Cast iron cookware has been around since colonial times, and has a nostalgic charm and appeal. You might remember your grandmother frying up delicious chicken in a huge cast iron skillet, or the cowboy movies where the wranglers are all enjoying (or at least, eating) beans cooked in a cast iron Dutch oven hanging over the campfire. Besides its nostalgic appeal, cast iron is the most excellent and versatile cookware, and is enjoying a comeback.
Cast iron that is properly "seasoned" and cared for will give generations of cooking service, but perhaps you've inherited some cast iron from grandma, or picked some up at a garage sale, that has seen a lifetime of abuse, resulting in layers of baked-on grease and rust. Don't fret, because even the roughest cast iron can be rejuvenated and put back into kitchen duty! It isn't hard to repair gunky cast iron cookware, and then keep it in top shape for use afterwards.
There are many methods people use to restore cast iron. Some work better than others, and some can even cause damage to the cookware. An old-timey method is to bury the cookware in the embers of an outdoor fire and let the heat burn off the built-up residue from years of use. While this may work, the intense heat may warp, or even crack, the cookware. Don't try it on a piece of cast iron that you don't want to risk damaging!
A more modern method of cleaning years of accumulated grease off of cast iron is to simply put it in a self-cleaning oven during the cleaning cycle. Be sure to let the cookware cool down before you remove it from the oven! Cast iron retains heat very well, and may take a while to cool down enough to handle.
Of course, these two methods will only work if the cookware does not have wooden handles or knobs, but are completely made of iron.
Cast iron that is properly "seasoned" and cared for will give generations of cooking service, but perhaps you've inherited some cast iron from grandma, or picked some up at a garage sale, that has seen a lifetime of abuse, resulting in layers of baked-on grease and rust. Don't fret, because even the roughest cast iron can be rejuvenated and put back into kitchen duty! It isn't hard to repair gunky cast iron cookware, and then keep it in top shape for use afterwards.
There are many methods people use to restore cast iron. Some work better than others, and some can even cause damage to the cookware. An old-timey method is to bury the cookware in the embers of an outdoor fire and let the heat burn off the built-up residue from years of use. While this may work, the intense heat may warp, or even crack, the cookware. Don't try it on a piece of cast iron that you don't want to risk damaging!
A more modern method of cleaning years of accumulated grease off of cast iron is to simply put it in a self-cleaning oven during the cleaning cycle. Be sure to let the cookware cool down before you remove it from the oven! Cast iron retains heat very well, and may take a while to cool down enough to handle.
Of course, these two methods will only work if the cookware does not have wooden handles or knobs, but are completely made of iron.
- Cast iron cookware can last for generations with proper care!
- Old cast iron may need to be restored to be serviceable.
- Once your cast iron is restored, it takes only a little effort to keep it nice!
Comments
S: If the grime and rust are thoroughly cleaned off old cast iron it is safe to use. The only thing that will leach out is elemental iron. My hubby took an old, rusted cast iron dutch oven we had to work and used the sandblaster on it! It looks like new again.
S. Baylor
(Guest)
(Guest)
11/10/2009
Is old rusty cast iron safe to cook in if it's history is unknown? Could it leach something into food that one would not want to consume?
Salt works well for scrubbing, too. I never thought of using the oven self-cleaning setting-- my MIL gave me some old cast iron that I haven't gotten around to cleaning yet-- I'll have to check it out! Good tip about not using vegetable oil-- thanks!
Kaye, if they are only rusty, and not encrusted with goo, you may be able to remove the rust some fine steel wool and elbow grease, or even a dremel-type tool with a grinding wheel.
Kaye
(Guest)
(Guest)
07/03/2009
I have two cast iron dutch pots that were my moms many years ago. they are rusty. How is the best way to clean these?
We don't cook in anything else.
cory
(Guest)
(Guest)
12/13/2007
Iron is an excellent source for tired blood!
Reading your article all I can see is my dad seasoning our skillets growing up. Great info.
GGF: $1000 for cookware! I can't imagine it would cook any better than cast iron!
The self cleaning oven method is news to me... That is a great idea! I know you can't wash them with soapy water because it takes the seasoning out.
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