I think of November, December, and even early January, as one giant crescendo of cooking. With so many holidays and celebrations dotting these months, chances are you will be prepping for a few festive meals in some way, big or small. Even the cooking-averse are magically lured into the kitchen this time of year by bright and charming cookie photos or glamorous gingerbread houses that look too fun to pass up.
Here’s our friendly blog post PSA to remind all the home cooks, bakers, and weekend cookie-makers: remember to remove your rings before embarking on your holiday cooking adventure. Here are a few good reasons why.
Loose Gemstones
You love wearing your rings with gemstones for that beautiful sparkle, but you never know when one of those glimmering stones might fall out of their setting. Loose gemstones embedded in a sea of cookie dough, pie crust, or meatloaf could turn any meal into a bit of a fiasco. Your stones can also get damaged in the process of heat-baking.
Tarnish & Corrosion
Did you know that white gold can tarnish when exposed to certain solutions? Or that salt can be corrosive to gold? You might accidentally come into contact with a tarnishing agent while cooking. And — if you’re prepping a brining solution for your bird, the high salt content of that brine could damage your gold ring. Keep all your golds as healthy as possible by removing them before your big cook-off.
Ring Rot
According to Dr. Dawn Davis*, a Mayo Clinic dermatologist, improper hand-washing, especially around your ring, can lead to irritant contact dermatitis or ring rot. That’s because soap residue, dirt, or sweat is trapped under your ring and has nowhere to go. Folks with especially sensitive skin can be susceptible to this kind of irritation. While it can be easily treated in most cases, why put a damper on your holiday cooking?
Food Trap
Our hands are one of our most important cooking tools. They can distinguish textures, tell temperature, and mix better than even your most oversized spoon. Personally, I love the feel of pie dough as it comes together to form a solid mass, or smoothing butter around a healthy-looking turkey (ok - don’t laugh at that). Even the tactile quality of an orange and its pulp can feel bright and refreshing on your fingertips. But all these things carry bits and bobs of bacteria and organisms. If you’ve got a ring on, these imperceptible microbes can get stuck in the tiny nooks of your ring. Ewww.
Acids
Soft stones like pearls, opals, and turquoise don’t mix well with highly acidic foods. Not only can they tarnish, but they can dull your soft stones. While tarnish can be removed, the dulling is permanent. Keep these soft stones tucked away safely before cooking, especially with acidic foods.
Need some ideas on what to do with your ring? Before cooking or baking, carve out a sacred space just for your jewelry. We love using tiny ceramic dishes like the ones highlighted in our A Place for Everything blog post. Check them out at our shop the next time you visit. I keep a cute, bear-shaped ceramic dish in my home; it’s designated as my ring dish. I love the crisp “clink” sound that’s made when the ceramic and gold metal meet.
Our best-selling Magic Ring Holder Necklaces are another great way to keep your ring close without having it on your fingers. They come in a range of styles and eco-friendly precious metals. My favorite is the Diamond Double Deco in yellow gold, shown here:
Now - let’s get cooking! I’ve got my gluten-free gingerbread cookie recipe at the ready, and this year I’m feasting on homemade spicy-chicken-onion samosas for the holidays. Move over turkey, we’re samosa-ing this year! Ring dish is at the ready.
Happy Fall and Winter Holidays everyone! Hold your loved ones dear, and keep those rings healthy and bright.
______
* https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-wedding-ring-rash/