Proper maintenance and use of iron skillet?

Question

Hi, I have an iron skillet that I bought a while ago, and it's a bit rusty. I've no idea the proper way to care for it or use it. Probably more than anything I'll be using it for eggs. I got it because I don't like cooking with Teflon and since I don't eat much meat I need more iron in my diet. So any tips on caring for the skillet would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Answer 1

My iron skillet has been handed down for several generations. Try to never wash it with detergent of any kind. Just put a little water in it, set it on the burner til the water gets hot then use a scratcher to scrape it clean. Rinse and return it to the burner til it evaporates the water. Never let it set in water! I blot any remaining moisture with a paper towel. If it's rusty, do the above then: coat the entire inside surface with crisco or cooking oil. Place it on a cookie sheet in the oven and bake it at 350 degrees for about a half hour of 45 minutes. You may have to repeat this step until the skillet returns to its normal condition. Try not to use iron skillets for liquid type recipes. They do better with grease.

Answer 2

A brand new iron skillet needs to be washed with soap and water. Then dried. Then, spray some cooking oil on it and bake it in the oven till the oil adheres to the surface. Normally, when you buy a new cast iron pan, it has an accompanying instruction sheet. Follow those directions. They will tell you the correct maintenance so it would last a long time. Don't use a rusty one. Who knows if the rust might hurt you in the future as it builds up in your system? It's not worth risking your health. Throw out the rusty one and get a new one. You buy and eat iron tablets from the store in the vitamin section, NOT cook food in a rusty pan to get iron!!!!

Answer 3

First thing: seasoning the skillet is a must. however, when you said it has rust. then you'll need to buy a new one. once the skillet starts to rust then all hope is lost.

lets go back a bit. Never, I mean never wash a skillet. season the skillet with oil or Crisco and keep it in a ziplock plastic bag afterwards. when I say season your skillet, I'm speaking about treating the skillet with Crisco and bake in the oven at a very high temp. Most of the new skillets come with directions to do this.

Granted after cooking, you'll need to wipe it down and remove any excess food etc. then you'll have to re-oil the pan.

We use a skillet while on our camping trips , because it retains the heat and cooks thing evenly. just make sure you have over mitts and always use a wooden spoon to stir you cookings.

Answer 4

hey how are you? I am a chef. The proper way to care for your iron skillet is to use olive oil on it and to condition it in the over for about 2hours on low. This goes into the pores of the skillet and avoid the rust problem. Also, you should use a professional non stick skillet used for eggs at some place like
http://www.chefscatalog.com/catalog/search.aspx?scommand=search&search=non%2bstick%2bskillets . These pans are restaurant style quality and you should not use a metal spatuala on them only the high temperature new type silicone ones.

To get more iron in your diet, be sure to eat the organ meat of young calves, the liver. This is the number one way to get iron into your body fast through animal meat. Of course get the best source such as grazzing type beef raised in organic type environments. Also look into juicing, foods such as leavy greens like turnip greens, spinach, kale along with carrot, apple, celery and parsley. You need about 2 cups a day. If you have any questions just email me and I can help you out more.

Thanks,
B

Answer 5

I have had one for 11 years. Never put it in a dishwasher!! Best way is to let it soak for a while in water, on your kitchen counter, wipe it off with paper towels, then reheat it on the stove until it smokes out the oils, not on high temperature, then rewipe with paper towel. Somehow I heard that iron skillet's absorb the oils you have used in it and it acts as a natural way of keeping the skillet in a pristine condition. If you already have some rust on it - try lightly to use either a scouring pad or Brillo pad, add oil, then heat in oven for awhile. Skillet pans are awesome - it seems as though the more you use them, the newer they look. Good luck!!!

Answer 6

I hope your diet is centred around eating lots of dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli and whole grain breads, There is iron available in these foods, unfortunately, it is not as readily absorbable as the iron in meat. I hope you are also eating enough vitamin C to help with iron absorbtion. I absolutely love brussel sprouts (they're not just for Christmas!), brocolli and to a lesser extent cauliflower(don't cook them - eat them raw - they have a nice, slightly peppery taste = YUM!).

Regarding the skillet, clean all of the rust off before using it, oil the cooking side and give it a bit of heat - you are essentially seasoning the pan.

A good weblink for seasoning, using and the care of your skillet would be:

http://www.fantes.com/seasoning.htm

I hope this helps

Answer 7

Clean it really well with steel wool, then re-season it. To do this, rub a little cooking oil over the inside and place on the stove over a small flame. Heat until it's hot. Let it cool. Rub a small amount or oil over the inside again before putting it away. In the future, do NOT use steel wool, detergent or harsh abrasives again, and the seasoning should last. Just rinse it with warm water and wipe dry with a paper towel. If the inside looses its shine, just use a little more oil. Do not use this pan to cook anything in liquid or the finish will need to be restored again.

Answer 8

It's never to late to save an iron skillet. If it has rust, you need to get that off before re seasoning the pan. I've seen special pads that do that at stores that specialize in iron cookware. Make sure you get the rust off before re seasoning it.

Link below covers removing the rust and re seasoning the pan.

Answer 9

We still use a lot of Iron cook-wear, Just wash as normaly you would, Just after you dry it, wipe it with a very fine layer of cooking oil, this will keep it from rusting, just make sure to put the pan up-side down , so this don't stick to it.

Answer 10

Do not let it soak in water or let water stand in it. Scrub it with a scrubber-sponge and pat dry with a paper towel. They are good to fry things in such as shrimp. They are excellent for preparing scrambled eggs also.=]