Maintaining cast-iron cookware

I found some old cast-iron cookware that’s rusty and covered in black crud. Can I resurrect it? (The following is the best answer I have. I always rely on Mother Earth News and Lodge…agnes)

How to Clean Cast-Iron Cookware By Robin Mather, a senior associate editor at MOTHER EARTH NEWS and the author of The Feast Nearby, a collection of essays and recipes from her year of eating locally on $40 a week. In her spare time, she is a hand-spinner, knitter, weaver, homebrewer, cheese maker and avid cook who cures her own bacon. Find her on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.

Old cast iron can be a bargain, says Mark Kelly, public relations manager for Lodge Manufacturing in South Pittsburg, Tenn., the last U.S. manufacturer to cast its own iron. Kelly says cast-iron cookware from China is usually lower-quality, with several telltale signatures: It will have odd marks at the “throat” of the handle and perhaps on the bottom, it may not look as finished, it will be thicker and chunkier, and the edges won’t be as smooth. A better bet would be a piece of U.S.-made cookware, no matter how gunky it may appear.

If you’ve found a well-made cast-iron piece, restoring it will be fairly easy. Kelly instructs: First remove rust using a soap-free steel wool pad (or have the rust sandblasted off at a metal shop), and then bake away any crust by heating the piece on a grill, over a wood fire, or in your self-cleaning oven. Cleaning it outside may be best, because the process could otherwise fill your house with smoke. You may need to repeat this process several times before the crust is gone.

When the cast iron is clean, re-season it by applying the cooking oil of your choice all over it. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake the piece upside down for an hour. Don’t line your oven floor with aluminum foil, as it can melt and fuse to the bottom of some types of ovens. Instead, if you need something to catch drips, use a cookie sheet placed below the cast iron. After an hour, turn off the oven and let the piece cool.

Seasoning cast-iron cookware fills the pores of the metal with carbon particles, which creates the nonstick effect, Kelly says. The more you cook with the piece, the more that effect will be enhanced, and that’s why it gets better with time. Re-oil the piece after each use.

“There’s no way to ruin cast iron,” Kelly says. “Well, in Leviticus, it does say that it’s a straight path to hell if you put cast iron in your dishwasher. But that’s the only way.”

The Care and Feeding of Cast Iron: Cleaning and Seasoning Cast Iron Cookware: Cast iron pots and pans are the basis of a well-stocked kitchen, and will last a lifetime if you learn the methods for cleaning and seasoning cast iron cookware to maintain the cured surface. By Brook and Barbara Elliot

Curing (seasoning) cast iron means filling the pores and voids in the metal with grease of some sort, which subsequently gets cooked in. This provides a smooth, nonstick surface on both the inside and outside of the piece.

Learn the tricks and tips to cleaning and seasoning cast iron cookware: The hallmark of any country kitchen is an old black cast iron skillet sitting atop the woodstove. And there’s good reason for that: Whether you’re baking biscuits in a cast iron Dutch oven, flipping pancakes on a cast iron griddle over a woodstove or pan-frying chops on a modern electric range, cast iron makes the best cookware. When it comes to cast iron it’s important to learn about cleaning and seasoning cast iron cookware to get the best from your cookware.

* Seasoning Your Cast-Iron Pan MAIN STORY: Cooking with Cast Iron

1. Heat the oven to 125 degrees (this removes any moisture from the oven).

2. Preheat the cookware in the oven for about 15 minutes.

3. Remove it; apply a thin layer of solid Crisco with a rag.

4. Return to the oven; raise the heat to 225 degrees; leave for a half hour.

5. Remove; wipe away any excess shortening, but leave the pan shining wet.

6. Return to the oven for another 30 minutes.

7. When you remove the pan and it has cooled a bit, but is still hot, wipe it to a dull shine.

This accomplishes the initial seasoning, but remember, the more you use your pan, the better the seasoning gets. Never put cast iron in the dishwasher.

More tips from David G. Smith, the Pan Man

Seasoning vehicle: Crisco is his favorite. “I used to use lard, but then when I went to outdoor shows, it would turn cloudy and the pans wouldn’t look very good. An old guy who’d been in the business for decades told me his secret. His pans always looked better and sold better than anyone else’s.”

Storing cast iron: Wipe out the pan well with a paper towel first. “People put too much fat in them and then put them away for months, and then wonder why the fat turned rancid.” If your climate is humid, just coat the pan with the barest minimum of oil to prevent rust. If your climate is dry, that’s not necessary.

Do not use soap on seasoned cast iron. The cure (seasoning) is based on grease, and soap’s job is to remove grease. So if you wash your iron with soap, you’ll destroy the very effect you are trying for.

Also, make sure to remove all of the initial protective coating. If not, you’ll get a very strange smell as the coating cooks during the curing process and this funky aroma will often linger, permeating and corrupting the flavor of any food later cooked in the pot.

When the iron comes clean, immediately dry it and wipe a fairly heavy coating of shortening over all the metal, being sure to include the handle and any legs or other protuberances. Historically, lard was used for this purpose. But lard, like all animal fats, has a tendency to turn rancid, so shortening is a better bet. Never use butter, margarine or any fat containing milk or salt to season cast iron.

Heat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake your cast iron pieces for about an hour. Remove them, blot up any puddles of oil with a paper towel, then let the iron pieces cool. Do not be alarmed if at this point the cast iron feels sticky; it’ll lose this once the cure is complete.

Cast iron makers will tell you that the cookware is now ready for cooking, though most recommend that you use it only for frying the first few times. We find that oiling and heating the iron at least one more time before use effects a hotter initial cure. In this case, grease the piece lightly, and the stickiness should disappear; if not, it will the first time you cook with it.

After you’ve completed the second coating, it’s okay to cook in the cast iron pan, but be sure to follow the manufacturer’s suggestion and use the piece for frying only. Your ironware will be slightly discolored at this stage, but these first few frying jobs will complete the cure, turning the iron into the rich, black color that is the sign of a well-cured, well-used cast iron skillet or pot.

* How do you remove rust and care for a cast-iron pot? Simply scour off the rust using a very fine grade of sandpaper or steel wool and re-season the pot.

Cleaning Cast Iron Cookware: To maintain the seasoning, clean cast iron cookware after cooking using a stiff nylon brush and hot water. Using soap is not recommended, and harsh detergents should never be used because they will remove the seasoning. If you are having trouble removing stuck-on food, boil some water in your pan for a few minutes to loosen residue, making it easier to remove. Towel dry immediately and apply a light coating of oil to the utensil while it is still warm. Never put a hot cast iron utensil into cold water. Thermal shock can occur causing the metal to warp or crack. For more cleaning, storing and seasoning tips, please visit Lodge Cast Iron Cookware. Mark Kelly, Lodge Cast Iron Company.

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