How to rescue scorched food? How to clean a scorched pan?

Remove a scorched pan from the heat at once. Transfer unburned food to a clean pan, add fresh liquid, and continue cooking until done.

Trim off dark-brown crusts from overdone baked goods. Save burned toast by scraping off blackened crust with a table knife.

To remove burned-on food from a pan, scrape off as much of it as possible with a wooden spoon; fill the pan with hot, soapy water, let it soak, then scour it with baking soda or a non-abrasive cleaner on a plastic scouring pad. Or bring water to a boil in the pan. While the water simmers, scrape off scorched bits with the wooden spoon. After 10 minutes, pour out the water and scour the pan. Repeat the procedure until the pan is clean.

If you can’t clean a scorched non-aluminum pan right away, soak it in cold water. Soaking pits an aluminum pan, so clean it immediately.

If a pan is beyond cleaning, discard it or, if it’s one you’re particularly fond of, have it restored by a professional. To fmd a professional, check the Yellow Pages under “Metal Finishers.”