How To Heal A Cracked Clay Pot that remained intact and not shattered by boiling congee for its starch content to seal the hair line cracks.
Mistakes in the kitchen happens and it is very frustrating when a favorite utensil is damaged. It is not so bad if the utensil can be replaced but that is not always the possible. This is especially the case with clay pots. One moment of distraction or carelessness can cause the clay pot to crack and that is what happened when I left this particular clay pot on the stove unattended for only a very short time. When I heard the cracking sound, I ran to remove the clay pot but it was already too late. While it did not fall apart, there were several cracks in it. 🙁
The worst of the cracks was the one that went up to the rim of the pot. When I poured water into the pot, water was just oozing out of that crack. Miraculously, there was no water coming out at the base of the pot even though there were several cracks in there. I was mad at myself for my carelessness. Even so, I decided to keep the clay pot. I wasn’t sure if it is possible but I was determined to find a way to repair it.
Is It Possible To Heal A Cracked Clay Pot
It is not unusual for hair line cracks to appear on clay pots that you can use to cook directly on the stove. In many instances they “heal” on their own as starches from foods seep into the cracks and seal them. This is especially true if you use the clay pot to cook rice or congee regularly. The starch in the rice can help seal the cracks very effectively. I read that for those where eating rice is not part of their culture, milk can do the same. If they boil milk or soup with milk, the protein in the milk can help heal the crack.
Not All Cracks Can Be Healed
Realistically, not all cracks can be healed. If the cracks are obviously too wide apart with loose fragments or if the pot broke into several pieces (i.e. shattered), there is no way to heal it. You are better off throwing it away. Do not waste your time.
Why Boil Congee?
Boiling congee is more effective than cooking rice to heal a cracked clay pot. The reason is that when you boil congee, a lot more starch is released, and this starch is in the pot for a longer period of time for it to do the job. When you cook rice, starch is also released, but it dries up after the rice is cooked.
Two Rounds of Healing
I performed the “healing” process for this cracked clay pot twice. When it first cracked in 2020, I boiled a thick congee in it and was delighted it worked! After a while, I started noticing some liquid seepage out of the pot which the flame dried out while it was still on the stove. The seepage wasn’t bad but it did happen. I was cooking mostly noodle soup it it. After that, I seldom use this clay pot.
Recently, I decided to use the pot again. I filled it with water and it seemed to be just fine. There was no seepage. Even so, I wanted to “heal” it another time just to be sure there will not be a mess on the stove. After this second round, this is what the pot looks like now.
The dark spot is at the end of the end of the crack that went right up to the rim of the pot. This is most likely the cooked-on starch that seeped through and was burnt-on which helped to heal the pot. You can compare it with the other identical clay pot that is not cracked below.
Healing The Cracked Clay Pot
What I am showing here is the second healing process. It is better to precook some congee in a separate pot until the liquid is thick and starchy. Pour the starchy congee into the cracked clay pot. Place it on the stove and turn it on to medium low heat. Allow the congee to come to a boil. Since the crack goes right up to the rim of this clay pot, ladle some of that starchy liquid onto the rim. You may see the crack widen slightly as it heats up and a minute amount of the starchy liquid may seep through but the flame/heat will dry it up and hopefully seal the crack. Let the congee continue boiling for 20 minutes. After that, turn off the stove and allow both the clay pot and congee to cool.
Healing The Bottom Of The Cracked Clay Pot
This time round, I decided to also seal the outside of the cracked clay pot. Hence, I ladled some of the cooled starchy liquid into a deep casserole dish large enough to accommodate the clay pot. Then, I set the clay pot inside the casserole dish so that the starchy liquid will coat the bottom of the clay pot. I covered it with plastic wrap and set it aside for several hours. This is to allow the starchy liquid to soak into whatever unsealed cracks still remaining on the outside.
After several hours, lift up the clay pot, pour the starchy liquid into the casserole dish, and wipe the bottom of the clay pot dry with a paper towel. Then, pour the congee from the casserole dish back into the clay pot.
Final Step In How To Heal A Cracked Clay Pot
Finally, place the clay pot once again on the stove and turn it on to medium low heat. Allow the congee to come back to a boil and let it continue boiling for 10 minutes. Turn off stove and allow the clay pot and congee to cool completely. Once it is cooled, discard the congee. Then, rinse and dry the clay pot completely before storage.
Test The Healed Clay Pot
Now, it is time to put the healed clay pot to the test. Pour some water into the healed clay pot to make sure that water is not seeping out of the cracks. If water still seeps through, you can try performing the healing process one more time. Alternatively, you may determine that the cracked clay pot is not salvageable and needs to be thrown away. Hopefully, it is the former and not the latter. Best of luck with your cracked clay pot! 😉
Similar Products Used in How To Heal A Cracked Clay Pot
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.
Donabe Clay Pot, 8 inch
Ceramic Saucepan Bowl with Lid, (Black, 8inch)
Kitchen Flower Lucia Natural Glazed Ceramic Hot Pot (Vintage Blue, 600ml)
Glazed Ceramic Casserole/Clay Pot/Sand Pot for Open Flame Cooking
1.5qt Non-Stick Ceramic Casserole Pot, Lilac
Clay Cooking Pot, Stovetop Clay Pot with Single Handle, Black/a>
How To Heal A Cracked Clay Pot
Equipment
- 1 clay pot with hairline cracks
Materials
- ¼ cup white rice (50g)
- 2½ cups water (600ml)
Instructions
- Combine rice and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring water to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off stove.
- Pour congee into cracked clay pot and place it on the stove. Turn on the stove to medium low heat. Allow congee to come to a boil.
- If there are cracks that go right up to the rim of the clay pot, ladle the hot starchy liquid over the crack to let the liquid seep into the crack. **
- Allow the congee to continue boiling for 20 minutes. Turn off stove and let the clay pot and congee cool down.
- Transfer half of that cool starchy liquid into a deep casserole dish that can accommodate the cracked clay pot.
- Set the clay pot in the middle of the casserole dish so that the starchy liquid will coat the bottom of the clay pot. Cover the entire casserole dish with plastic wrap and allow the clay pot to soak for 3 to 4 hours. ***
- Remove the plastic and lift up the clay pot. Pour remaining congee into the casserole dish. Turn the clay pot upside down and wipe the bottom with a piece of paper towel.
- Then, pour the congee from the casserole dish back into the clay pot. Place the clay pot back onto the stove.
- Turn on the stove to medium low. Bring the congee back to a gentle boil and continue to let the congee cook for 10 minutes.
- Turn off stove and allow clay pot and congee to cool completely.
- Once clay pot is cooled, discard the congee. Rinse the clay pot and wipe it dry.
- Allow the clay pot to air dry completely before storage.
Test The Heal Clay Pot
- Pour some water into the clay pot to see if it still leaks. If it still does, repeat the healing process above or discard the pot if you feel it cannot be healed.
Leave a Reply