How to Recondition a Rusted Cast Iron Skillet
Cooks love cast iron for its durability and even heat distribution. A properly seasoned skillet needs very little additional oil to keep foods from sticking. You can often find old cast iron skillets at garage sales and thrift stores. Even a skillet orange with rust can be restored and used for many years. Don't try to restore a skillet that is heavily pitted, cracked or warped. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Soap and water
- Soft towel
- Fine grit sandpaper or steel wool
- Oven
- Vegetable shortening
- Leather gloves
- Paper towel
Instructions
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1
Wash the skillet with soap and water to remove dirt and old grease. Dry thoroughly.
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2
Use steel wool or fine sandpaper to rub off as much rust as possible from the inside and outside of the skillet. This will take elbow grease and time, so you may want to tackle it a little at a time over several days. Sand the skillet inside and out, but only enough to remove the rust. Wash the skillet again and dry with a soft cloth.
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3
Put the clean, dry skillet in a cold oven and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Once the oven has reached this temperature, remove the skillet and coat inside and out with a thin coat of vegetable shortening. Wear leather gloves and use an old rag to wipe down the skillet with shortening, moving quickly so as not to burn yourself.
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4
Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Return the skillet to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. At the end of thirty minutes, switch off the oven and allow the seasoned skillet to cool completely before removing it from the oven.
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5
Store pans between layers of paper toweling or brown paper to absorb excess moisture. For long-term storage, coat thinly with shortening and wrap in newspaper.
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