mmouse37
DCL Diva!!
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2001
- Messages
- 34,767
I have one silicone loaf pan mold that I use sometimes but I am never happy with how they come out after washing....always feel like there is a residue. But I have two Mickey Mouse silicone molds that make six individual Mickey shaped brownies, mini cakes or ice cubes each. I love using these for ice. I tend to make ice cubes in the MM mold way more for ice than for baked goods especially for birthdays and parties. But, sometimes, if I leave the ice too long in the molds in the freezer they get a "fridge" smell. I tried putting them in the dishwasher, soaking them in dish soap, leaving them outside in the sun and air...nothing took the "fridge" smell away.
I wanted to use them for ice for 4th of July but didn't want the ice to taste off so I finally googled and found an article on how to remove the smell....just bake the silicone molds in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour and poof smell is all gone. I was so happy it worked.
From Cook's Illustrated:
Silicone ice trays make extracting ice easy, but they have one big downside: Over time, they pick up odors from the freezer, which can give the ice an off-flavor. Which is why we were interested to read in The New York Times about a method for removing odors: Bake the trays for an hour in a 350-degree oven. (Silicone can withstand temperatures of up to 500 degrees, so there is no risk of the trays melting.)
Would the method also work on more-potent odors left by items such as pesto, chiles in adobo, or minced garlic in oil (all items we commonly freeze in small quantities in ice cube trays for later use)?
To find out, we filled silicone ice trays with a paste of pureed onions, shallots, garlic, anchovies, and olive oil and refrigerated them overnight. When we emptied the trays and washed them the next morning, all still smelled strongly of the paste. We then baked them in a 350-degree oven for an hour. The trick worked beautifully, eliminating all odors.
We also tried alternative deodorizing methods, such as soaking in a solution of baking soda or vinegar overnight or boiling in water for an hour, none of which removed the smell completely.
Takeaway: Baking is a great method for removing even strong odors from ice trays. Just be sure your ice trays are silicone and not rubber, which will melt in a hot oven.
MJ
I wanted to use them for ice for 4th of July but didn't want the ice to taste off so I finally googled and found an article on how to remove the smell....just bake the silicone molds in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour and poof smell is all gone. I was so happy it worked.
From Cook's Illustrated:
Silicone ice trays make extracting ice easy, but they have one big downside: Over time, they pick up odors from the freezer, which can give the ice an off-flavor. Which is why we were interested to read in The New York Times about a method for removing odors: Bake the trays for an hour in a 350-degree oven. (Silicone can withstand temperatures of up to 500 degrees, so there is no risk of the trays melting.)
Would the method also work on more-potent odors left by items such as pesto, chiles in adobo, or minced garlic in oil (all items we commonly freeze in small quantities in ice cube trays for later use)?
To find out, we filled silicone ice trays with a paste of pureed onions, shallots, garlic, anchovies, and olive oil and refrigerated them overnight. When we emptied the trays and washed them the next morning, all still smelled strongly of the paste. We then baked them in a 350-degree oven for an hour. The trick worked beautifully, eliminating all odors.
We also tried alternative deodorizing methods, such as soaking in a solution of baking soda or vinegar overnight or boiling in water for an hour, none of which removed the smell completely.
Takeaway: Baking is a great method for removing even strong odors from ice trays. Just be sure your ice trays are silicone and not rubber, which will melt in a hot oven.
MJ
