Exploring Donabe – Part 3: How To Take Care Of Your Donabe And The Medome Method

Donabe take care

 

We have reached the part 3 of exploring donabe.

 

In this section, we will explain about how to take care of your donabe including how to do the medome method.

 

Despite of its appearance, donabe is a delicate cooking utensil.
Please keep in mind that you have to take care of your donabe properly so you can use it for a long time.

How to Do The “Medome Method”

  • step1

    STEP 1

    Dissolve the wheat flour in water. Mix it well until the wheat flour completely dissolved.

  • step2

    STEP 2

    Pour the mixture into the donabe. Leave it there for about 8 minutes and boil it.
    Please watch it carefully because there is a possibility that the mixture will be spilled out from the pot.

  • step3

    STEP 3

    Warm up the donabe with low heat.
    Turn off the heat when the mixture got boiled up. Cool down the donabe.

  • step4

    STEP 4

    After the donabe is all cooled down, throw away the mixture and wash it.
    Rinse it with water and dry the donabe. The medome method is done.
    ※ If there’s remaining moisture, it’s best to dry the donabe under the sun to avoid mold.

 

There is also a video about how to do medome method. Kawashima the Japanstore website provides a video for you to learn about how to do the medome method properly because it is an important process to take care of.

 

How to clean Your Donabe

Because the donabe is sensitive to sudden temperature changes, please cool down firmly after use.
If you cleaned the donabe from any liquid (soup, broth, etc) beforehand, it will be able to cool down more quickly.

 

We also provide video on how to clean your Donabe in our youtube account. Please check video below!

 

How to Clean a Burnt Donabe

There might be case when your donabe got a burnt spot after using it for several times.
In that case, you can use a plastic spoon or baking soda to fix it.

 

What Should You Do when Mold Grows in Your Donabe?

Because donabe can easily absorbs moisture, no matter how dry it is kept, the rainy season and so on could trigger it to absorb moisture in the air and may mold it.
Especially for the Iga-yaki donabe and Banko-yaki donabe that needs extra attention.

 

Even when you face the situation such ‘Ouch! My donabe got molded!’ don’t immediately throw away your donabe.

 

If you do the maintenance properly, you can use it without problems.This time we will use tea leaves for mold sterilization.

 

Things you need:
· Tea Leaves (Appropriate amount)
· Water (about 80% of the donabe)

 

  • step1

    STEP 1

    Wash the donabe and try to remove the mold properly.
    Wipe the area that exposed to fire, remove the moisture.

  • step2

    STEP 2

    Insert tea leaves into water and put them on fire.
    Warm thoroughly with low heat and turn on medium heat when the whole pot warmed up.

  • step3

    STEP 3

    When the water got boiled, set into low heat, and boil about 10 minutes.

  • step4

    STEP 4

    Rinse the donabe thoroughly and dry it.

 

We also provide a video for more detail step by step. Please check the video below!

 

What Should We Do if The Donabe Got Smelly?

When Donabe get smelly

 

If you cook a dish with ingredients that has a strong smell, the smell may stick to the donabe.
In such case, as how we would do with mold removal, if we simmer the tea leaves, the tea will be able to absorb the bad smell.

 

Ceramic donabe has a special characteristic which is hard to get smelly. So if you are worried about odour-transfer, ceramic donabe is recommended for you.

What Should We Do if The Donabe Got Broken or Scratched?

If your donabe got broken, there are ways to repair it, such as with glue, etc.

 

But there’s a possibility that the chemical ingredients of the glue will penetrate the donabe and affecting the dish, which is very dangerous.

 

Wrap the side that is broken with a sandpaper to avoid it from hurting your hand.
After you repair it, while you keep using it, the colour will gradually change into a familiar colour.
The broken part/scratch became a good charm of your donabe.

How to Store The Donabe

Unexpectedly, how to store donabe is not widely known.
If you perform an incorrect storage method, it might cause your donabe to get mold.
We will show you the right way to store donabe for a long time.

 

  • step1

    STEP 1

    After use, wash the pot with water and dry it under the sun in a well-ventilated place.
    It will dry completely for 2-3 days.
    If you want to dry the donabe faster, warm it in a microwave for about 1 minute, then it will be okay if you only dry it for one day under the sun.
    ※Please also read the precaution carefully as the microwave oven is not really compatible with the donabe

  • step2

    STEP 2

    Wrap the donabe with newspaper when you want to store it.
    If you put in a box or wrap it with a plastic wrap, it will accumulate the moisture and will cause molding.
    So, it’s best to wrap it with newspaper when you want to store your donabe.
    The newspaper will absorb moisture from outside and prevents dust in the air from invading your donabe.

  • step3

    STEP 3

    Let’s keep it in a well-ventilated place such as a cupboard or a closet.
    It is good to avoid the place such as below the sink area or such, because moisture tends to accumulate there.

 

We also provide a video for more detail step by step. Please check the video below!

 

 

How was the part 3 of the article series ‘exploring donabe’?
Did it help you to know about how to take care your donabe?
You might think that ‘it takes a lot more time and effort to take care of donabe’ than you thought before.

 

Because it’s an earthenware pot that can be used for a long-term, we think there is no other choice but to keep up with the trouble.
We think that if you take care of your donabe very carefully like your own child, you will have more attachment for your donabe compared to other kitchen utensils.

 

We would really happy if you can use our article as a reference to help you taking care of your donabe.

Click Here to See Our Recommendation Product for Donabe

Other article of this “Exploring Donabe” series:

Exploring Donabe Part 1
Exploring Donabe – Part 1: What Is Donabe? What is Donabe? What is its benefit? and what kind of delicious food can you make from this Japanese traditional crafts?. We would like to give you some detail information about Donabe in the 'Exploring Donabe' article series. This part will talk about the general of What is Donabe?
Exploring Donabe Part 2
Exploring Donabe – Part 2: How To Cook Rice With Donabe? – Recommended Donabe Product... What is Donabe? What is its benefit? and what kind of delicious food can you make from this Japanese traditional crafts?. We would like to give you some detail information about Donabe in the 'Exploring Donabe' article series. This part will talk about the general of How to Cook Rice with Donabe?
Exploring Donabe Part 4
Exploring Donabe – Part 4: Choosing The IH-Compatible Donabe What is Donabe? What is its benefit? and what kind of delicious food can you make from this Japanese traditional crafts?. We would like to give you some detail information about Donabe in the 'Exploring Donabe' article series. This part will talk about the general of
Exploring Donabe Part 5
Exploring Donabe – Part 5: Choosing The Iga-Yaki Donabe The fifth adventure around a clay pot. Introducing the history and characteristics of Iga ware clay pots, which are very popular in clay pots.
Exploring Donabe Part 6
Exploring Donabe – Part 6: Choosing The Banko-Yaki Donabe What is Donabe? What is its benefit? and what kind of delicious food can you make from this Japanese traditional crafts?. We would like to give you some detail information about Donabe in the 'Exploring Donabe' article series. This part will talk about the general of

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