cast iron cookware care

[Egon]

Cleaning hard deposits on cast iron: anyone tried a needle scaler?

Electrolysis: cleaned up a rusted up old hook pictures.

Hook submerged in bucket
Hook before and after




Note: if the copper positive clip gets under water it will dissaperances.

 

[Baby Grand]

The Plant Manager collects cast iron cookware, and she also cooks with it.
I support her collecting, happily, based on the great food I've been getting, lately.
For cleaning up some of her garage sale finds, she uses either electrolysis or a lye tank, depending on what kind of deposits she wants to remove.
She has warned me that overheating and warping any of her cookware is grounds for revenge.
Like leaving my tools out in the rain.
I don't think she would really do it, but ... I'm not going to push it.
For seasoning, she uses lard that she rendered from one of our pig share purchases.
By the way, there's nothing in this world like a pie with crust made using leaf-lard.

 

[sailorman]

Can you post pictures?

I 'll do some pix sometime this weekend . I liked the video on electrolysis !

 

[sseelhoff]

I used Easy Off spray oven cleaner to clean garage sale cast iron pieces. Spray, let sit overnight on thick newspaper, wash in the morning.

I have found "seasoning" cast iron pans with several coats of FLAX OIL to be superior to any other treatment. I use edible "Barlean's Flax Oil, 100% organic". Food grade Flax oil is readily available in health food stores. An eight ounce container will prep pans through your lifetime.

Flax oil is used in the manufacture of paint, which may explain its longevity as a cast iron pan treatment.

After flax oil treatment you can use soap and water washing pans and slickness does not disappear.

I was told you never use soap on cast iron. Iron is porous and will absrb the soap, distorting the flavor of the food. I tske it you have not had these issues? I use a nylon brush and hot water only.

 

[Gunny]

I've always used warm water and a little salt to scrub my cast iron, then put them over a stove burner to dry them.

I also re-season mine about once a year, not a big job nor a long job, but that way I know they're always good to go.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Intense heat WILL warp CI, and every once in a le, a piece will crack too... I've seen it happen...

Needle scaler scratches the heck out of CI, that's NOT the way I'd treat any of my good CI!

The guy in the vid I posted, has it right!

SR

 

[sailorman]

Thanks guys . Lots of good info . Proves once again that TBN is a great brain trust .

 

[TomSeller]

I was told you never use soap on cast iron. Iron is porous and will absrb the soap, distorting the flavor of the food. I tske it you have not had these issues? I use a nylon brush and hot water only.

Agree, the cast iron does retain somewhat what it is exposed to. That is the reason I didn't use oven cleaner.

 

[TomSeller]

One thing to mention about electrolysis, DO NOT DO IT INDOORS ! You can do it under cover, but with very good ventilation. The gases are explosive and could be toxic, depending on what was on the cast iron. Do it outside. Please read the attached link for other safety precautions. Washing soda is the best thing to use.

Electrolytic Rust Removal

 

[Jstpssng]

Interesting thread. I have used my needle scaler on a $3.00 Lodge dutch oven that I bought at a yard sale. It did a good initial cleaning and got the heavy rust off. After a few more steps I heated it outside with my Red Dragon torch to prep seasoning... I can hear some of you shouting in disbelief from here.