how do I fix a rusty iron skillet?

Question

cant get the rust to go away...tried cooking oil???????????????

Answer 1

When you season the skillet the rust will go away...dip cotton or an old clean rag in new bacon grease/ rub it alllllll over the skillet/ place the skillet over the lowest possible sitting on the stove top until the grease begins to bubble or place it into an oven you have turned on at the lowest setting/ turn the oven off and leave the skillet in overnight...remove excess grease with a paper towel and store the skillet where ever you store the skillet...always oil the skillet when it is not being used...this is what my 99 year old grandmother has always done and no one has ever gotten sick from using this process( and lots of us use it)

Answer 2

Never use soap on a cast iron cooking implement. Use oil, but not such as olive oil, which has a low flash point...burns and decomposes at relatively low temps. Use oil with high flash point, such as peanut.

Heat your oven to 300 F. Place a cookie sheet on a shelf in the middle of the oven. Coat the skillet generously with oil on the outside first, then put the skillet on the cookie sheet and coat the inside. Use a cheap 1" paint brush to coat and to keep coating through the seasoning process. Leave the skillet in the oven for an hour.

Remove the skillet from the oven and place it on a rack to cool. THEN use a metal brush to scrub the inside and out well, removing as much oxidized iron (rust) as possible.

Rinse in warm water scrubbing with a synthetiic bristle kitchen brush. NO SOAP.

Repeat the seasoning/cleaning process until all rust is removed and surface is black and semi-glossy.

A well seasoned cast iron skillet is a work of art, and must be maintained. Before use pour in a quarter size puddle of oil, rub it around the inside with your fingers, wipe off with a paper towel. After use a skillet should be rinsed in warm water, scrubbed with a synthetic bristle brush, dried by hand, and a light coat of oil applied and removed (mostly) using a paper towel. Never use any detergent, always clean cast iron by hand.

A corn bread recipe for your well seasoned skillet:

1 1/4 cups self-rising white corn meal
1 egg
1/4 cup veg oil
1 cup sour cream
1 small can creamed corn
1 teaspoon each kosher salt and coarsly
ground pepper

Pre-heat to 400 F. Spray skillet inside with Original Pam or wipe on a coat of oil. Warm the skillet in the oven. Mix all above ingredients, pour into skillet, bake 25-30 minutes, do the toothpick test at 25 minutes, if not fully baked, leave it in for another 5. Cool the skillet on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then place a plate on top of the skillet, invert the assembly, the corn bread will separate from the skillet and fall to the plate of its own accord. Crispy outside, moist inside. A taste sensation with ample butter.

I think I'll go make some now.

Answer 3

Hit your spouse over the head and all the rust should just fall off. When that happens, you'll only have yourself to cook for. :o)

Seriously, if its an old Iron skillet, you are supposed to "PRIME" it with oil. I used to wipe it clean with a rag or napkin and then add oil to it and always store it with a coat of oil......Olive oil. Thats how you prevent rusting in the iron skillet.

Answer 4

You must use real steal wool on it along with soap and an abbraisive cleaner....then wash it twice with soap. Then papertowel it dry. Also the best way to cook is with cast iron skillets. But you wash those every so often leaveing a coat of oil on them. I am a professional chef. Another thing after I make my wedding cakes and wash the special pan,I take a piece of papertowel and smear tiny bit of oil on the pan,then put it away.That prevents rust =)

Answer 5

If it's no affecting the food - I'd leave it.
Iron pots and pans tend to do that...

Get a stiff wire wheel for your drill and run it over until the rust is gone.

If no drill, coarse sandpaper or steel wool and a lot of elbow grease.

Have it sandblasted.

They are chemicals too, but I can't recommend any, as I don't know how safe they are with food.

Answer 6

Scour it with a soapy Brillo pad to get the rust off. Dry well with a cloth. Add oil to the pan and rub it all over well. Place salt in the pan and re-season it in a hot oven.

Answer 7

There is a new product in pill form that is suppossed to work as per one of those as seen on tv commercials. I have always used red devil lye in a sink full of water. But you better open your doors and windows.

Answer 8

steel wool or wire brush....scrub it all off then after it is completely clean it needs to be seasoned
rub oil (Olive) is good and keep heating until oil is gone...repeat several times...make sure you don't blow yourself up...i have come close a few times!

Answer 9

CLR try wal-mart