How to Care for a Rusty Cast Iron Skillet
Found an old neglected cast-iron skillet or a rusty Dutch oven at a yard sale? Or did you unintentionally neglect yours? You can fix it. A rusty cast-iron skillet is easy to salvage and simple to care for. Cast-iron skillets come in a range of sizes and shapes and, if properly cared for, are easy to keep in working condition. The original "non-stick skillet" requires seasoning and only minimal care, and it will last for generations. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Nonmetal scrub pads
- Nonmetal scrub brush
- Paper towels
- Fine sandpaper
- Lard, oil, shortening or bacon fat
- Aluminum foil
Instructions
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1
Scrub the skillet vigorously with a scrub brush or scrub pad, to remove as much surface rust as possible. Rinse the skillet occasionally with hot water, and wipe dry with paper towels. Repeat as many times as necessary to remove as much rust as possible.
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2
Use fine sandpaper to gently rub off any fine rust remaining on the cast-iron surface. Rinse and towel dry as necessary, and continue scrubbing with the pad, brush or sandpaper, until all the rust is removed and the skillet is down to bare iron. Rinse the skillet thoroughly with hot water, and towel dry. Do not, at any time, apply soap or any commercial cleaner to the skillet.
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3
Using clean paper towels, apply lard, oil or bacon fat to every bit of the surface of the pan. Make sure the entire surface is coated. Spread a large sheet of foil on the rack in your oven, set the skillet upside down on the foil, and turn the oven heat to 350 degrees F. Bake the skillet for at least an hour---this is called "seasoning" the cast iron.
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Leave the oven door shut, turn off the oven, and wait till the skillet is cool. Rinse the skillet lightly with warm water, and lightly wipe it dry with a paper towel. Repeat Step 3 twice.
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5
Care for your cast iron by rinsing it with hot water and wiping clean with paper towels. Use a nonmetal scrub pad or scrub brush only if necessary; if your skillet is hot and you rinse it with hot water and wipe it dry, you shouldn't need to scrub it at all. Repeat the seasoning steps if necessary to keep the skillet in good condition.
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6
Take severely rusted cast iron to a local machine shop or auto-body shop for sandblasting.
Rust that covers most or all of a skillet can be so severe that no amount of hand scrubbing will remove it. If you do take this step, be sure to season the skillet immediately.
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Tips & Warnings
Opinions and experiences of using fat or oil vary---some kitchen professionals swear by bacon fat and others will use only oil or shortening. They all work---try one or more and use the one you prefer.
You can also oil your skillet and then dust it lightly with coarse salt before baking. Rinse the skillet and towel dry after baking with salt.
Your kitchen will smell like smoky skillet for a while when you season your cast iron; baking bread or frying onions will help cover this.
A wood cookstove outside in the summer is the perfect spot for seasoning cast iron---you can bake the skillet on top of the stove!
Never use any kind of soap, detergent or other cleaner on cast iron; it will remove the seasoned finish.
