Water turned brown

I put water in a stainless steel pot and a strainer on top and put spinach in the strainer to steam it all for a delicious quiche, but the water turned brown.

Why does this happen?

I know someone had a similar issue with simmering peas, but my case is slightly different; the spinach didn't touch the water.

I think the boiling water did turn green. Maybe some spinach broke and dripped spinachy goodness into the boiling water and burned?

Best Answer

It's possible that your water supply could be high in iron, either from a well, or older city pipes. When you steam spinach, some of the iron in the spinach leeches out with the circulating steam, and this may be enough to turn normally clear high iron water into disturbing looking muddy water.

If this is the case, the water is safe, it's just not that nice to look at.

If this only happens with spinach and other high iron foods, it's probably nothing to worry about, but it probably wouldn't hurt to have your water tested, if this is a new phenomenon.

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Quick Answer about "Water turned brown"

Usually, disturbed minerals, sediment or rust will mix with the clear water to cause tap water to appear brown. Brown tap water can be a result of something that has happened to the water mains, or it can be an issue to do with your property's internal plumbing or connection to the water mains.

Why did my water turn brown all of a sudden?

Minerals, sediment, or rust that accumulates in the water mains over time is the cause of brown or discolored water. When the water from your tap is brown, this indicates a disturbance in the water main that stirs up these deposits.

What do I do if my water is brown?

If water is brown from hot water only, then your water heater needs to be flushed out. Scale inside of the water heater fell to the bottom and muddied the water, or the inside of the water tank could be rusting. Rust is also an indication that your water heater is reaching the end of its lifespan as well.

Can I shower if my water is brown?

As cast iron plumbing pipes age, iron and manganese from rusting pipes settle in the water supply. Excessive use of or recent repairs to municipal pipes stir up sediment and send it your way. While rusty water isn't harmful to shower in or brush your teeth with, it can discolor dishes and laundry.

Why is my water a brown color?

Brown water can be caused by the corrosion of water pipes as materials flake away and find their way into water supplies, making the water an orange-brown colour (iron pipes) or even black (lead pipes). Certain elements from sulphur dioxide can cause water to turn brown when combined with hot water.

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Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Artem Beliaikin, Pixabay, Artem Beliaikin, Jozef Fehér