Cleaning and Stain Removal - ruined aluminum stock pot?

Hey there,

I used my huge aluminum stock pot to boil jam jars and lids for my last preserving project. I forgot to empty it right away and left a few in there. When I dumped it out, there was a disgusting black color all over the inside of the the pot.

I'm guessing that there was some reaction to the glass jars, the metal lids or the wax sealents. What I dont' know is can this pot be saved? I do a lot of stock making and I would hate to lose it:(

Thanks in advance!

Not sure if this will help, but I know that anytime I make spaghetti sauce, the pot is almost new looking ! Maybe the acid in the tomato sauce ? Try soaking in white vinegar - it can't hurt!

Acids and aluminum don't like each other. This is why it is not recommended to cook tomato sauces in them. You can probably use a fine grit sand paper to clean off the black stain. Can't really say why the stain appeared except possibly electrolosis from the different metals. It is by no means a lost cause. Good luck.

Mix 2 tablespoons cream of tartar per quart of water. Boil in the aluminum pot for 10 minutes. Scour lightly if needed.

As majakdragon speculated, I think the brass plating of the lids attacked the aluminum. On the other hand, your aluminum pot protected the lids from corrosion while this was going on.

Now you'll have to etch that off with acid (vinegar might be strong enough) or mechanically remove it with steel wool, etc. or both. Aluminum oxides are very hard. The cleaned metal will be shiney at first but soon dull back to normal as it re-oxidises in the air.

Tomato sauce, vinegar, and cream of tartar are all acids...

pick a flavour.

Actually, cream of tartar is not an acid. It is the potassium salt of tartaric acid.