285143 Thu May 11 22:14:50 -0700 2006 9 31 Home Cooking 0 1526265 So, I've been eating at a few BBQ places lately that have huge portions that can't possibly be consumed in one meal ... sometimes, great as it is, even the two of us can't finish it. The first time this happened, there was some sauce on the lid and three minutes after I took it out of the microwave, the sauce ate a hole in the lid. I thought it was an abberation of the unique sauce at a particular BBQ, but no, last night, different BBQ, different sauce, yet there was that big old hole in yet another cover. I've never had this happen with any other meat/oil combo reheated in a microwave. Also, is there anyway to salvage the bottom part that now seems permanently dyed red? The first time I sprayed the bowl with PAM which was supposed to prevent dying the bowl. Don't believe that one. It was the specific reason I bought the PAM in the first place. I've tried soaking, scrubbing, rubbing with Palmolive with bleach alternative ... nada. In fact on the first bowl, I still can't remove the smoke smell from Flint's sauce. I'm afraid to use real bleach as the taste might always be there given the fact that I can't get rid of the BBQ smell and taste from one. I know these are only two bowls, but I'm just wondering if in the future there is something I can do to keep red sauces from staining plastic or if there is some way to remove it once it is there. And what WOULD eat through plastic like that in under three minutes? Thu May 11 22:14:50 -0700 2006 0 rworange 1 1526269 As to what caused the hole in the lid.. not a clue, but if I were you, I'd be more worried about the status of your stomach than your tupperware lids.... As soon as you finish with the tupperware, you can try and swipe it with a vinegar to prevent any staining (this has to be done pretty much immediately for it to be effective at all) otherwise, the staining is permanant. It's because the plastic is porous, and the red oils get embedded in the pores. By scrubbing your tupperware, you're making the problem worse, because you're removing the protective coating, thereby making the tupperware even more porous. Letting tupperware soak overnight is the best way to clean it (patience IS a virtue!!). You really shouldn't be heating foods in tupperware, and hot food should only be store in those special, heat-proof containers. If you only put cold food in your tupperware, and don't heat the food in it, you shouldn't get any staining. The stains are really only aesthetically displeasing... they aren't evil or anything, just take it as a sign that you've put your tupperware to use, and getting the most for your money. Hope this helps. Thu May 11 23:08:31 -0700 2006 1526265 0 Beccaroo 2 1526296 I dont have any experience with the tupperware product, but its usually oil that gets hot enough to damage plastic containers. Ive never seen a problem with any but the most flimsy, however and any container labeled microwave safe should be able o withstand a simple reheat- keep and eye on it when you are reheating my experience is that usually the top of containers pops off before anything gets too hot - if its really tupperware Id go back to the mfr and ask advice. Fri May 12 07:33:26 -0700 2006 1526269 0 jen kalb 2 1526887 For an alternative to reheating in/on plastic containers, I bought a stack of plain white(glass) Corelle dishes at the outlet store. Keep 'em on a dish rack right next to the stove/micro and they're handier than all get-out for reheating things, portioning ingredients, etc. I have two plate sizes and two bowl sizes. They're practically indestructible, so I don't worry about breaking or chipping. They don't stain, and are fairly lightweight, and CHEAP. Best addition to my kitchen tools in a long time. I use several every day. If hubby takes leftovers to work, I just cover bowl in foil, which he removes before nuking. Link: http://www.corelle.com/index.asp?pageId=52&pid=75 Tue May 16 11:35:36 -0700 2006 1526269 0 toodie jane 1 1526290 The red stains on plastic caused by tomato sauce and chili peppers will bleach out significantly if you put the plastic pieces in direct sunlight for a few hours. Fri May 12 02:53:56 -0700 2006 1526265 0 Melanie Wong 1 1526312 Just a guess but I think the sugar in the sauce might get hot enough to eat a hole in the lid. Fri May 12 10:45:37 -0700 2006 1526265 0 dj 1 1526343 I have been reading your bbq posts and applaud you not only for the variety of places you go to but the thouroghness (I wish CH had spellcheck) of your posts. As for your tupperware, as one reply said, I have also heard that food should not be heated in the plastic storage containers. That said, I do it all the time but never use the lid. Maybe the lid is made of a different type or grade of plastic which makes it more vulnerable to melting holes? Instead, I may cover loosely with a sheet of plastic film, leaving space to vent. As for the staining, if I think ahead, I put a piece of plastic food film in before the food. This also makes me move it to another plate before reheating. Fri May 12 13:26:15 -0700 2006 1526265 0 Chilton 2 1526352 Thanks. Yeah, but Word where I write most of these has spell-check and it seems to be not helpful to me. The choice for me is between writing it fast and dirty, or polishing it and never getting it out there. Looking forward to hopefully editing capablity with the new software Surprisingly enough the spelling errors tick me off when I catch them after the fact. Anyway, I'm thinking the business about the sugar may be the clue to what ate the covers in combination with the oil. I like the idea of plastic film. I'll give that a shot. Thanks to all for other good suggestions like bleaching in the sun. I've had tupperware stain before because of tomato sauce and it didn't bother me too much because it was just asthetics. However, when the smoke flavor remained, that was too much for me. The bottoms do seem to be a different material than the top. I loosely cover the bowl with the top to avoid splatter and exploding. I saw what seemed like the greatest thing the other day. Plastic storage containers where that blue-ice stuff was built into the cover. So you throw the top in the freezer until ready to take lunch with you. Placing the frozen top on supposedly keeps the food cool for a while. Should have bought it to play with. Fri May 12 13:48:40 -0700 2006 1526343 0 rworange 1 1526376 Sugar heats up in a microwave much more quickly than the meat does. It gets hot. REALLY hot. The BBQ sauce is likely loaded with sugar, which heated and burned through the container. Fri May 12 15:45:37 -0700 2006 1526265 0 Two Forks 1 1531545 hello, I may have a few answers to your tupperware problems. You see I am a tupperware consultant. First If your plastics are truly tupperware almost all of our products are microwavable safe, On the bottom of your pieces it will say microwave safe or have a universal microwvable logo, which is a zig zag pattern. Some of our lids are not microwave safe again check the bottom of the lid. If it doesn't say that it is safe don't use it in the microwave. Tupperware that is more than 15 plus years old is probably not microwave safe. Tupperware is also made of a specail plastic (which the name has completly left me right now)and will not transfer any plastic or chemicals into your food. As for other brands of plastic this is not the case. Tupperware is tested and is regulated for all of these reasons. As for any staining, put you tupperware out in the sun for a few hours and the sun will natrually bleach the stain out. And for any odour that you may find in your clean tupperware. there are actually a couple of different reasons this could happen. Tupperware when sealed is air and liquid tight, so after washing your tupperware do not store with lids on when not in use. Any odour will stay in your container. And if for some reason you do get an odour stuck in your tupperware I'll tell you how to remove it. Wash your container regularly,stuff your container with newspaper, put the seal back on. let set over night or 24 hours , remove the lid wash regularly and see if the smell is gone if not repeat. you shoudn't have to do this more than twice. And also remember TUPPERWARE is safe and almost all of our products are guaranteed, wiether they are 2 wks old or 30 years old. Anymore problems or questions you can always contact me at kgardiner@tupperware.ca or you can contact or find a local consultant in your area at tupperware.ca or .com Thank and I hope I was able to help. Tue Jun 13 18:46:42 -0700 2006 1526265 0 melted & stained tupperware