How do you take care of cast iron cookware?

Question

I have some cast iron that needs to be reseasoned. I don't remember how it is done. How do you get years of use off and what is the proper way to clean them after use? Can you just wash them in a sink of warm soapy water. If not how are they sanitized? Thank you!

Answer 1

Sorry, I didn't read through the other answers, so I might be repeating or even contradicting the others, but here goes...

I've been using cast iron cookware for years, as has my father. He is set in his ways about how to take care of them, and his main rule is "NEVER wash them in soapy water!" This removes the seasoning you work so hard to put into the pans.

Whenever he gets a new piece of cast iron (I say "new" but mean "new to him" because the ones on the market today are pieces of junk and not mirror smooth on the inside) he will have it sandblasted to remove all residue on it. (this makes them a shiny (silver) color instead of black) Then he bakes them for several hours in the oven on a low temp with bacon drippings or cooking oil. Cast iron is porous, and the heat will cause the oil to spread throughout the pan. Keep checking on them, and adding the oil/grease to it. The pan should start to darken. You want it to be near black by the time it is ready.

To clean: Wash in hot running water. Use a steel sponge, but do not scrub hard, unless there is a stubborn cooked-on food spot. Dry immediately on a hot stove top. Dab a paper towel in shortening or bacon grease and rub into dry hot pan (be careful to not get burnt) or just spray with a cooking spray.

Do not ever let pan sit in water for long periods of time, or let water sit in pan. This will cause rust and/or remove your seasoning.

The heat from the washing, and drying is enough to sanitize your pan.

A properly seasoned pan is almost non-stick. Glassy smooth on the inside, and crusty on the outside.

Another tip, always spray with a little cooking spray before cooking anything in it, even if it doesn't call for it. This ensures your cookware will absorb the spray first before the food.

Answer 2

Seasoned Cast Iron can be considered the "grandfather" to today's "non-stick" cookware.
Cast Iron Cookware must be seasoned properly and it will last a life-time. ( I still use my Grandmother's cast iron skillets on a regular basis and they must be at least 60-70+ years old.)

New Pans:
Heat the oven to 250o - 300o
Coat the pan with lard or bacon grease. Don't use a liquid vegetable oil because it will leave a sticky surface and the pan will not be properly seasoned.
Put the pan in the oven. In 15 minutes, remove the pan & pour out any excess grease. Place the pan back in the oven and bake for 2 hours.
Repeating this process several times is recommended as it will help create a stronger "seasoning" bond.

Also, when you put the pan into service, it is recommended to use it initially for foods high in fat, such as bacon or foods cooked with fat, because the grease from these foods will help strengthen the seasoning.

Pans needing Re-Seasoning:
If the pan was not seasoned properly or a portion of the seasoning wore off and food sticks to the surface or there is rust, then it should be properly cleaned and re-seasoned.

Remove any food residue by cleaning the pan thoroughly with hot water and a scouring pad. I understand that heating the pan first to a temperature that is still safe to touch helps open the pores of the metal and makes it easier to clean.
Dry the pan immediately with dish towel or paper towel.
Season the pan as outlined above.
Caring for Cast Iron Cookware:
Seasoning a cast iron pan is a natural way of creating non-stick cookware. And, like you cook and clean the modern non-stick cookware with special care to avoid scratching the surface, your cast iron cookware wants some special attention too.
Clean the cookware while it is still hot by rinsing with hot water and scraping when necessary. Do not use a scouring pad or soap (detergent) as they will break down the pan's seasoning.
Never store food in the cast iron pan as the acid in the food will breakdown the seasoning and the food will take on a metallic flavor.
Store your cast iron cookware with the lids off, especially in humid weather, because if covered, moisture can build up and cause rust. Should rust appear, the pan should be re-seasoned.
When you purchase cast iron cookware, they are medium gray in color, but after usage, they start turning darker. (My pans are very black in color.) This is normal and should be expected.

Answer 3

miss Jane's have been given you coated. i've got been cooking in forged iron skillets for over 35 years. I do it her way. I stay in the barren area. I gently oil all my forged iron. it incredibly is in no way rusted and maintained it incredibly is non-stick high quality for rather some those years. I incredibly have sanded forged iron cookware that i got here upon abandoned at a lake the place i replaced into fishing with my son. A skillet have been left sitting on a rock and have been there probably for weeks. It replaced into rusted besides the undeniable fact that it had a cope with sort that i like so i desperate to attempt and rescue the factor. good that I did. I sanded it with a Dremel sander, then scrubbed it out with metallic wool and Ajax. I rinsed and dried the experienced and then had to re-season the pan. I rubbed it with oil and baked it in a sluggish oven for a pair of hours. I wiped sparkling out the previous oil out and repeated the oil and baking technique two times extra. it incredibly is in nice shape. back to uninteresting cleansing. If i will get by using in basic terms rinsing under the faucet and wiping with a paper towel, then I do this. yet a dunk in soapy dish water is mandatory in some cases if i'm feeling lazy and don't sparkling the pan suitable away. I frequently use a splash scotch brite pad or a plastic scrubber if something does stick. Do wipe the interior of your dry pans with a splash cooking oil. you're no longer including a thick coat of oil. Rancidity will in no way be a difficulty. it incredibly is not rocket technology. After some makes use of, you would be conscious your pans in basic terms save getting extra suitable.

Answer 4

I have been using cast iron since I was 10 yrs old. Almost 40 years. This works better than anything you will find.

First, yes u can wash them in soappy water, but dry them immediatly. Then coat with a very thin layer of shortening.

To season them, first wash! Then the best two (2) ways to season is bake a cake or a can of bisquits in them.

The cake shortening and flour bottom and sides of pan.
Bisquits just shortening bottom and sides. Afterwards wipe clean. Done.

Answer 5

Getting the years of use off involves soaking and scraping and perhaps using oven cleaner (with gloves) and sharp tools (you aren't going to harm the iron.) Stainless steel wire pot cleaners are useful.
In the greatest extreme, if you have a self-cleaning oven, the high heat kind, put it in there for a cleaning cycle.
When you get off all you are willing to fight with and the inside is smooth, dry it, heat it a bit to dry it more, take some Crisco or oil on a paper towel and wipe it warm, then heat it up and let it cool in air. It should wipe clean after cooking and you should be able to get a dry clean surface without using soap and water. If you do use it, oil the surface and heat dry.
This is a pot, you are going to heat it to something between boiling and frying (212 - 450 F), sanitizing is going to take care of itself - it isn't a plate where stuff is put at room temp.

Answer 6

I have been using cast iron for 30 years and eating food all my life cooked in cast iron all my family have used it. I have no other pans in my kitchen and the advise you have received so far is way off . NEVER WASH CAST IRON IN SOAPY WATER, THE PANS PICK UP THE SOAP FLAVOR AND IT IS HARD TO GET RID OF THE SOAPY TASTE. clean your pans in plain water. if rusty or pitted sand them with sand paper 150 grit works well. wash in clean water and put on heated stove to dry. To season your pan you must rub the pan with oil. (I know every one will disagree here but it is the best way so here goes) The best seasoning oil is Lard yes Lard. It seasons the pan only. you cook with Olive oil but you season with lard.Rub the lard in the interior surfaces of all the pans to be seasoned. place in oven at 250 degrees for 2 hours. remove pans and wipe excess lard away. they are now ready to use. When you use them add Olive oil and cook as any other pan. when done clean immediately with water and only water. place on hot stove till dry. The pan disenfects itself when you cook in it. allgerms die at cooking tempatures. The best restraunts all over the world use cast iron for it's even cooking and ease of cleaning as well as for the flavor that the iron takes on from the food. If you are serious you will have pans only for beef, chicken and fish like I do. Please don't wash them in soap. I will never sleep knowing that you do this.

Answer 7

To reseason your cast iron cookware, place them on high heat after putting a small amount of cooking oil on them.

After cooking wash them in soapy water and rinse them. Dry them with a paper towel and place them on heat again just to dry them thoroughly. You can again lightly rub cooking oil on them and store.

Answer 8

Clean your cast iron with warm soapy water: never scour it! To season it coat with lard and put in a moderately hot oven just until it smokes, beware of your smoke alarm! Real seasoning takes years of cooking to perfect!

Answer 9

wash it with soap and water, then heat up your burner, put some shortening on a paper towel( about a teaspoon) . let pan get warm to hot, not real hot. then take off burner and wipe shortening all over the inside. i usually just stick mine in the oven when i am done seasoning them. it is too hard to put away with other pots and pans as the grease gets every where.

Answer 10

take cooking oil and and paper towel, rub the inside of the cook ware.... and leave it.... to clean cookware, warm soapy water,, rinse well ,, put on top of a stove to dry on a low or med. heat.. this helps bake in the oil. thus keeps things from sticking.