Tinware care

DO NOT LET THE TINWARE BOIL OR COOK DRY

Tinware is made from Tin Plate which is a thin steel sheet that is plated with a thin coating of tin on both sides. Tin is a natural element and will not rust, but the steel under it will rust. To avoid it rusting, treat it as though it was Teflon. Do not use any metal utensils or other abrasives that may scratch the tin plate on your item. Use plenty of water in the vessel and never let it boil dry. When heating low moisture foods, keep the heat low and stir it frequently. Never place a tin item directly in the coals of a fire. Always use it with a cooking grate or hang it above the fire. Overheating may cause the tin plating to blister exposing the steel to rust and could cause the joints to fail and may develop a leak or attachments may come loose. Whenever you wash your tinware items, wash with a mild detergent, warm water and a non-abrasive cloth or sponge & dry them well. DO NOT SCRUB TO REMOVE THE BLACK. Historically tin items were washed and hung near the fire to dry or placed in an oven at a temperature lower than 200 degrees. Higher temperatures will cause the solder to melt. This is for all potables, even blackened coffee pots and boilers.

At this point, some folks have the preference of applying a coat of oil to insure that there will be no rust developing on the item. If that is your preference, be sure the item is dried well as started above, and rub oil over each item, inside & out. Tung oil, walnut oil and mineral oil are all suitable oils to use on tinware, (note of caution: mineral oil is sold as a laxative in drugstores)! The oil helps preserve the tin and solder, and takes place of using rendered lard as was the practice in the 1860’s. That thin of a layer of lard would not be enough to turn rancid (which is a natural process of oxidation). The next time you go to use the item, just wash it with soap and water and dry well.

Over time the tin item will start to turn a gray color and eventually a dark gray almost a black. This is a natural process. The discoloring is called patina, and will in no way harm the item or be dangerous to you. Do not try to scrub the patina off. Doing so will eventually wear the coating of tin thin enough that rust spots will form. Although your item may be a great looking place to store things during traveling, it is best to refrain from putting things in it. The vibration and movement from travel will prematurely wear the coating of tin off, causing a rusting issue.

“Historically tinplate was a grand substitute for wood, leather and horn containers currently being used as a cheap form of manufacturing items for sale to the ever voracious public, who, at the time, were traveling to new places over long distances with limited carrying capacity. Tinplate would be treated as such, not some fancy pot of copper or silver which would come later in a freight wagon for the middle class town folk to purchase”. – (Chris Hagemann -- Tinsmith of Fort Atkinson)