How to Properly Clean a Pastry or Basting Brush – Easy Guide
In this article, we will guide you on how to properly clean your pastry or basting brushes.
Proper cleaning of your brushes is important so as to help you to eliminate any leftover unwanted oils, debris, and bacteria in your brush’s bristles.
By doing so ultimately extend the longevity of your brushes and prevent transmitting any sediments in the bristles onto other food items.
What is a Pastry or Basting Brush?
A pastry brush, which is also known as a basting brush, is a cooking utensil (brush) used to spread butter, oil, sauces, glazes, and other liquids onto food before, during, and after the cooking process. Citation.
While a pastry brush and basting brush are the same type of brush. It is important to use a separate dedicated brush for different food preparations.
For example, a separate brush should be used for preparations involving meat and another brush for preparations involving pastries.
Different types of Pastry or Basting Brushes
There are a variety of different kinds of pastry or basting brushes. Each of them carrying varying lengths and sizes and made of different types of materials. They are:
- Traditional pastry brushes which are made from natural bristles or nylon bristles.
- The modern kind of pastry brushes which are made from silicone.
Traditional pastry brushes must be hand washed while most silicone brushes are dishwasher safe.
1. Cleaning Traditional Pastry Brushes (natural & nylon bristles)
Animal hair pastry brushes are delicate and must be washed by hand, to prevent bacteria from developing in crevices and open areas where food can become trapped. Nylon brushes are also prone to shedding and will also benefit from hand washing.
Steps to Cleaning Traditional Pastry Brushes
- First, always try to clean your traditional pastry brush immediately after using them so as to avoid liquids from being dried onto the bristles.
- Start by placing your brush under a stream of warm water.
- Then gently rub the bristles with a dish detergent that is formulated to remove grease.
- Make sure you pay close attention to the base of your baking brush ensuring to remove any food or oil that is stuck on.
- Now after thoroughly washing and rinsing the brush, you can proceed to sanitize it.
- You can sanitize by soaking the natural bristle pastry brushes into a bleach solution after washing, using a pint of water with a half of cap full or a teaspoon of bleach.
- Leave the brush for 15 minutes in the water, and then rinse the brush once again with warm water.
- Blot with towel and lay it flat to dry.
- Allow to air dry completely before putting it back into the utensil drawer.
Additional Tips
Stubborn oil, butter, or grease that are stuck to traditional brushes can cause brushes to quickly become rancid. To remove these you can soak the brush in warm water so that the grease or butter can melt and run from the bristles. After that, you can wash the brush and repeat the process above.
Another alternative to removing tough grease is to soak brushes in a lemon or lime solution before washing. Lemon water and lime juice are known to be effective in cleaning oil and eliminating odors.
2. Cleaning Pastry brushes made from silicone bristles
Silicone pastry brushes are much easier to clean and can be hand washed or placed into the dish washer.
To clean Silicone brushes: Just place it in the top rack of your dishwasher. And you should replace it if silicone bristles retain any smells even after washing.
Now to hand wash Silicone brushes: You need to place over a steam of warm water and gently rub with dish soap. Rinse thoroughly and allow to air dry completely.
Why you need to properly clean your Pastry or Basting Brush
Cleaning your brushes properly will help to stop the spread of bacteria, preventing food-borne illnesses and also help to extend the life of the brush.
Why should you use separate brushes?
Using the same brush can accidentally transfer flavors between your pastry and meat products, leading to cross contact.
A basting brush should be kept to be used for preparing meat dishes, the brush helps you to apply any liquids to keep your poultry, meat, and fish tender or to add extra flavor. Or used while grilling, a brush can help you apply a barbecue sauce.
Another pastry brush should be used to apply egg washes or glazes onto delicate pastries and so one.
TIP– Each individual pastry or basting brush should also be labeled with their purpose to avoid any mix-up.
What type of pastry brush should you use?
The type of pastry or basting brush you should use depends on the purpose you intend to use the brush for.
Traditional pastry brushes
Pro | Con |
1. Useful for applying egg wash or glaze to delicate dough and pastry. 2. Fine bristles are great for applying thin sauces to food. 3. Perfect for brushing crumbs from delicate cake layers. | 1. Not suitable for High heat, which can burn bristles and melt glue that secures them. 2. Harder to clean than silicone brushes |
Silicone Pastry Brushes
Pro | Con |
1. Easier to clean than traditional pastry brushes. 2. Great for applying thick sauces. 3. Can withstand high heat | 1. Can damage delicate pastry because of tough bristles. 2. larger bristles can also leave visible lines on baked goods. |
What is the function of a pastry brush?
Pastry brushes are very useful and serve a variety of purposes. Such as:
- They help to distribute glazes and sauces evenly onto food such as meat.
- Use to put an egg wash, sugar glaze, salt glaze, or melted butter on pastry.
- You can use it to grease a pan, it helps you do it quickly, evenly and cleanly
- If you have accidentally added too much seasoning or salt, a brush can even be dipped in water and run over your meat to remove the excess seasoning.
- Use to add fat before assembling phyllo dough.
- Use for candy-making.
Other alternatives to Pastry or Basting Brushes
If you find your self without a pastry or basting brush, there are other items found in your home that you can use instead. Such as:
- a new, clean toothbrush
- paper towels
- coffee filters
- your fingers
- a clean unused paintbrush
- a freezer bag
- an eating spoon