okay, i admit this is an odd post, but i believe any good trick also deserve sharing, so here i go. if you have invested in one of those beautiful emile henry oil cruet, you might have wondered: how do i wash the inside in such a way that i know for sure it is completely clean?
as we all have experienced, oil containers get sticky over time. that is a normal consequence of the oxidation of oil. it is extremely difficult to clean, as you may have noticed if you have ever tried to do so with a clear bottle. just soaking the bottle with hot water and dish soap helps remove the surface oil, but not the sticky residue caused by its oxidation. a brush helps, if you can fit one in (using a baby bottle brush has proved somewhat useful) and putting the bottle in the dishwasher leaves us a mystery-result as the water-soap solution most likely doesn’t reach inside through the small neck.
i have asked this question to many professionals in the area of cooking and cookware, and the best, most efficient answer came from caren mcsherry, owner of one of my favourite stores in vancouver, the gourmet warehouse. (thank you caren!)
how to wash your emile henry oil cruet (or any oil dispenser)
use about 1 tbsp of dishwasher soap with 2 cups of boiling water (enough to fill your bottle). after you dissolve the soap in the water, poor the solution in your bottle which you have previously washed with regular dish soap to remove the excess oil. leave it to soak overnight. you may also want to prepare an extra cup of solution to soak the metal spout and the cork as well.
i promise you, you will have a perfectly clean bottle the next morning, and you will save your oil from future contamination from rancid sticky deposit hidden inside your beautiful bottle. my recommendation is that you wash your bottle every single time it gets empty before refilling it to avoid the oxidation residue to occur in the first place.
well, now you know.
ps. the gourmet warehouse sells emile henry products at excellent prices!
(i saved about $10 on my oil cruet)
