Raspberry jam exploded in my oven and now I have to deep clean everything

Was making jam filled thumbprint cookies yesterday. Got distracted by a phone call. Came back to find three of them burst open and jam sprayed all over the inside of my oven. It baked onto the heating element. Now there's this burnt sugar smell every time I preheat. Took me two hours to scrub it down with baking soda paste and it still looks like a crime scene. Anyone have a trick for getting baked on jam off without wrecking the enamel?

3 comments

3 Comments

grayc2722d ago

Hold on a minute. That baked on jam is NOT going to come off with baking soda paste alone. You need to use something acidic like white vinegar or lemon juice. Baking soda is a base and works great for grease, but burnt sugar is a whole different monster. Spray the spots with straight vinegar, let it sit for 15 minutes, then scrub with the baking soda paste. The chemical reaction will lift the crusted sugar way better than just scrubbing dry. Also check your manual, a lot of ovens nowadays have a self-clean cycle that can handle this perfectly fine without you wrecking your enamel. Just make sure to wipe out any loose chunks first or it'll smoke like crazy.

graceblack22d ago

grayc27 you said "baking soda is a base and works great for grease" but honestly have you ever actually tried that vinegar trick on thick burnt on sugar? I did once with a sticky pie spill and it just turned into a foamy mess that still took forever to scrub off. It worked ok but not like magic or anything. Is there a specific type of vinegar that works better? Like white vs apple cider? Also that self clean cycle thing worries me, I've heard horror stories about it cracking the oven door glass or melting control knobs if you leave em in. Maybe newer models are safer but mine's from 2018 and I'm scared to try it. Just wondering if you've had actual good results with the vinegar method or if it's more of a "careful" thing.

kimr1013d agoMost Upvoted

Oh my goodness, you've hit on something I've noticed for years. People act like vinegar is some kind of miracle cleaner for everything, but it really depends on what you're dealing with. I've learned the hard way that burnt sugar is basically a different kind of mess. The vinegar fizz is just a reaction with the baking soda, but it doesn't dissolve that crusty sugar like it would with grease or soap scum. For white versus apple cider vinegar, honestly, I'd skip the fancy stuff and just use plain white. Apple cider has sugars and stuff in it that can leave a sticky film. And you're right to be cautious about the self-clean cycle. I have a 2016 model and I won't touch it either after reading about those horror stories. It seems like a lot of things in life people swear by just don't work the same way for everyone.