Cooking For Engineers

[twocats2many]

I love my apple/peeler gadget that you clamp to a counter. You spear the apple (stem end) on its tines, adjust the peeler part to cut about 1/8" deep, and crank it through the sharp circle at the end. It comes out peeled and sliced, wonderful for homemade apple sauce. But here's the problem: after a few apples, the shaft (a screw-like device) becomes coated with yucky black stuff like machine oil. I can't imagine where it's coming from, but the oily stuff gets all over my hands and then the apples, rendering the whole process a waste. I've never oiled the machine; I wash it every time I use it, and there's no where that I can see that oil would be coming from.

What's going on here? It's driving me crazy!

[Dilbert]

likely not "oil" but a dark compound formed by the reaction of acid from the apples with the metal of the shaft.

you could try a thorough wash & dry, followed by a light vegetable coating.
be aware that vegetable oils can build up and get very sticky - pretty much to the point of glue - I would wash&dry after use but if the next use is months off, I'd wash dry oil prior to use.

[tw]

Thanks, Dilbert. I'll give the oil solution a try.

[Guest]

I have one of those peeler corers too. I think the icky looking stuff is a combination of apple juice and a little bit of metal particles. The metal particles probably comes from the shaft rubbing against the tube that guides it and also serves as a crude bearing.

After I use mine, I rinse it in hot water and wash off the ick off the shaft. when it is dry, I put a little mineral oil for protection and lubrication.

ric

[henryshenoy]

God knows how once I cut my finger with that accidentally.