic and can react with copper, causing the metal to leach into the food. This results in a metallic taste and potential copper toxicity. Whether you’re making a tomato sauce or stewing tomatoes, avoid using unlined copper pots and pans.
Any dish containing vinegar or acetic acid can cause a similar reaction as tomatoes. The acid in vinegar reacts with copper, leading to leaching. Salad dressings, pickling solutions, and other vinegar-based recipes should be prepared in non-reactive cookware.
Lemons, limes, oranges, and other citrus fruits are also acidic and can react with copper. This can result in a metallic taste and possible health issues. Avoid using copper cookware for making citrus-based sauces, marmalades, or desserts.
Wine is acidic and can cause copper to leach into food, especially if the sauce is simmered for a long time. Cooking dishes such as coq au vin or beef bourguignon in copper cookware can lead to undesirable metallic flavors and health risks.
Dairy products like yogurt are slightly acidic and can react with copper, potentially altering the taste and safety of the food. Cooking or preparing yogurt-based dishes in copper cookware should be avoided.
The acidic brine used in pickling can cause a reaction with copper, leading to contamination of the food. When making pickles or pickled vegetables, it’s best to use glass, stainless steel, or other non-reactive containers.
While not as acidic as some other fruits, apples still contain enough acid to cause a reaction with copper, especially when cooked. Applesauce, apple pie fillings, and other apple-based dishes should be prepared in non-reactive cookware.