Q Can I cook in a Campbell's soup can? We love "beer can" chicken, which calls for roasting a chicken balanced on a 1/2 can of beer. We don't like canned beer, so we'd like to use a soup can and bottled beer. Is it safe to cook in cans? My grandmother used to make date bread in soup cans, but I think I read that cans are now lined with some kind of plastic, so perhaps we shouldn't cook in them anymore, either in an oven or over a campfire.
A Re-using cans is OK if they are clean and the label is removed, according to Julie Jones, professor emeritus of Food and Nutrition at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul.
It is true that some cans have white liners to help minimize pitting and aren't a good choice for this use. Cans from soda pop work, as would aluminum cans that contain water. Simply put the aluminum can in the dishwasher to clean.
When you're ready to cook the chicken, fill the can with the bottled beer. By the way, if you don't drink beer, you can use soda pop or broth in this method of making succulent chicken.
Pop-can chicken Here's a pop-can chicken recipe from Bill Ward, who writes about spirits for the Star Tribune.
Try orange or lemon flavoring with orange soda or other citrus soda (such as Sprite) or lemonade. Rub a whole chicken with olive oil, salt and pepper, and pull the bird's cavity down over a half-filled can of orange soda, citrus soda or lemonade. Place in the center of a grill set up for indirect heating, balancing on the two legs, and cook, covered, for about 11/4 hours, until thigh juice runs clear (internal temperature should be 180 degrees). Remove and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Lead debris Q I removed some wood siding from my house that has lead paint on it. What do I with it and scrapings of lead paint?
A Minnesota law allows you, as a property owner, to put lead waste in the trash. However, there are a few things to consider.
