Remove Stains on Aluminum Pans with Apple Peels [Kitchen Hacks]

If your aluminum pots and pans are looking a little worse for wear, you can remove stains and bring them back to a shiny finish by boiling apple peels. Add apple peels and water to your stained pot or pan, bring to a boil, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. The acid in the peels will remove stains and restore the original finish of the aluminum.

Hubpages contributor Cat Whitehead also recommends that if you have any stained aluminum utensils you should add them to the apple mixture as well. Boiling apple peels will also fill your kitchen with a fresh scent. Photo by Melissa

Appealing Uses for Apple Skins | Hubpages

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Make an Oil Jar for Easy Brushing While Baking or Grilling [Kitchen Hacks]

By Alan Henry Oct 18, 2011 5:30 AM 7,533 10

If you do a lot of baking, you know you often need to brush the bottom of a baking pan or cookie sheet with oil, and you often again have to brush the tops of your bread or baked goods with oil or butter while they brown in the oven. Instead of pouring that oil into a dish, make an oil jar and fit a brush on top: it'll always be ready whenever you need it.

Sam Henderson, writing at Today's Nest, punched a thin horizontal hole in the top of a short canning jar with a hammer and chisel, and fitted his basting brush over the top of the hole so it wouldn't slip through. He then filled the can with olive oil, screwed on the lid, and put in the brush.

It's an easy and quick kitchen project that will give you a basting brush that's already soaking in oil and ready to use whenever you need to lube the grill pan on the top of the stove, or brush down a baking dish before putting it in the oven. When finished, put the brush back in the oil jar and leave it to the side for the next time it's needed. Too much hassle or kitchen genius? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Working with Oil | Today's Nest

You can reach Alan Henry, the author of this post, at alan@lifehacker.com, or better yet, follow him on Twitter or Google+. Related Stories