The Cast Iron Skillet

[Bob F.]

Hhhmmmm, yeah, I've heard that, sounds reasonable (if ya' got a campfire handy! Guess it could be arranged). I've also heard salt, but not sure of the proceedure.

Thanks.
Bob

[mtnbkr]

We were burning leaves, yard waste, etc at my grandmother's once when she came out, cast iron pans in hand, and tossed them into the fire for a good cleaning.

Chris

[Scout26]

Toss it in a hot campfire.  When it burns to ash, dig out the pot, wash it well, then reseason.

Chris

Then use it to beat the person that put motor oil in it.

[BryanP]

Then use it to beat the person that put motor oil in it.

They'll want to do that *before* cleaning it.  There's iron in human blood but you don't want it on your cookware.  eew.

[charby]

OK, Experts, as long as we're on the subject---I inherited Mom's cast iron skillets, Sis doesn't have a clue as to how to use them. I love 'em. However, I have a Dutch Oven I use primarily as a deep fryer; I have done an occassional roast in it. But I found an old camp Dutch Oven, i.e. w/ legs and a lip arouind the lid, in Granny's basement. Looks as though somebody has put motor oil in it. So how do I clean it prior to reseasoning? I wanna make some fresh peach cobbler @ the gun club steak fry!

Thanks,
Bob

Upside down on a gas grill, let is burn until it quits smoking, wash well with soap and water, heat back up to dry the water, then reseason. I use a gas grill to season all my cast iron.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

in the oven during self cleaning cycle works too

[K Frame]

To be perfectly honest, I have NEVER EVER understood the "I'll never use soap!" but I'll scour the hell out of it with salt!

Salt is abrasive as hell and is potentially a LOT more damaging to the seasoning layer than dish detergent ever could be!

Baking soda is a lot better because it is much, much finer, but baking soda is also an abrasive.

[mtnbkr]

in the oven during self cleaning cycle works too

I've done that before too.  Too hot this time of year though, outside methods are better.  I only run the oven cleaning cycle during the coldest part of the winter.

Chris

[K Frame]

When my pans need to be burned out to get rid of any crust, I simply take them out to the backyard put them in the Weber kettle, and build a nice, hot briquette fire in them.

That usually does the chore.

If they are REALLY bad, I'll put a layer of coals down under the pan, then fill the pan with more.


And, if you want to get rid of grease in your pan without totally cleaning it out?

Coarse corn meal.

And, if you have things that are burned on that you want to scrape off? Don't use a metal spatula, go get yourself a cheap wood spatula at the local kitchen store.

[AmbulanceDriver]

With motor oil, even if it's "burned out" of the pan, I'd be nervous about what non-petroleum additives might still be left behind in the pores of the iron....

[Hawkmoon]

With motor oil, even if it's "burned out" of the pan, I'd be nervous about what non-petroleum additives might still be left behind in the pores of the iron....

^^^ This.

[Marnoot]

I think maybe the no-soap thing came from back when soap was all pretty harsh? I've never had regular dish soap do anything to the seasoning layer on any of my cast-iron pans.

[Bob F.]

Wow, thanks, gas grill here I come!!

Don't think it's really motor oil. I put it in the oven @ 200 like I do all my cast iron if I have to rinse 'em. This thing bled black goo out of the pores plus whatever was in the bottom.

I'll let y'all know how it turns out.

Thanks.
Bob

[K Frame]

"I think maybe the no-soap thing came from back when soap was all pretty harsh?"

Some time ago I read an interesting theory that it actually stems not from harsh soap use, but from people boiling either woodash or lye in their cast iron while making soap.

My Mom used to make lye soap and I can verify just how harsh a pot of boiling lye water is.

Back in those days the only cookware most people had was cast iron. Some of them MAY have had some enameled "stoneware" pots and pans, but apparently most didn't.

Often the soap was made in the same large kettle that was used for rendering lard during butchering.

Boiling lye in one of those while making soap after it's been nicely seasoned rendering lard would A) clean every molecule of fat off the surface of the iron (not to mention just about everything else) and B) give the impression that getting "soap" anywhere near cast iron would do the same thing.

The fact is, though, that once you've added your fats and oils to the lye (in proper proportions) and it's completely... hydrolized?, the lye is completely neutralized and the end product, while a strong cleanser, isn't really that much harsher than a lot of the soaps we have today.

[280plus]

I have a slew of well seasoned old iron pans from Granny. Unfortunately we have one of theose glass cooktops and I'm deathly afraid I'll shatter it if I use the pans. So they languish... 

[grislyatoms]

Teflon - "Don't do this x ad infinitum" "Replace if necessary"
Stainless or cast iron - "Do this x 1 or 2 or 3" "Re-season if necessary"

All my cookware is stainless or cast.