I use our cast iron dutch oven to bake bread and I have always found that wiping the inside with a damp cloth and then putting it on the burner to dry was sufficient to get it clean. I haven't baked bread in several weeks now and I went to use the dutch oven for something else, opened the lid and discovered mold growing almost to the rim! When I went to remove the mold, I got a puff of spores straight into my face. Yuk!
I don't know if I forgot to clean it the last time I used it or what, but this has never happened to me before. It's been quite warm and maybe it's because I kept the lid on it without putting a towel between lid & pot to provide air circulation, but now I'm very worried.
I cleaned off the solid hairy stuff first with paper towels and then sprayed some natural mold enzyme remover on the oven and scrubbed the remaining mold off. The garbage bag with the brush, the paper towels and the sink strainer (we have a fine mesh one from the dollar store) is now outside, but I'm still worried about there being mold in the air and how that will effect us and my ferments.
Basically, nobody has mold allergies as far as I know, but DD is only 20 months so she might not have developed them yet... We do have mold in the bathroom that a plumber told us could not be removed without replacing all of the tile (we rent) and it does not seem to affect her.
Also, I ferment foods: kombucha, kefir, yogurt, sourdough, veggies, etc. I have not noticed anything out of sorts in the last couple of weeks, but that was before I opened the explosive lid and released mold spores into our tiny kitchen.
Is there anything else I should do? Is the dutch oven okay to use? Any help would be much appreciated!
x-posted in traditional foods and health & healing to see if I can get more advice there.
I don't know if I forgot to clean it the last time I used it or what, but this has never happened to me before. It's been quite warm and maybe it's because I kept the lid on it without putting a towel between lid & pot to provide air circulation, but now I'm very worried.
I cleaned off the solid hairy stuff first with paper towels and then sprayed some natural mold enzyme remover on the oven and scrubbed the remaining mold off. The garbage bag with the brush, the paper towels and the sink strainer (we have a fine mesh one from the dollar store) is now outside, but I'm still worried about there being mold in the air and how that will effect us and my ferments.
Basically, nobody has mold allergies as far as I know, but DD is only 20 months so she might not have developed them yet... We do have mold in the bathroom that a plumber told us could not be removed without replacing all of the tile (we rent) and it does not seem to affect her.
Also, I ferment foods: kombucha, kefir, yogurt, sourdough, veggies, etc. I have not noticed anything out of sorts in the last couple of weeks, but that was before I opened the explosive lid and released mold spores into our tiny kitchen.
Is there anything else I should do? Is the dutch oven okay to use? Any help would be much appreciated!
x-posted in traditional foods and health & healing to see if I can get more advice there.
