Do you simply wipe the grease from the last cooking with a paper towel, or are you supposed to totally wash and scrub it and season again with fresh oil?
2007-10-28 10:15:54 · 7 answers · asked by Ape Sith 4 in Food & Drink ➔ Ethnic Cuisine
Diane, when you need a question answered, you go to the experts. Typically Cajun Cookery is where you see cast iron skillets, because they are so effective for cooking blackened foods.
2007-10-28 11:56:26 · update #1
never use soap, just wash it in hot water, Then take a some cooking oil, not much, take a paper towel, wipe on the inside. Put on stove and just heat it up. Then it ready for the next time. Never, let it soak in water, will rust it fast.
2007-10-28 11:11:42 · answer #1 · answered by good old boy 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I use one of the methods that the first poster mentioned... just scrape or rinse out any big blobs, then add a half-inch or less of water and let come to a boil for a minute while I'm finishing up; then I'll give it a quick scrub around with a plastic scrubber brush, and take to the sink to dump out and rinse with a bit more water.
Once back on the stove, I'll often give the skillet a quick swipe with a tissue to remove most of the water, and since the burner and skillet still have residual heat any little bit left evaporates right away.
I do oil mine every time to prevent rusting, but quickly. I keep a small plastic squeeze bottle of oil right next to the cooktop and squeeze a little into the skillet, then wipe it around briefly with another tissue. Done.
Sounds like a lot, but actually takes very little time and the skillet is all nice and clean for next time.
Btw... why did you put "Cajun cooks" in your subject line? Do they season or use their cast iron skillets any differently than the rest of us??
Diane B.
2007-10-28 17:56:12 · answer #2 · answered by Diane B. 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You should never use soap on an iron skillet, it removes the "seasoning" Just wipe out the grease from the last cooking and you will be good.
The only time you need to really scrub it is if the food you cooked will not come off any other way.
I grew up with iron skillets and have 5 of my own=)
2007-10-28 17:24:20 · answer #3 · answered by paganmom 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
wipe clean if you can ...if not wash and put on burner to dry...either way coat with oil afterwards
here this explains in more detail
Care and cleaning after seasoning
Frying in a cast iron pan will help maintain the seasoning, as will roasting fatty meats or other greasy foods. Prolonged contact with wet or acidic foods, such as tomatoes, can dissolve or damage the finish.
It is a common misconception that one should never use dish soap to clean seasoned cast iron cookware, as some believe this will immediately remove the oil, and 'unseason' the pan (or even, according to some cooks, leave soap residue that will poison the food). However, a very well-seasoned pan may tolerate dilute dish soap, and for infrequently used pans, this may be preferable to leaving rancid grease on the cooking surface. In general, however, regular washing with soap is not recommended. When cast iron cookware is washed with soap it should be lightly oiled before it is used or stored away.
There are several methods for cleaning seasoned bare cast iron cookware:
Scrub the inside of a warmed pan with a tablespoon of a coarse salt, such as kosher salt, add a small amount of olive oil, and rub with a small piece of an old cotton cloth. Rinse with cold water.
Scrub the pan with boiling or near-boiling water and a stiff nylon or fiber brush.
Use veggie wash (milder than soap) and a stiff nylon or fiber brush.
Boil a solution of cornstarch or rice starch and water in the pan, tilting the pan to make sure the boiling liquid touches all the way up the sides. Then pour out the resulting grease-water-starch solution, and peel off whatever dries onto the sides of the pan. Rinse the pan in hot water.
In all cases, the cookware should be dried thoroughly after washing, and oiled lightly if not already very well seasoned.
2007-10-28 17:22:29 · answer #4 · answered by heartbroken 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
STOP! Don't scrub a seasoned cast iron skillet, just wipe off the grease!
2007-10-28 17:49:35 · answer #5 · answered by Hung Lowe 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Wash it with hot water and wipe dry. You don't need to season it again.
2007-10-28 23:29:26 · answer #6 · answered by Ramona 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
JUST WIPE OUT WITH DAMP CLOTH, IF YOU HAVE STUCK ON STUFF BOIL WATER, WHEN UFOOD PARTICLE BECOME UNSTUCK POUR OUT WATER AND KEEP ON HEAT TO DRY, (WATCH THE PAN YOU DONT WANT IT TO SMOKE) THEM DAMPIN A PAPER TOWEL WITH VEG OIL AND WIPE AROUND PAN. YOU DONT EVER WANT TO SCRUB OR USE SOAP
2007-10-28 17:22:44 · answer #7 · answered by sadie 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋