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This thread has been very helpful to me. Thank you everyone! I love to make cornbread in an iron skillet but could never figure out how to clean it without leaving a rust residue. I will try some of your suggestions. Another question though. Do I need to start over with a brand new iron skillet if I have rust residue in mine?
This thread has been very helpful to me. Thank you everyone! I love to make cornbread in an iron skillet but could never figure out how to clean it without leaving a rust residue. I will try some of your suggestions. Another question though. Do I need to start over with a brand new iron skillet if I have rust residue in mine?
NO! Take a large potato that fits your hand, cut one end off, with your skillet in the sink, sprinkle a tablespoon ( or two ) of salt in the skillet and start scrubbing with the potato. . .NO WATER! The potato has enough water to make the salt rub in. You will note the salt gets dirty fast. . .if so wash skillet, no soap, let dry and begin again. It might take several times over several days. . .just stay at it. Remember to oil your skillet between each cleaning and try and keep it in a warm dry place.
Now, for more difficult projects see: Cast Iron Cleaning & Restoration - The Cast Iron Collector: Information for The Vintage Cookware Enthusiast
Outside of Washington D.C., in a cheap junk store, I bought an old cast iron sauce pot with top for $5.00.
Maybe ten years later I learned it was a made by T. & C. Clark & Co., Wolverhampton, England. T. & C. Clark & Company Limited was founded in 1795 at Shakespeare Foundry, Wolverhampton, one of the largest old foundries in England. It now looks old and as good as new. I make white rice in it and sometimes deep fry a special recipe for jumbo stuffed shrimp.
The reason . . .that pot keeps the oil hot. These shrimp are big and stuffed with crab meat needing to cook through. We bread shrimp and seafood to SEAL the item so it's not greasy and doesn't absorb oil. I can only cook two at a time but two stuffed jumbos will do you . . .they are wonderful because we can control the heat so easy in the heavy pot.
I realize my old pot is a museum piece and to have the original lid is rare but it sits most of the time in the oven ready for use as my other cast iron. I don't have a large collection and duplicates of things. After years of collecting and trading, a unique small collection I've restored . . .and proud to display.
I managed to ruin my regular non-stick pan, so I brought out my 10-inch cast iron pan last night.
Since I hadn't used it in awhile, I gave it a rinse in some hot water, then put some water in it and heated it on the stove. I let the water simmer for a few minutes. Then, I poured out the water and rinsed it while giving it a bit of scrub with a nylon scrubby thing.
I put it back on the stove, and heated it on medium for five minutes, until it was very hot.
Then I put a little bit of oil in the pan and wiped it around with a soft cloth. I did that a couple of times. The cloth came up with black, and then brown, and then was pretty clean. (Did I remove food or seasoning?)
Today I actually used it to cook chicken and peppers.
When I was done, I rinsed it with hot water, then scrubbed it with the nylon scrub thingy again.
The chicken wouldn't come off, so again, I put water in it, and let it simmer on the stove.
The chicken came off, and I gave it a good scrub and a rinse under the hot water.
I put it back on the stove for five minutes on medium. Then I rubbed it with oil while it was still hot.
Again, the cloth came up brown.
Did I remove remaining food or pan seasoning?
Is the pan ok to use now?
Spread a thin layer of melted shortening or vegetable oil over the skillet.
Place it upside down on a middle oven rack at 375°. (Place foil on a lower rack to catch drips.)
Bake 1 hour; let cool in the oven.
After doing this, try to cook as many oily, fatty dishes as you can for a while. After each dish is done, rinse with hot water (never using soap) and lightly scrub if necessary. Wipe dry and then add a dab of corn oil, wipe it around the inside of the pan and put it away. The pan will get better and better over the months and years. Try not to cook too many acidic dishes (tomatoes, etc.) in it.
NO! Take a large potato that fits your hand, cut one end off, with your skillet in the sink, sprinkle a tablespoon ( or two ) of salt in the skillet and start scrubbing with the potato. . .NO WATER! The potato has enough water to make the salt rub in. You will note the salt gets dirty fast. . .if so wash skillet, no soap, let dry and begin again. It might take several times over several days. . .just stay at it. Remember to oil your skillet between each cleaning and try and keep it in a warm dry place.
Now, for more difficult projects see: Cast Iron Cleaning & Restoration - The Cast Iron Collector: Information for The Vintage Cookware Enthusiast
Outside of Washington D.C., in a cheap junk store, I bought an old cast iron sauce pot with top for $5.00.
Maybe ten years later I learned it was a made by T. & C. Clark & Co., Wolverhampton, England. T. & C. Clark & Company Limited was founded in 1795 at Shakespeare Foundry, Wolverhampton, one of the largest old foundries in England. It now looks old and as good as new. I make white rice in it and sometimes deep fry a special recipe for jumbo stuffed shrimp.
The reason . . .that pot keeps the oil hot. These shrimp are big and stuffed with crab meat needing to cook through. We bread shrimp and seafood to SEAL the item so it's not greasy and doesn't absorb oil. I can only cook two at a time but two stuffed jumbos will do you . . .they are wonderful because we can control the heat so easy in the heavy pot.
I realize my old pot is a museum piece and to have the original lid is rare but it sits most of the time in the oven ready for use as my other cast iron. I don't have a large collection and duplicates of things. After years of collecting and trading, a unique small collection I've restored . . .and proud to display.
I have a cast-iron frying-pan. I tried all the FruFru techniques, like curing/oiling, and it did not seem to make any difference compared to just plain old washing the dang thing.
I use very hot water, detergent and a metal scouring pad. Of course, this is all done lickety split, without exposing the pan to the soap and water for more than a minute or two, then thoroughly dry with a paper towel. Sometimes, if the seasoning seems dull, I rub a bit of oil on it before I put it away.
I think they're a pain to clean thoroughly if they're greasy and/or have too much burned on food, so I seldom use mine. Not a big fan.
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Cast Iron Pan - how to clean?
