Cast Iron Pan Care

How To Restore a Rusty Cast Iron Skillet

1. If you need to strip old seasoning, put pan in self cleaning oven and cook for 2 hours.  Alternatively you can soak in Easy-Off for 24 hrs in a heavy duty trash bag, then rinse thoroughly with soap and water.  Soak in 1:1 ratio of distilled white vinegar and water (to remove lye).  
2. Remove all the rust: Use fine steel wool to remove rust from affected areas. Scour the skillet until the area returns to raw cast iron.
3. Wash the skillet thoroughly: Wash the cast iron with warm water and mild dish soap. Scrub with bristle brush, gentle scouring pad, or mesh sponge if needed. 
4. Rinse with cold water then dry the skillet: Thoroughly dry the cast iron immediately with a clean dish towel or paper towels.
5. Place a cookie sheet covered with foil on the bottom rack of oven.
6. Preheat oven to 200°F with the pan to open the pores of the iron a little. Turn off oven.
7. Take pan out and set it on a paper towel.
8. Pour a little oil on it (preferrably 100% pure flax seed oil), and rub the oil all over the pan with your hands, making sure to get into every nook and cranny.
9. Rub pan off with paper towels or a cotton cloth until it looks like there is no oil left on the surface. The pan should look dry, not glistening with oil. 
10. Put the pan upside down in a cold oven. 
11. Turn the oven to a baking temperature of 450°F (or as high as your oven goes) and let the pan preheat with the oven. 
12. When it reaches temperature, set the timer for an hour. After an hour, turn off the oven but do not open the oven door. 
13. Let it cool off with the pan inside for two hours, at which point it’s cool enough to handle. This is the first coating.
14. Again rub on the oil, wipe it off, put it in the cold oven, let it preheat, bake for an hour, and let it cool in the oven for two hours. 
15. Repeat. You need at least 6 coatings.

How to clean

1. Wash your warm pan with hot water and use a sponge or stiff non-metal brush to remove cooking residue. 
2. Slough off tough bits of stuck-on food by pouring a cup of coarse kosher salt into the  still-warm skillet. Squeeze a folded kitchen towel with tongs and scrub the pan with the salt. Toss the salt and rinse the pan with hot water.
3. DRY IT COMPLETELY. Place it on the stove-top over low heat for 5 minutes. 
4. Rub it with a little shortening, lard, bacon grease, or vegetable oil. 
5. Heat for 5 to 10 minutes more, remove from heat, and allow to cool. 
6. Wipe with another cloth or paper towel to remove excess grease.
7. Store in dry place.

Source: Read the article: Chemistry of Cast Iron Seasoning: A Science-Based How To by Sheryl Canter