The pot calling the kettle rust

I used the self-cleaner on the oven the other night. The cast iron skillet that my husband LOVES was in it. I thought it was a good idea because the high temperature would burn off some of the crappola he has on it.

Soo....bad idea. The thing was disgusting. I cleaned it out, but it's left it rust colored & still won't come clean. He's always insisting that I never use soap & never ever soak it.

It's hidden in the stove for now but he's bound to use the stove this weekend. (he cooks, I obviously do not).

Any ideas? Also w t f does seasoning a cast iron skillet mean? Will this help?

Re: The pot calling the kettle rust

Here's How:
Wash skillet in hot, soapy water. Rinse thoroughly and dry completely.
Apply a thin coating of melted shortening (Crisco, for example) or vegetable oil with a solf cloth or paper towel.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place skillet UPSIDE DOWN on top oven rack.
Place foil on a cookie sheet and place on bottom rack of oven. This will catch the drippings from the skillet.
Bake in oven for one hour.
Turn oven off. DO NOT OPEN. Allow skillet to cool down in oven (several hours). There may be a film on your cookware, this comes off after use. You will have to use it a couple times as a test.

Re: The pot calling the kettle rust

here is some info...

Whether you'd like to restore your family's favorite skillet or fix up a garage sale find, removing surface rust from a durable, dependable cast-iron pan is a breeze. As long as the rust isn't too serious--no deeper than 1/8 inch (3 mm)--you should be able to return the pan to cooking shape. After removing all the rust, be sure to season the pan before using or storing it.

Removing rust
Instructions

STEP 1: Depending on the pan's size, pour 2 to 4 tbsp. salt into the middle of the pan. Add an equal amount of vegetable oil.

STEP 2: Scrub the pan vigorously with a folded paper towel, concentrating on the rusted spots but covering all surfaces with the oil and salt mixture. Add more salt or oil as needed.

STEP 3: For more serious rust spots, scrub with fine steel wool.

STEP 4: Wash the pan with dishwashing liquid and rinse well with hot water. Dry completely.

Seasoning the pan
Instructions

STEP 1: A well-seasoned cast-iron pan will resist rust and create a virtually nonstick surface for cooking. To season it, brush vegetable oil lightly over all its surfaces.

STEP 2: Heat the pan in an oven at 250°F (120°C) for 1 hour, recoating it with more oil after 30 minutes.

STEP 3: Wipe the pan well with paper towels, and let it cool completely before using it.

STEP 4: To preserve this natural, protective coating, do not use soap when cleaning a seasoned pan. Instead, scrub it with salt and oil, rinse it with hot water, then dry it completely over low heat before storing it.

Overall Tips & Warnings
For quick removal of rust spots, use a hand drill with a wire brush attachment. Take care not to scrape away too much metal; hollows in the pan will lead to uneven cooking and food scorching.
Spun-steel and carbon-steel woks benefit from the same care as cast-iron pans.

Re: The pot calling the kettle rust

Getting Burnt-On Food Off
If you have burnt-on food on your cast iron cookware, here are some ways to clean it.
My aunt told me about these two ways:
(1) The best thing to do is to burn the skillet. If you have a fireplace (or furnace), let the coals die down and then place the skillet in the coals. It may flame up--but that's okay. Let it burn off the grease and the food. (be sure to move the skillet around in the fire so it doesn't crack). If you don't have a poker or tool to get it out, wait until the fire dies down and the coals are cool to remove it. Then wash all the ashes off and re-season the pan .

If you don't have a fire, the second way to do it would be to get a pan bigger than your skillet and boil the skillet in the pan on the stove.

This doesn't work as well--it might get the food off but it won't clean the skillet (black specks) entirely. Either way you do it, you'll have to re-season the skillet .


Keith Moumblow, of Brigadoon Bed & Breakfast in Scottsboro, Alabama shares these tips for cleaning cast-iron cookware:
"When my skillet needs it, I stick it in the self-cleaning oven when that needs to be cleaned, too. You get two birds with one stone this way; hovever, I try to never let my skillets get really, really dirty.

After seasoning the skillet the first time, and after using the skillet, I use coarse salt such as Kosher salt, and scrub it around in the skillet with a paper towel. Dump the salt and rinse the skillet in cold water. Wipe dry with a paper towel (if you still get a brown stain on the paper towel, dump more salt in and repeat the process), and then wipe a thin film of olive oil in the pan. Stick the pan in a plastic bag until ready to be used."

Hope that helps some folks out there with cast-iron cleaning problems!

Re: The pot calling the kettle rust

EXCELLENT!! I'll have to try it tomorrow night!!!


THank you !!!!!

Message edited 12/7/2006 10:03:43 PM.