cast iron rescue??

[muscat]

I have a 12" cast iron skillet that was my grandmother's......I didn't really understand the value of it when it was handed down to me in college, and I abused the poor thing by making tomato sauce in it. It has not been used for years, sitting forgotten in a box- till today. It has a tiny bit of rust, and any seasoned surface that it once had is gone.

Any tips on how to revive it?

[AprilB]

New Pans

1. Heat the oven to 250o - 300o
2. Coat the pan with lard or bacon grease. Don't usea liquid vegetable oil because it will leave a sticky surface and the pan will not be properly seasoned.
3. Put the pan in the oven. In 15 minutes, remove the pan & pour out any excess grease. Place the pan back in the oven and bake for 2 hours.

Repeating this process several times is recommended as it will help create a stronger "seasoning" bond.
Also, when you put the pan into service, it is recommended to use it initially for foods high in fat, such as bacon or foods cooked with fat, because the grease from these foods will help strengthen the seasoning.
Pans needing Re-Seasoning


If the pan was not seasoned properly or a portion of the seasoning wore off and food sticks to the surface or there is rust, then it should be properly cleaned and re-seasoned.

1. Remove any food residue by cleaning the pan thoroughly with hot water and a scouring pad. I understand that heating the pan first to a temperature that is still safe to touch helps open the pores of the metal and makes it easier to clean.
2. Dry the pan immediately with dish towel or paper towel.
3. Season the pan as outlined above.

April

[phatch]

There are a couple of ways. You can scrub it down your self with a scouring pad or steel wool which is a bit of work. Some people swear by a coca-cola bath or vinegar bath, then scrubbing. The phosphoric acid in the cola is supposed to be just the right strength to gently strip it.

Hardcore collectors of cast iron sometimes have an electrolysis rig where they reverse the rust electrically. Works great, but takes some parts, that while cheap, aren't worth it for one pan.

I had one beadbasted for about $20.00 and it was quick and easy. Look in the yellow pages under sandblasting.

Then just reseason it and you're good to go.

Phil

[Culprit]

I agree with most of what AprilB recommended except that, prior to the oven routine, I'd put about a tablespoon of cooking oil in the pan (any type will do) and heat it to a point where it is just about as hot as you can handle with bare hands. Pour out any excess oil then place about 2 or 3 tablespoons of coarse salt in the bottom of the pan and use a handfull of paper towels to scour it as clean as possible. I'd never use steel wool or scouring products of any kin. The follow the oven routine AprilB suggested. I clean my cast iron skillets after each use with the salt scour routine (no water, EVER) and they're always nice and bright (in a bright black kind of way)

[MikeLM]

Um, Phil...
Be careful about "sandblasting" the pan. You want to make sure that it is indeed "BEADBLASTED" which is a process that uses tiny, spherical glass beads to clean and polish a metal surface, blown onto the surface by high-pressure compressed air in a cabinet that keeps the operator from inhaling any of the dusty residue.

Sandblasting, using sharp, angular grains of sand would, I'm pretty sure, roughen up the surface of the pan to the point it would be impossible to keep the pan clean.

I've used both techniques extensively in the past, so I have a pretty good idea of what you get with each. With glass beads, it's almost magical how they clean and then, polish a metal surface. They will take off paint and rust, and not cut at all into the underlying metal. Actually, they're used industrially to polish metal surfaces.

If you've got a really grubby old pan or pot, beadblasting is probably the way to go. Make sure you know what you're getting when you make a deal with a blast-cleaing business.

It willl have to be seasoned as usual afterward.

Mike

[castironchef]

My two cents:

(A) Cleaning - Taking what you said about the rust and lack of seasoning at face value, I would use steel wool to clean it up as much as possible, being sure to get rid of the light rust. Then, I would run it through a self-cleaning cycle in a self-cleaning oven, being sure to wipe away any residue when that process ends.

(B) Seasoning - I would avoid bacon grease, as it tends to go rancid. I would heat the skillet in a 200 deg. oven and then, using a lint-free rag, rub an extremely thin layer of melted shortening over the entire surface, inside and out.

Then, I would place the skillet, upside down, in a 425 degree oven for an hour and a half. (Best done in a commercial oven with a powerful hood running. If at home, open all the windows and run a big fan, as this creates a bunch of noxious smoke.)

After an hour and half, turn off the oven and leave it all alone, allowing the skillet to gently cool to room temp.

Then, do it again twice more.

You'll end up with a shiny, hard, black, non-stick surface.

(C) Care - I simply use hot water and plastic scrubbies to clean and always wipe dry immediately. If there anything is really stuck on, I put an inch or so of water in the pan, cover and bring to a boil for a few minutes. That is enough to loosen the problem areas and then wash in hot water. No soap, as it tends to stay with the cast iron.

I then rub with a bit of oil or shortening and heat on the stove top, until smoking. Cool and put away.

[muscat]

Thank you, everyone! It is not really dirty, just dull looking, so I'll see what some gentle scrubbing can do. The rust appears to be very superficial. I have a big dutch oven that will need the same treatment, so I'll attend to both this weekend, and report back!!!

[phatch]

Originally Posted by MikeLM

Um, Phil...
Be careful about "sandblasting" the pan. You want to make sure that it is indeed "BEADBLASTED" which is a process that uses tiny, spherical glass beads to clean and polish a metal surface, blown onto the surface by high-pressure compressed air in a cabinet that keeps the operator from inhaling any of the dusty residue.

Mike

Yes. I said to have the pan bead blasted. But to find someone to do it, you have to look under sandblasting in the yellow pages.

Phil

[MikeLM]

Phil-

That certainly wasn't meant as a criticism, but as an emphasis to your advice.

I guess I was worried that your average sandblasting business owner might not be as culinarily sophisticated as we are and might not realize that sand would (probably) mess up the surface of a cast-iron pot, so I just wanted to emphasize that glass beads should be clearly specified when you turn over your pot for cleaning.

Mike

[BearBoxer]

Heating in the oven is totally correct. What I learned is that the use of salt during or afterwards is that it is used as the abrasive......Instead of using a steel wool pad, after the pan has cooled off enough, you can scrub it with paper towels and that salt. The salt is the abrasive and it polishes the skillet as you scrub it with the paper towel. Salt does not dissole in oil in any manner whatsoever and this is why it is the abrasive. Great Luck!

John