As we treasure recipes that have been handed down for generations, so do we
treasure the beautiful cast iron skillets, pans and Dutch ovens that were left
to us by Grandma. Unfortunately, many are intimidated by cast iron. Take heart!
That beautiful black cast iron skillet that you remember Grandma using every day
is one of the easiest pieces of cookware you could ever use and will last many,
many years and become a treasure for your own grandchildren. Many pieces are
more than 100 years old already and are still in everyday use!
Even if
your cast iron is not in the best shape, there are ways to fix it and allow you
to once again use it and treasure it. If there's rust on it, you're going to
have to remove that rust one way or another. If it's not a huge rusty area, try
soaking the area in Coke for a few hours to dissolve the rust. If soaking in
Coke doesn't work, or there's too much rust to soak the piece, then you'll need
to use some good old fashioned elbow grease and a medium to fine grit sandpaper.
Once the rust is removed, it's time to remove the old seasoning.
The
easiest way to remove an old seasoning is to put the piece upside in your oven
on the self-cleaning cycle. Once the oven is done, your cast iron will be free
of the old seasoning. If you don't have a self-cleaning oven, you can place it
in a hot fire until the fire dies down and the embers are cool. Everything
should be gone by the time the fire cools. Finally, you can spray the cast iron
with oven cleaner and place it in a plastic bag for a couple of days. Scrub off
the cleaner and wash it in soap and water (wearing gloves!). Rinse the pan a
couple of times to ensure you've gotten rid of all the oven cleaner and your
piece should be a "gun metal" grey and ready for seasoning.
Now that
you've gotten to this point, it's time to re-season. This is a simple, but
sometimes odorous process, so be sure to do this on a cool day when you can open
the windows. You'll need a high quality olive oil or Cast Iron Conditioner* to
start with. Using a lint-free cloth, wipe the entire piece with the oil or Cast
Iron Conditioner. Go ahead and give it a decent coating, but not so much it
drips, as that will only cause excess smoking in the oven. Place a cookie sheet
on the lower rack, or make a "tray" out of foil and place it on the lower rack
to catch any excess dripping. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place your cast
iron upside down on the rack above so the oil or Cast Iron Conditioner can drip
off and not puddle inside your cast iron. Go ahead and set your oven timer for
one hour.
Don't worry if you notice a slight odor and some smoking --
although not pleasant, it IS perfectly normal for this to happen when seasoning
your cast iron. After the timer goes off, turn off the oven, but leave your cast
iron in there to continue the seasoning process while the oven cools down. Once
your cast iron has cooled off, go ahead and remove it from the oven. While your
newly seasoned cast iron won't have the beautiful black "patina" that older more
seasoned iron has, you've only just begun the seasoning process. I usually
season my new cast iron at least three times prior to using it, but you don't
have to do that. As you use your cast iron, the seasoning will deepen and in
time, you will have that beautiful black cast iron piece you always wanted.
Maintaining your cast iron is really quite easy. First and foremost,
NEVER USE SOAP! Cast iron is very porous.
If you use soap to clean your cast iron, you may notice a "soapy" taste in your
food. Secondly, as cast iron "seasoning" is basically oil, if you use soap,
you're going to have to "season" your cast iron much more often as the soap will
break down the seasoning. If you feel you must "wash" your cast iron, go ahead
and use a Cast Iron Cleaner* and a sponge so that you don't scratch your piece.
Don't let your cast iron soak in water or let water sit in it for an extended
length of time. Ideally, you want to use as little water as possible and dry it
as quickly as possible. I often place my cast iron into a warm oven to dry it
before coating it with conditioner and putting it away.
If you have
stuck on food, add water to it to cover the burnt/stuck food and place it back
on your heat source and bring to a boil. Carefully use a plastic spatula or
spoon to loosen stuck-on food and continue cleaning as directed above. Once
you've got your piece cleaned, coat it with a thin layer of high quality olive
oil or Cast Iron Conditioner while it is still slightly warm. This will help to
preserve your seasoning and replace any that was lost during the cleaning
process. When storing your cast iron, if it has a lid, be sure to leave the
cover slightly askew with a paper towel inside or hanging on the edge to wick
away moisture.
Following the above tips and tricks will help you to keep
that new piece of cast iron, or the treasured one from Grandma, or the one you
picked up for a steal at a garage sale a treasured family keepsake for years to
come!
Enjoy!
Julie Miklaszewicz
is an avid Dutch oven and cast iron cook and together with her husband, Greg, is
the owner of the RVing Outpost in Abbotsford, WI.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
