# Need help by my swarte pot



## Karoojager (Dec 20, 2005)

Today I try to cook the fourth time potjie koos with my swarte pot at the fire in my garden. Unfortunately if I would eat the chicken and vegetables the flavor was the same like the smell of the pot.
In S.A. I " cooked in " the pot size No 12 two times for around 3 hours with a mix of potatos and onions at a fire.
Here I cook four times with this pot with the same bad successes ( the flavor is bad ).
What is my mistake ?


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## INGOZI (May 9, 2005)

Hi Frank

THose black pots rarely take up any smell from anything else but you should try and scrub it very well with some water and bicarbonate of soda. That should do the trick. Hope your next potjie is as good as you remember.

All the best

Engee


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## Karoojager (Dec 20, 2005)

Thank you for you assistance Engee. I will buy tomorrow directly some soda.
I was really disappointed today, the first sunny day and +10° after the long grey months and my first potje koos was for the dog.


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## Bootch (Jan 16, 2007)

*Swarte pot??*

In Australia we use "camp oven pot" generally cast iron. When they are new I drop the pot in the edge of the fire, shovell some hot coals into it and allow it to burn away all the manufacturing oils etc etc whilst moving it around a bit. Then after a few hours let it cool, scrub it out, dry it and oil it with Olive oil or something similar and it is ready for cooking!


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## Karoojager (Dec 20, 2005)

Thank you Bootch, you are right a " swarte pot " is from cast iron.
I will try you advice today, first I will burn the pot from inside and by cleaning I use baking soda, like Engee said ( I found this in the kitchen ) for scrubbing.

Thank you both for you advices:thumbs_up


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## OutaAfrica (Mar 14, 2007)

Hi frank what I ussally do with these Mandela microwaves I Fill it op with water and make mealie pap in it and leave it on a fire once the pap starts too boil not too hot for about tree to four Hrs take the pap out give it to the birds and scrub the pot propperly then after it is clean I dry it and put it on the fire to get all the moisture out. When I store it I take old news paper and fill it with the paper made into balls and store it untill next time the news paper keeps the rust out 
Hope you come right
Regards 
Hendrik


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## Karoojager (Dec 20, 2005)

Thank you Hendrik.
Today I will try it with my weelding burner to burn out the oil and chemicals out:wink: I hope it works.


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## ASG (Jun 25, 2007)

Frank,

Don't forget to oil your pot when not in use. Simply wipe a thin film of cooking oil over the inner surface of the pot and lid.

Cast iron pots should add flavour to your food but your food shouldn't taste like iron.

Good luck and keep us informed. :wink:


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## Drenalinjunkie8 (Sep 19, 2007)

Frank,

You need a velcrohead to scrape the pot.:wink:


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## Karoojager (Dec 20, 2005)

Drenalinjunkie8 said:


> Frank,
> 
> You need a velcrohead to scrape the pot.:wink:


I not know the name velcrohead. Is this a brush from wire for drilling machine ?


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## ASG (Jun 25, 2007)

Frank,

It's a camp cleaning technician.:wink:


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## Karoojager (Dec 20, 2005)

Ahhh, now I understand, its a hot nut:wink:
Unfortunately we have here only garlic devourer:zip:


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## Karoojager (Dec 20, 2005)

Today I had time at my work to brush first my pot with a wire brush, than I gave him so much heat with my welding burner up to the colour change to blue.
I hope now all chemicals are out, but as a good and exactly german I will clean the pot now with bicarbonate of soda and give him olive oil.
I hope my potje koos at Saturday evening will be lekker.

Thank you to all for you advices.


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## Bootch (Jan 16, 2007)

*Good luck ....*

The last meal I had from the pot was rabbit casserole....4 rabbits cut into chunks, 2 onions, 4 cloves garlic, olive oil....fry until brown. add salt,pepper, mixed herbs, water and good red wine (3cups - drink the rest of bottle as cooking progresses). Simmer on low heat over a fire for 2-3hours allowing meat to soften, add water as required, add potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, 1 x bell pepper, piece of an orange skin, 1 x medium hot chilli and cook till vegetables are done add gravy powder and mix. Get another bottle or 3 of wine some fresh bread and feast!
Might have to go rabbit hunting again soon, suddenly got hungry!


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## fucius (Jan 6, 2008)

Yes, the guys are correct about the chemicals/industrial oils in these cast iron pots, but the metal is also porous and has a "memory".
A trick I learnt from the old Boere is to really scour the inside well - I used a round grinding stone mounted on a drill. Then, yes, clean it thouroughly with bicarb. Thereafter you get some 3-4kg of pork fat - a huge slab of belly fat will do - and you cook this off for 4-6 hours using wood as fuel. It turns into a huge pot of oil. Dispose of the fat, clean the pot and oil lightly inside to prevent rust. Now it should be primed and ready for the 1st potjie.

I bought an old original Falkirk potjie - new condition, but well and truly rusted inside - and then performed above steps. Never had a problem with any meal.

Good luck


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## Karoojager (Dec 20, 2005)

Thank you Fucius, if the weather here is better so that I can go outside for a fire I will cook the pork fat for 6 hours ( seems I need a lot of rum to observe the potjie at the fire, but for my familie I will bring this sacrifice:wink: ).:darkbeer::darkbeer:


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## Skirt (Feb 18, 2008)

fucius said:


> Yes, the guys are correct about the chemicals/industrial oils in these cast iron pots, but the metal is also porous and has a "memory".
> A trick I learnt from the old Boere is to really scour the inside well - I used a round grinding stone mounted on a drill. Then, yes, clean it thouroughly with bicarb. Thereafter you get some 3-4kg of pork fat - a huge slab of belly fat will do - and you cook this off for 4-6 hours using wood as fuel. It turns into a huge pot of oil. Dispose of the fat, clean the pot and oil lightly inside to prevent rust. Now it should be primed and ready for the 1st potjie.
> 
> I bought an old original Falkirk potjie - new condition, but well and truly rusted inside - and then performed above steps. Never had a problem with any meal.
> ...


Hi Guys, yes this is the best way to prepare your pot. Also the more you use the pot the better. I have a flat bottomed pot which I find more convenient than the 3-legged variety so I use it on the stove often. It also helps if you cook something requiring a lot of oil from time to time like potato chips.


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## Bushkey (Mar 17, 2006)

Frank. All these tips are the right ones. All I can ad is that the more you use your pot the better it gets. You have to make a lot of Potjies then:wink:


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## Bushkey (Mar 17, 2006)

Bootch said:


> The last meal I had from the pot was rabbit casserole....4 rabbits cut into chunks, 2 onions, 4 cloves garlic, olive oil....fry until brown. add salt,pepper, mixed herbs, water and good red wine (3cups - drink the rest of bottle as cooking progresses). Simmer on low heat over a fire for 2-3hours allowing meat to soften, add water as required, add potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, 1 x bell pepper, piece of an orange skin, 1 x medium hot chilli and cook till vegetables are done add gravy powder and mix. Get another bottle or 3 of wine some fresh bread and feast!
> Might have to go rabbit hunting again soon, suddenly got hungry!


Thanks Bootch. I love rabbit. Will try this one.


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