Then I wipe dry, finish the drying on low stove top heat. When totally dry, add a tiny dab of whatever oil you like and continue heating for another few minutes. I use a heavy-duty paper towel to burnish the oil in the pan once or twice before shutting the stove down.
My favorite skillet then gleams and I can almost see my reflection in it. The bottom is just as smooth as the proverbial 'baby's butt'.
By tomatohanger from Canton, OH
By
04/18/2011
I keep my cast iron well seasoned by holding it under hot water while scrubbing it with a brush immediately after each use, while it is still Hot. Food comes off like it's Teflon. Then dry thoroughly and if necessary, rub on a little oil with a paper towel or napkin.
Love my cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens.
By
04/14/2011
My mother used to clean her cast iron skillets, dutch ovens, etc. with a steel wool pad and hot water, then place it on the stove and dry the cast iron piece on the stove on high heat; I have done this procedure also; and my cast iron cookware is smooth; I do not remove all the oil in the pan after cooking and that "re-seasons" the cookware when the pan is dried on the stove on high heat.
I re-season my cast iron cook ware when we go camping; I coat the cast iron cook ware with a heavy coat of Crisco shortening or lard; place it in the hot campfire and let it burn overnight; I take the cookware out of the burnt out campfire the next morning; wash the soot off with hot water water and dry the cook ware piece on my camp stove on high heat.
By
04/13/2011
Men do not need additional iron since they do not have a monthly period and too much iron can actually cause serious problems.
If you clean your cast iron after every use, you do not need to put water in it which will ruin it. A good dry scrub with a copper scrubber or dry steel wool pad is sufficient. then wipe it out with a paper towel. If you have seasoned your pan well, it never has to be washed. the older the seasoning, the smoother and more non-stick the surface. If you burn it -try not to- then scrub with salt and baking soda, but no water and proceed as above
By
04/13/2011
Thanks for the tip. I just got one after many years of using non stick. I learned after one cleaning that putting hot water in the hot pan makes for easier cleaning.
By
04/13/2011
Most of the time you can clean cast iron with hot water and a nylon scrubbie - no soap, unless you want to start all over. To re-season a totally grungy pan, or one that is rusted, put it in your oven on the "self clean" cycle. When the oven cools, the cast iron will be "virgin" and ready to be seasoned all over again. I rub in lots of Crisco shortening, turn it upside down on the top rack of the oven, put foil on the rack under the rack the pan is on to catch any drips, then put the oven on to 350 for an hour, turn it off, and let it cool completely. If there are spots that didn't "take" just coat it again and do the 350 for an hour one more time.
After a couple of times of having to re-season, I've gotten very diligent about how I clean my cast iron.
How do you clean iron skillets that have not been used in about 3 years and have been sitting in a closet?
By Sophia
By wsurfs
10/27/2011
I have cast iron skillets from my mother and mother-in-law. I love them! They are family treasures. If your cast iron has been sitting for a long time and not being used, treat it like you would a new one. Completely season it again. To season it: 1) Wash with warm soapy water....do not use any abrasive cleanser or cloth, then rinse really well. 2) Dry really well. 3) Rub a good quality vegetable oil all over it. 4) Put it into a preheated oven for at least one hour on 350 degrees. 5) Let cool completely in the oven. Now, your skillet should be good to go! Happy cooking! :)
How can the crust that develops on a cast iron fry pan be removed?
By Frank N.
By profile.php?id=100000209947880
11/22/2011
I have always put my cast iron skillets in my oven when I turn on the self cleaning cycle. They come out wonderfully clean, you just have to wash off the ash with soapy water.
Don't use dish soap to clean cast iron pans and don't run them through the dishwasher. Fill the dirty pan with water and bring it to a boil, then you should be able to scrub off any debris.
I love using my old-fashioned cast iron cookware, especially my grandmother's Dutch oven for homemade soups on top of our wood stove. I treasure each piece.
I have found it best to wash only in hot water, and then rub some vegetable shortening on the inside of each one after washing. This keeps them rust-free with that beautiful black sheen. This also makes them quite "non-stick" without a questionable coating, like Teflon.
By Margaret M. from N. Springfield, VT
By pkgobble
How can I clean cast iron pots?
I use cast iron pans to help keep our blood iron levels more normal. But sometimes when we forget to season them well things get stuck on the bottom, or even burned.
I inherited my mother's cast iron skillet and I'm afraid I have ruined it. I hope someone can help me fix it.
To clean your treasured but crusty cast iron fry pan, just pop it into your oven on the day you use the self cleaning mode.
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