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As we treasure recipes that have been handed down for generations, so do we treasure the beautiful cast iron skillets, pans and Dutch ovens that were left to us by Grandma. Unfortunately, many are intimidated by cast iron. Take heart! That beautiful black cast iron skillet that you remember Grandma using every day is one of the easiest pieces of cookware you could ever use and will last many, many years and become a treasure for your own grandchildren. Many pieces are more than 100 years old already and are still in everyday use!
Even if your cast iron is not in the best shape, there are ways to fix it and allow you to once again use it and treasure it. If there's rust on it, you're going to have to remove that rust one way or another. If it's not a huge rusty area, try soaking the area in Coke for a few hours to dissolve the rust. If soaking in Coke doesn't work, or there's too much rust to soak the piece, then you'll need to use some good old fashioned elbow grease and a medium to fine grit sandpaper. Once the rust is removed, it's time to remove the old seasoning.
The easiest way to remove an old seasoning is to put the piece upside down in your oven on the self-cleaning cycle. Once the oven is done, your cast iron will be free of the old seasoning. If you don't have a self-cleaning oven, you can place it in a hot fire until the fire dies down and the embers are cool. Everything should be gone by the time the fire cools. Finally, you can spray the cast iron with oven cleaner and place it in a plastic bag for a couple of days. Scrub off the cleaner and wash it in soap and water (wearing gloves!). Rinse the pan a couple of times to ensure you've gotten rid of all the oven cleaner and your piece should be a "gun metal" grey and ready for seasoning.
Now that you've gotten to this point, it's time to re-season. This is a simple, but sometimes odorous process, so be sure to do this on a cool day when you can open the windows. You'll need a high quality olive oil or Cast Iron Conditioner to start with. Using a lint-free cloth, wipe the entire piece with the oil or Cast Iron Conditioner. Go ahead and give it a decent coating, but not so much it drips, as that will only cause excess smoking in the oven. Place a cookie sheet on the lower rack, or make a "tray" out of foil and place it on the lower rack to catch any excess dripping. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Place your cast iron upside down on the rack above so the oil or Cast Iron Conditioner can drip off and not puddle inside your cast iron. Go ahead and set your oven timer for one hour.
Don't worry if you notice a slight odor and some smoking -- although not pleasant, it IS perfectly normal for this to happen when seasoning your cast iron. After the timer goes off, turn off the oven, but leave your cast iron in there to continue the seasoning process while the oven cools down. Once your cast iron has cooled off, go ahead and remove it from the oven. While your newly seasoned cast iron won't have the beautiful black "patina" that older more seasoned iron has, you've only just begun the seasoning process. I usually season my new cast iron at least three times prior to using it, but you don't have to do that. As you use your cast iron, the seasoning will deepen and in time, you will have that beautiful black cast iron piece you always wanted.
Maintaining your cast iron is really quite easy. First and foremost, NEVER USE SOAP! Cast iron is very porous. If you use soap to clean your cast iron, you may notice a "soapy" taste in your food. Secondly, as cast iron "seasoning" is basically oil, if you use soap, you're going to have to "season" your cast iron much more often as the soap will break down the seasoning. If you feel you must "wash" your cast iron, go ahead and use a Cast Iron Cleaner and a sponge so that you don't scratch your piece. Don't let your cast iron soak in water or let water sit in it for an extended length of time. Ideally, you want to use as little water as possible and dry it as quickly as possible. I often place my cast iron into a warm oven to dry it before coating it with conditioner and putting it away.
If you have stuck on food, add water to it to cover the burnt/stuck food and place it back on your heat source and bring to a boil. Carefully use a plastic spatula or spoon to loosen stuck-on food and continue cleaning as directed above. Once you've got your piece cleaned, coat it with a thin layer of high quality olive oil or Cast Iron Conditioner while it is still slightly warm. This will help to preserve your seasoning and replace any that was lost during the cleaning process. When storing your cast iron, if it has a lid, be sure to leave the cover slightly askew with a paper towel inside or hanging on the edge to wick away moisture.
Following the above tips and tricks will help you to keep that new piece of cast iron, or the treasured one from Grandma, or the one you picked up for a steal at a garage sale a treasured family keepsake for years to come!
Enjoy!
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