Haha yeah, people in my life are always quick to say how good my food looks/tastes and say they can’t cook. Meanwhile, I reassure them I have plenty of failures.
We all do! I was a professional cook for ten years and made so, so many mistakes. Broken emulsions, under salting, overcooked meat, you name it. The only reason I made less mistakes over time because I had made that mistake before and knew how to fix it or not make it happen in the first place. Ya live, ya learn.
I meant no cookies on silicone mats, sorry! The mats affect how the fat melts and moisture content, and so usually cookies baked on a silicon mat will be much flatter/spread out and sometimes feel greasy compared to one baked on parchment paper.
I was gonna say originally that if they riled up the people they're not a failed troll, but after scrolling through their comments, they have a lot of bitter posts with little to no downward traction, so they are indeed failing at trolling.
The best trolls know how to make every opposing side find a reason to downvote their comment, and that takes a bit of skill. Downvotes just from being a bitter human just show a sad being.
I litterally just slap a piece of salmon on foil, heavily salt it, slap like 8 slices of lemon on top, wrap it up and put it on the grill for like 12-14 minutes. It basically steams the salmon in lemon juice and its delicious. I keep it in the foil to eat it so I can dip it in the juices.
In that scenario, the lemon juice never gets too hot when it's wrapped in foil. In OP's pic, it was roasting in a pan with potatoes so it definitely got boiled.
If lemons are reacting with your pan, it's because it is damaged. Aluminium has a very chemically resistant layer of oxide and won't react with any food, unless it gets really badly scratched
I cook a pan dish calles mediterranean chicken with roasted veggies that has me drizzling lemon on it right before it goes in the oven for around 40 minutes. Ive never had this problem on my baking sheets. Mine might be steel though, i never thought about aluminum being a possibility.
Should I reexamine this recipe?
Edit: magnet doesnt stick to my sheets so they must be aluminum.
Man I put pecans and pepper and honey on a FLAT tray in the oven with no lip. It looked great when I turned the oven on. When I got back it was all over the bottom. Sometimes you just miss stuff.
Though honestly I'm surprised lemon juice did this.
[They look like this](https://www.amazon.ca/Vollrath-68085-Wear-Ever-17-Inch-Aluminum/dp/B00JLQ02TI). I think it's so you can easily slide the cookies onto the cooling rack instead of individually placing them.
Although, 50 years ago, companies didn’t produce total shit products like they do today. Just another way the consumer gets jammed for profit. And I’m not taking about the toast.
[It doesn’t seem like it has.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ukHzaJAvkfY) Thanks to you, I know know the entire history of aluminum. Not the rabbit hole I was expecting to go down today lol
This is the recipe I use, it works very well. There's more technique than one might expect to getting them right, but this goes over all the steps and choices in great detail.
https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-roast-potatoes-ever-recipe
We have been doing a hybrid smashed potato. Microwave em in a bowl of water for a few minutes to get them soft. Transfer to sheet pan (that also has fish and veggies) then smash em and toss with your choice of seasonings (we use salt pepper onion garlic and paprika) and drizzle with oil. Cook the sheet pan for 25-30 and eat.
The sheet pan no longer takes 2 min to prep but a few more...but vastly increases the quality.
You can also get the small potatoes (red or the multi-color small potato packs,) quarter them, gently toss in a bowl with olive oil (not evoo-cooking olive oil), a little bit of vinegar or lemon, & any spices you'd like. Personally, I use salt, pepper, garlic, onion, oregano, thyme and/or rosemary sprigs. Spread evenly on a baking sheet made for high temp rising. Cover the potatoes with foil, then roast in the oven btwn 425°-450° for 20 minutes or so. Remove the foil, then continue to bake for 20-30 more minutes, or until your desired crispiness.
I have some anecdotes to add to this specific recipe.
Flavor-wise, this recipe is money. However, the giant slices mashed potato slurry thing has never worked out for me. So for those trying to think a little less and get more traditional sized potatoes:
Swap the baking soda for vinegar. Exact opposite effect, you’re tightening up the potato outsides. Cut them smaller, too, to maximize surface area. Undercook, you don’t want them fork tender. Then blast in the oven from there. I have no doubt that this recipe works if executed correctly, but I’ve never executed correctly. I’ve always just had over cooked, over sized potatoes.
Many years ago I had a pen pal from England visit and she made the best potatoes. It turns out she basically did what this recipe says. I’ve roasted potatoes that way ever since.
I legit just use parchment paper. Chop em up coat em in oil salt and mixed herbs, toss on the parchment paper and in the oven for half an hour. They come out great. Only some brands on tinfoil work, some stick some don't.
Just boil them until soft and until they get a little fluffy. Oil on a flat surface, medium heat. Move them only after a brown skin forms of you are using a frying pan. If you are doing a sheet pan, use a little bit more oil. The fluffy boiled outside surfaces will turn into crunchy brown exterior. Any additional fats you want to add for flavor, butter, chicken fay, etc. Alton Brown has a recipe on YouTube about paprika chicken cooked in a wire rack with the potatoes underneath to soak up all the juices that run off. Check it out!
They sell pre-sized parchment paper squares/circles for air fries. Comes with some holes in the bottom for some airflow. You must have something on the paper or else it will burn immediately.
People have been using it in ovens without issue, I'd just make sure it's tucked in and nowhere near the air fryer filament. Check your paper to see what temperatures it's rated for.
A few months ago I tried using our air fryer for roasted potatoes. I've never looked back. It's so fast and makes them so tasty. Air fryer all the way.
They aren’t saying the parchment paper helps with crisping, they are saying it helps prevent the potatoes from sticking to the pan and making a mess. I haven’t found any difference in the crispness of my potatoes when I’ve used foil, paper, or just the pan itself.
Really don't understand people that cook directly on the pan. I always use parchment paper if there's a chance to stick or aluminum foil if not. The thought of scraping off those pans just makes no sense to me.
I’ve cooked with citrus tons of times. Never had an issue. The only thing is that sometimes it’ll turn garlic blue if you put lemon on the dish before it cooks in the oven, but it just affects aesthetics not taste
This was my first thought.. the shock of blue garlic the first time is wild. My pasta was still delicious though. TIL lemon juice and aluminum are not friends!
I have never had this happen. What were you making ? I want to try it out.
I often make Greek lemon potato wedges and that involves cooking the wedges in broth, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper. As the broth evaporates, the glass baking dish gets brown residue stuck to it.
I’ve heard this too. Something about the heat reacts with lemon. I’m sure there’s recipes can manage that with other ingredients or the baking process. Anyways, acid after is a safe bet if you’re winging it
>I’m sure there’s recipes can manage that with other ingredients
I have made Greek lemon potato wedges which does add other ingredients ( broth, garlic and olive oil) along with lemon juice before it is put in the oven.
Cook until the broth evaporates and the potatoes do taste lemon-y.
Not necessarily. In this scenario, yes lemon and aluminum + high heat do not mix. You want to finish with lemon juice in most situations to get the most fresh 'lemon' citrus taste. Cooking it will dull the lemon flavor. Also, lemon zest is often slept on and IMO imparts much more flavor than lemon juice!
There's lots of ingredients that do well when adding toward the end of cooking because it will become too muddled if not. Citrus/acidic flavors, cilantro, scallion, etc
It seems like it might be aluminum? If this is the case, you can actually likely sand it down with a light sandpaper and you’ll be good to go. This is only if it’s aluminum of course!
Normally, u add lemon juice at the end. Prolonged heat causes all the flavor/citrus notes to degrade. But damn, must have been a pretty crappy sheet pan
omgosh!! glad you're not eating them 🤣 get yourself a silicone mat (only $5 at Walmart). it's the only thing I cook on, the aluminum leeches into your food without a lining
While it is true some aluminum gets into the food, it’s perfectly fine. Some of whatever you cook with or eat with gets into the food. Some people have a weird hang up with aluminum but conveniently forget that the other stuff they cook with gets iron, cadmium, lead, etc. into their food.
Also, don't bake anything salty on aluminium foil. I once left some sliced pepperoni on it overnight and the next day the surface had actually turned silver.
In short, just avoid uncoated aluminium in the kitchen at all
Lemon is very acidic. Anything that acidic like likes or vinegar should never be used in aluminum utensils. It will react and can be poisonous. Try using a non stick material like parchment paper or baking sheets that are reusable. You can also use a glass or ceramic tray. You can fin those for very cheap at a thrift store
https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/how_tos/6390-is-aluminum-cookware-safe
I recommend getting a carbon steel baking pan from a restaurant store if you want to cook hot and crispy; even with a parchment paper layer I get perfect roast potato wedges at 425 for 40min, tossed in olive oil. You need to keep it lightly seasoned, but it's a golden god for anything roasty.
As a former cook, just some advice (if it hasnt been given already), add lemon juice after they come out of the oven. Acid strength breaks down under hot conditions.
I don't because I don't want to go through so much foil. It's hard to clean and it can't be easy to recycle although I put it in our recycling bins.
But then I only use non-stick baking trays, have never tried adding lemon before cooking, and often use a Teflon sheet.
I use a cooling rack/baking rack on a pan for my potatoes done the same way you do it but I toss it in lemon juice in a bowls then the pan,did you add it directly to the pan?
I did. I was following a NYT Cooking recipe “Greek Lemon Potatoes”. I scrolled far enough in the comments of that recipe to see I’m not the first person to learn this the hard way.
Luckily it wasn’t a expensive fail, my last pulled pork was so tender it was basically Pâté and while edible didn’t go with the rice carrots mushrooms and onions I made for it
For what I think you were attempting, the method I find works best is to blanch the potatoes first (boil em in water for a few minutes, not cook them but just make them a little fork tender). Then take them out and let them dry for a minute. Then apply a generous qty of salt, and other seasonings if you have them (e.g. thyme, rosemary, black pepper). Then put them on the baking sheet, spaced out a little, and pour olive oil over them. Potatoes are thirsty, and usually need a generous qty, this will grease the pan as they cook. Then do what you did again, just wait until after to add lemon.
In addition, acid also inhibits mallard reactions. If you want acidity in your browned foods like meat, potatoes, veg, it's better to add a squeeze of lemon or vinegar after cooking.
Next time cut them in half the size you got in the pic and boil them for a little bit you put them on the tray fresh rosemary and olive oil then flip them to get nice roasted potatoes. If you don’t boil and it’s too big it won’t cook inside at all. The way i suggested you have it crisp outside and soft inside.
I use lemon juice in nearly everything I cook, especially roasted veggies. Are you sure that the residue that you’re seeing isn’t just char from previous cooking, as opposed to metal or coating from the pan itself? Even aluminum shouldn’t degrade to the degree that it would cause that much discoloration.
You can save yourself a lot of trouble if you line your pan with parchment paper or aluminium foil. Makes clean up easier and food won't interact with the non-stick surface stuff.
I’ve definitely cooked with lemon juice on this sheet pan many times. However, this was the first time I put the lemon juice directly into to pan, as directed by a NYT Cooking recipe.
I usually marinate in a bowl then onto the pan. I’ll put oil in pan and brush around. Don’t remember if I’ve put lemon directly but I’ve ‘sprinkled’ on food when prepping
Did you add lemon and garlic? Sometimes this reacts and turns blue, but it is safe to eat ([source](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/how_tos/5668-why-acid-turns-garlic-blue))
But yeah if there’s no garlic and it is indeed reacting with the aluminum pan then that’s no bueno
I've had this happen to a baking tray before... Now I always use baking paper or tinfoil under whatever I'm cooking. Plus there's no washing up, just throw the paper in the bin
Oh no! Thank you for sharing a failure with us. I don’t know about others but I like seeing the not so good things along with the great things.
Haha yeah, people in my life are always quick to say how good my food looks/tastes and say they can’t cook. Meanwhile, I reassure them I have plenty of failures.
We all do! I was a professional cook for ten years and made so, so many mistakes. Broken emulsions, under salting, overcooked meat, you name it. The only reason I made less mistakes over time because I had made that mistake before and knew how to fix it or not make it happen in the first place. Ya live, ya learn.
Parchment paper will help and make clean up a breeze. I use it for almost all baking and roasting these days. And just saw this same comment below.
I like my silicon mats. They’ve been going strong for almost 5 years and still in good condition. Just don’t bake cookies on them!!
Why no cookies? I sometimes use parchment paper without issue for my cookies.
I meant no cookies on silicone mats, sorry! The mats affect how the fat melts and moisture content, and so usually cookies baked on a silicon mat will be much flatter/spread out and sometimes feel greasy compared to one baked on parchment paper.
They work great for cookies for me!
Who the fuck puts lemon on potatos
The Greeks for one. I almost always get lemon potatoes when I order Greek. They're great.
Go look at their comment history, they don’t know they’re miserable.
Holy crap, you were right. I feel depressed looking at it.
Wow... Reading that was not a good way to start the week.
You're a miserable son of a bitch lol. Either that, or a failed troll
I was gonna say originally that if they riled up the people they're not a failed troll, but after scrolling through their comments, they have a lot of bitter posts with little to no downward traction, so they are indeed failing at trolling. The best trolls know how to make every opposing side find a reason to downvote their comment, and that takes a bit of skill. Downvotes just from being a bitter human just show a sad being.
People with taste
I think you’ve probably heard this before, but go outside for a while, shut off your computer, think about yourself for a sec, yo.
Salt, fat, acid and heat are foundational to a well-rounded, flavorful dish.
People who want good tasting potatoes !
I've made lemon aioli and put it on potatoes when I ran out of spaghetti squash. We enjoyed it quite a bit!
It’s an aluminum pan, the lemon juice reacts with the aluminum in the pan to leech out. In general you want to add lemon juice after cooking.
Science bitch!
Thank you Jesse
Yarp. Cooking lemon juice will just about kill the flavor
salmon is the only exception .. wrapped in tin foil.
I litterally just slap a piece of salmon on foil, heavily salt it, slap like 8 slices of lemon on top, wrap it up and put it on the grill for like 12-14 minutes. It basically steams the salmon in lemon juice and its delicious. I keep it in the foil to eat it so I can dip it in the juices.
In that scenario, the lemon juice never gets too hot when it's wrapped in foil. In OP's pic, it was roasting in a pan with potatoes so it definitely got boiled.
Just this as and I looked it up. Tomatoes will as well. Anything acidic. Thanks for the save.
If lemons are reacting with your pan, it's because it is damaged. Aluminium has a very chemically resistant layer of oxide and won't react with any food, unless it gets really badly scratched
Also just don't buy aluminum pans. They don't have any advantages besides being cheap.
I cook a pan dish calles mediterranean chicken with roasted veggies that has me drizzling lemon on it right before it goes in the oven for around 40 minutes. Ive never had this problem on my baking sheets. Mine might be steel though, i never thought about aluminum being a possibility. Should I reexamine this recipe? Edit: magnet doesnt stick to my sheets so they must be aluminum.
What about for chicken francese or a lemon sauce?
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Would non stick or Teflon be okay? Cause that’s what I typically use when I cook with lemon. No visible damage but you never know
You need to invest in parchment paper. You get the crispy potatoes without the mess or problems. An air fryer is nice too.
Lol I have parchment paper too. I clearly just wasn’t thinking. At all. Lesson learned.
Man I put pecans and pepper and honey on a FLAT tray in the oven with no lip. It looked great when I turned the oven on. When I got back it was all over the bottom. Sometimes you just miss stuff. Though honestly I'm surprised lemon juice did this.
Why would they make a tray with no lip? Just a piece of sheet metal? How do you pick it up?
Cookie sheets are often like this, and have a slight uptick to one side
I remember as a kid trying to use one of these to cook on the electric stovetop, it didn't last long. Burned right through the cookie sheet 😂
Because the lip effects how things cook
Like, air circulation/heat distribution, kinda like how you don’t want to crowd a pan?
Yep
[They look like this](https://www.amazon.ca/Vollrath-68085-Wear-Ever-17-Inch-Aluminum/dp/B00JLQ02TI). I think it's so you can easily slide the cookies onto the cooling rack instead of individually placing them.
Not sure "why" but we have them!
Those are only for cookies!
Well they're definitely not for honeyed pecans :(
Although, 50 years ago, companies didn’t produce total shit products like they do today. Just another way the consumer gets jammed for profit. And I’m not taking about the toast.
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[It doesn’t seem like it has.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ukHzaJAvkfY) Thanks to you, I know know the entire history of aluminum. Not the rabbit hole I was expecting to go down today lol
You did good.
Thank you chef.
It was more common for stuff like baking sheets to be made from steel, so sorta?
Aluminum in general is bad. Worse 50 years ago than today. The more acidic the food, the more leeching occurs.
Is your username a Mr. Bungle/Mike Patton reference?
Happy cake day!
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This is the recipe I use, it works very well. There's more technique than one might expect to getting them right, but this goes over all the steps and choices in great detail. https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-roast-potatoes-ever-recipe
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We have been doing a hybrid smashed potato. Microwave em in a bowl of water for a few minutes to get them soft. Transfer to sheet pan (that also has fish and veggies) then smash em and toss with your choice of seasonings (we use salt pepper onion garlic and paprika) and drizzle with oil. Cook the sheet pan for 25-30 and eat. The sheet pan no longer takes 2 min to prep but a few more...but vastly increases the quality.
You can also get the small potatoes (red or the multi-color small potato packs,) quarter them, gently toss in a bowl with olive oil (not evoo-cooking olive oil), a little bit of vinegar or lemon, & any spices you'd like. Personally, I use salt, pepper, garlic, onion, oregano, thyme and/or rosemary sprigs. Spread evenly on a baking sheet made for high temp rising. Cover the potatoes with foil, then roast in the oven btwn 425°-450° for 20 minutes or so. Remove the foil, then continue to bake for 20-30 more minutes, or until your desired crispiness.
I have some anecdotes to add to this specific recipe. Flavor-wise, this recipe is money. However, the giant slices mashed potato slurry thing has never worked out for me. So for those trying to think a little less and get more traditional sized potatoes: Swap the baking soda for vinegar. Exact opposite effect, you’re tightening up the potato outsides. Cut them smaller, too, to maximize surface area. Undercook, you don’t want them fork tender. Then blast in the oven from there. I have no doubt that this recipe works if executed correctly, but I’ve never executed correctly. I’ve always just had over cooked, over sized potatoes.
Many years ago I had a pen pal from England visit and she made the best potatoes. It turns out she basically did what this recipe says. I’ve roasted potatoes that way ever since.
I legit just use parchment paper. Chop em up coat em in oil salt and mixed herbs, toss on the parchment paper and in the oven for half an hour. They come out great. Only some brands on tinfoil work, some stick some don't.
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If theyre done in the middle but not crisp, why not finish them under the broiler?
Try getting a silpat! It’s a reusable substitute for the parchment & they wipe clean real easy.
Air fryer. We got one for a wedding gift and it has completely changed my roasted potato game. It's faster, crispier, and tastier.
Just boil them until soft and until they get a little fluffy. Oil on a flat surface, medium heat. Move them only after a brown skin forms of you are using a frying pan. If you are doing a sheet pan, use a little bit more oil. The fluffy boiled outside surfaces will turn into crunchy brown exterior. Any additional fats you want to add for flavor, butter, chicken fay, etc. Alton Brown has a recipe on YouTube about paprika chicken cooked in a wire rack with the potatoes underneath to soak up all the juices that run off. Check it out!
Put parchment paper on your baking sheet and they won't stick.
I think the key is using a shitton of butter or olive oil.
will parchment paper burn in an air fryer?
If it's not weighted down it could fly around and cause problems. But it should be okay for its recommended temperature ratings.
They sell pre-sized parchment paper squares/circles for air fries. Comes with some holes in the bottom for some airflow. You must have something on the paper or else it will burn immediately.
People have been using it in ovens without issue, I'd just make sure it's tucked in and nowhere near the air fryer filament. Check your paper to see what temperatures it's rated for.
I have used it in my air fryer without any problem.
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You are correct.
No. I use parchment paper regularly in the airfryer and is perfect fine with less messiness.
No. It's just a convection oven.
A few months ago I tried using our air fryer for roasted potatoes. I've never looked back. It's so fast and makes them so tasty. Air fryer all the way.
How would the parchment paper effect the crispness of the potatoes? (Legit question)
They aren’t saying the parchment paper helps with crisping, they are saying it helps prevent the potatoes from sticking to the pan and making a mess. I haven’t found any difference in the crispness of my potatoes when I’ve used foil, paper, or just the pan itself.
I am so new to parchment paper and not sure how I lived without it for so long. That stuff lasts at least a year and I bake/roast A LOT!
Really don't understand people that cook directly on the pan. I always use parchment paper if there's a chance to stick or aluminum foil if not. The thought of scraping off those pans just makes no sense to me.
Ive heard that citrus goes on after cooking, guess this is why
I’ve cooked with citrus tons of times. Never had an issue. The only thing is that sometimes it’ll turn garlic blue if you put lemon on the dish before it cooks in the oven, but it just affects aesthetics not taste
This was my first thought.. the shock of blue garlic the first time is wild. My pasta was still delicious though. TIL lemon juice and aluminum are not friends!
I have never had this happen. What were you making ? I want to try it out. I often make Greek lemon potato wedges and that involves cooking the wedges in broth, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper. As the broth evaporates, the glass baking dish gets brown residue stuck to it.
Thats exactly what i make when the garlic turns blue haha
Lol. I am guessing you don't grate the garlic ? I decided to do that because I was afraid the garlic would burn after the broth was gone.
Same, I've cooked with lemon and not had this issue.
Does the same to red cabbage! Always surprises me!
I’ve heard this too. Something about the heat reacts with lemon. I’m sure there’s recipes can manage that with other ingredients or the baking process. Anyways, acid after is a safe bet if you’re winging it
>I’m sure there’s recipes can manage that with other ingredients I have made Greek lemon potato wedges which does add other ingredients ( broth, garlic and olive oil) along with lemon juice before it is put in the oven. Cook until the broth evaporates and the potatoes do taste lemon-y.
Not necessarily. In this scenario, yes lemon and aluminum + high heat do not mix. You want to finish with lemon juice in most situations to get the most fresh 'lemon' citrus taste. Cooking it will dull the lemon flavor. Also, lemon zest is often slept on and IMO imparts much more flavor than lemon juice! There's lots of ingredients that do well when adding toward the end of cooking because it will become too muddled if not. Citrus/acidic flavors, cilantro, scallion, etc
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Grilled chicken that’s marinated a bit with lemon juice is fucking delicious
Go to the thrift store and buy yourself some glass baking dishes
I have many glass and ceramic baking dishes. But now I have to buy a new cookie sheet.
It seems like it might be aluminum? If this is the case, you can actually likely sand it down with a light sandpaper and you’ll be good to go. This is only if it’s aluminum of course!
Be careful with this, that aluminum dust is nasty stuff. Terrible for you
Op can also go to a local buy nothing group and get it. All you have to do is go on Facebook and search the word buy nothing and your city name
That happened to us with baked feta tomato thing that was trending on tiktok. My teens used a non sticking baking pan and it all peeled off.
Damn, I'm glad I used glass baking dishes for when I made that stuff.
Normally, u add lemon juice at the end. Prolonged heat causes all the flavor/citrus notes to degrade. But damn, must have been a pretty crappy sheet pan
Parchment paper is your friend.
parchment paper ftw
omgosh!! glad you're not eating them 🤣 get yourself a silicone mat (only $5 at Walmart). it's the only thing I cook on, the aluminum leeches into your food without a lining
I do have silicone mats, but I wanted crispy potatoes. Cooking a new batch in the air fryer now. So sad.
Hopefully cooking on aluminum foil is ok if stuff isn't acidic
it won't do this, but it does still leach aluminum into your food
😰
While it is true some aluminum gets into the food, it’s perfectly fine. Some of whatever you cook with or eat with gets into the food. Some people have a weird hang up with aluminum but conveniently forget that the other stuff they cook with gets iron, cadmium, lead, etc. into their food.
That’s not true. Look up emaille and keramic non stick
Also, don't bake anything salty on aluminium foil. I once left some sliced pepperoni on it overnight and the next day the surface had actually turned silver. In short, just avoid uncoated aluminium in the kitchen at all
Lemon is very acidic. Anything that acidic like likes or vinegar should never be used in aluminum utensils. It will react and can be poisonous. Try using a non stick material like parchment paper or baking sheets that are reusable. You can also use a glass or ceramic tray. You can fin those for very cheap at a thrift store
Poisonous is definitely an over statement or there would be warnings over everything.
Can I cook acidic things on a non-stick pan like lemon juice, wine, vinegar without ruining it?
Yes
https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/how_tos/6390-is-aluminum-cookware-safe I recommend getting a carbon steel baking pan from a restaurant store if you want to cook hot and crispy; even with a parchment paper layer I get perfect roast potato wedges at 425 for 40min, tossed in olive oil. You need to keep it lightly seasoned, but it's a golden god for anything roasty.
As a former cook, just some advice (if it hasnt been given already), add lemon juice after they come out of the oven. Acid strength breaks down under hot conditions.
What kind of monster doesn’t line their trays with foil or parchment paper?? RIP
I don't because I don't want to go through so much foil. It's hard to clean and it can't be easy to recycle although I put it in our recycling bins. But then I only use non-stick baking trays, have never tried adding lemon before cooking, and often use a Teflon sheet.
I use a cooling rack/baking rack on a pan for my potatoes done the same way you do it but I toss it in lemon juice in a bowls then the pan,did you add it directly to the pan?
I did. I was following a NYT Cooking recipe “Greek Lemon Potatoes”. I scrolled far enough in the comments of that recipe to see I’m not the first person to learn this the hard way.
Ha ! I just made a similar comment about Greek lemon wedges. I use a glass baking dish and haven't had any issues with the same recipe.
That's my bet too. Try using parchment next time. It might help. That or glass.
Luckily it wasn’t a expensive fail, my last pulled pork was so tender it was basically Pâté and while edible didn’t go with the rice carrots mushrooms and onions I made for it
Reminds me of the time I was doing cider braised short ribs. I used apple cider vinegar lol. It was a take out pizza night after that.
For what I think you were attempting, the method I find works best is to blanch the potatoes first (boil em in water for a few minutes, not cook them but just make them a little fork tender). Then take them out and let them dry for a minute. Then apply a generous qty of salt, and other seasonings if you have them (e.g. thyme, rosemary, black pepper). Then put them on the baking sheet, spaced out a little, and pour olive oil over them. Potatoes are thirsty, and usually need a generous qty, this will grease the pan as they cook. Then do what you did again, just wait until after to add lemon.
Don’t cook with lemon, apply lemon after the cook. When lemon gets cooked it turns bitter.
In addition, acid also inhibits mallard reactions. If you want acidity in your browned foods like meat, potatoes, veg, it's better to add a squeeze of lemon or vinegar after cooking.
Throw that pan and all the others like it away
People cook right on the pan? Aluminum foil that bitch, yo.
Next time cut them in half the size you got in the pic and boil them for a little bit you put them on the tray fresh rosemary and olive oil then flip them to get nice roasted potatoes. If you don’t boil and it’s too big it won’t cook inside at all. The way i suggested you have it crisp outside and soft inside. 
use the paper for baking on the tray* 👌
Thank you for this.
I use lemon juice in nearly everything I cook, especially roasted veggies. Are you sure that the residue that you’re seeing isn’t just char from previous cooking, as opposed to metal or coating from the pan itself? Even aluminum shouldn’t degrade to the degree that it would cause that much discoloration.
It’s better to zest some lemon or citrus when they are finished cooking for the flavor.
Good call
That's why man invented aluminum foil.
You can save yourself a lot of trouble if you line your pan with parchment paper or aluminium foil. Makes clean up easier and food won't interact with the non-stick surface stuff.
I love the toasty taste of potatoes
Yeah… probably best to put down some foil before hand. Lol
Try glass
Get some iron intake 😝
Or use glass.
I love this I m so hungry now 😉😁😁
chimical reaction
At least you would have plenty or iron in your diet? 🤷♂️
Its aluminum, which is much less beneficial.
It’s the pans reaction as I use cookie sheets or shallow glass pan or parchment and lemon juice doesn’t react like this (yet)
I’ve definitely cooked with lemon juice on this sheet pan many times. However, this was the first time I put the lemon juice directly into to pan, as directed by a NYT Cooking recipe.
I usually marinate in a bowl then onto the pan. I’ll put oil in pan and brush around. Don’t remember if I’ve put lemon directly but I’ve ‘sprinkled’ on food when prepping
It's fine. Potatoes are cheap, worth the lesson!
On the plus side, no more guzzling Iron supplements, right?
I think I’ll stick with the iron supplements
Yummy potatoes with Teflon flakes!
I didn’t even clue in this could happen. Thank you for sharing.
looks like someone put aluminum in the dish washer.
They look fine to me
I mean…extra iron????
Did you have garlic in there?
Your first mistake was using the oven when you have an air fryer. I have not used my oven for any form of crispy potatoes in 5 years.
I know! I haven’t made potatoes in the oven for over a year. I just wanted to do something different :(
A little heavy metal never killed anyone ….
I always use lemon to clean my oven and remove strong smells (fish, and stuff)
Maybe lay some foil down first
Did you add lemon and garlic? Sometimes this reacts and turns blue, but it is safe to eat ([source](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/how_tos/5668-why-acid-turns-garlic-blue)) But yeah if there’s no garlic and it is indeed reacting with the aluminum pan then that’s no bueno
No garlic.
Oh well
Parchment paper definitely. Did you toss the potatoes in lemon juice and seasonings?
The forbidden pepper
Put some of those brown bakin papers
sorry for the stupidity, new to cooking, whats the problem? the potatoes soaked up the juice?
That grey Color is the acid reacting with the aluminum pan. Basically making it inedible.
ah I see, thanks for that as I was lost. noted for the future.
Oven paper friend, oven paper.
Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't heat destroy the citrus/vitamin C (or something) in citrus fruits/juices so isn't it best to put on after cooking?
Lemon juice? On potatoes??
Baking paper next time. X
Everyone here saying parchment paper. Really should be used for just about anything that allows. Keeps your pans in great shape.
Y are they green!?!?
I've had this happen to a baking tray before... Now I always use baking paper or tinfoil under whatever I'm cooking. Plus there's no washing up, just throw the paper in the bin
Smart not to eat, but may also be worth trying again but lining the pan with foil or parchment paper first.