I have tested every food grade oil, lard, grease there is and found that Crisco butter flavor gets the item the richest darkest black. I have removed years of seasoning/ patina, rust and everything else that has found it way to a cast iron cookware item by putting it in high heat until like Jean said it turns grey, that is the natural raw iron state, from there you MUST re-season the item. I am 77 as I type this so that spans a couple of long generations to use what worked for them and for me also. I am sure that there will be those who will argue my tactics so I will close by saying that my family, going back to my grandparents, have passed down these tips to keep cast iron serviceable. Remember that the cleaning cycle’s purpose is to incinerate to ash everything of an organic origin that has dripped, flaked off, or otherwise arrived in the bottom of the oven or hanging from the racks.

Lodge, I noticed, still has a raised ring on most of their cast iron made today. That was one of the reasons why many old cast iron manufacturers would put a raised “ring” around the bottom of their iron to minimize the amount of direct contact with certain types of heat sources. during the cleaning cycle, you will not be able to “unwarp” it once the bottom is round. Regarding removing rust by putting the cast iron in the oven on a “cleaning” cycle, keep in mind that should that iron warp from the extended length of time at up to 550 F. The problem comes from using the pan to cook a meal on January 1st and then not dragging out the iron again until the 4th of July! Leaving a cast iron pan or Dutch oven or any other cast iron kitchen utensil, for that matter, in the closet for that long with most any animal based fat for seasoning will probably encourage the coating to turn rancid the same way that a jelly jar of bacon fat sitting on the counter for months will probably get pretty ripe from not using it or storing it improperly for that long of a time. if you use your iron on a regularl basis, there should be no problem with either of these or with lard or any other animal based fats if you are heating the pan more than once every few weeks or months. I have used bacon fat or good ol’ Crisco before putting the pan away. I know there are all kinds of “best” ways to restore cast iron but there are a few things to stay away from if you want to keep your iron useable for years to come.įirst of all, do you use your iron on a daily basis or more than twice a week? Or do you bring it out whenever the urge strikes, cook something in it, and store it for another 4 to 6 months before pulling it out again? The difference will make a difference in what kind of oil you use to season your pan. I have read all of these comments and feel compelled to offer my two cents into the mix.

“After it gets done eating the rust, it will start eating the iron.”ģ. Once you have scrubbed the skillet clean of rust, rinse it thoroughly with water. “With vinegar, you don’t want to go longer than necessary,” Jeff says. Let the skillet soak a little longer if needed, but don’t get taken in by the idea that if one hour is good, ten hours is ten times better. But for removing serious rust, Jeff Rogers offers these tips: What you’ll need:ġ. Soak each piece of rusty cast iron in a solution of one part vinegar and one part water.Ģ. Using the brush, test each piece after 30 minutes to an hour to see if the rust is coming off. Is it a total loss?Ī little surface rust on a cast-iron skillet can often be remedied with steel wool and some elbow grease.

After Hurricane Harvey’s flood waters receded, my cast-iron cookware was covered in rust.

Remove rust from cast iron