Heart to Hearth Cookery

Shining Copper

There is A beautiful secret to clean brass or copper which can be found in old Servant’s Directories on how to clean all manners of things.  Just Dissove in one quart of rain or soft water, one ounce of oxalic acid, shake it up together, then add half an ounce of butter of antimony…..  The shining reproduction tea kettle, hemisherical kettle, and large kettles did not receive that treatment but took a combination of elbow-grease and modern tools.  With reproductions one can with much labor clean the kettles to a just-made look but that is not recommended for original pieces.  For original copper pieces use a small amount of laundry detergent in a gallon of water and a soft rag to clean the surface.  Then apply a tablespoon of baking soda on a soft rag and rub the kettle.  The original copper piece will be clean, shine but the patina of much loving use will still be there. Visit my website at: www.hearttohearthcookery.com My next hearth cooking class is March 17th, 2012