K. Reece wrote:
> "Psychotron" > wrote in message
> news >
>>K. Reece wrote:
>>
>>>"Psychotron" > wrote in message
.. .
>>>
>>>
>>>>Well... Not exactly ruined, but I think I have to
>>>>start over with seasoning. She fried up some sausage
>>>>and left the grease standing in it for about 3 days.
>>>>She doesn't like my iron skillet and expected me to
>>>>clean it. I left it assuming she would do it. I
>>>>finally gave in and cleaned it. I seasoned it after
>>>>I bought it and only cleaned it with hot water and
>>>>a brush since. Now since it it had grease standing in
>>>>it for 3 days the black is starting to flake off. I
>>>>scrub it very hard and when I wipe it there is always
>>>>black flakes. It's noticably flaking off. Do I have
>>>>to burn it now and start over or do you think the
>>>>flaking will stop? Will the flaked off parts fill
>>>>back in with a black surface?
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>How is a cast iron pan "ruined" with grease? You season it with grease
>
> and
>
>>>you leave the seasoning in the pan.
>>>
>>>As far as I know the only way to actually ruin a cast iron pan is to
>
> break
>
>>>it into pieces. Even after they've been sitting around for years
>
> covered
>
>>>with rust they're not ruined.
>>>
>>>Kathy
>>>
>>
>>Did you read the post? I said... "Not exactly ruined,
>>but I think I have to start over with seasoning."
>
>
> Uhhh, yeah. Grease will ruin the grease seasoning and need to be reseasoned
> with grease. Yeah, sure, that makes sense.
>
> Kathy
>

Well... If you believe that a pan becomes _seasoned_ then you should
believe that it is process that takes time and is a thin buildup of
grease and baked on food scale (very thin). It's not entirely grease
or we would not have to wait for the seasoning and therefore it would
not be called seasoning. We'd just wipe on more grease. I theorized
that the seasoning layer was lifted by leaving grease set in the
pan too long possible softening it this layer causing it to flake.

Why when we want to start over with seasoning do we burn the pan
in a fire? Just to remove grease? No! We could do that with soap.
There's more to seasoning than just grease. You can ruin the seasoning
on a pan causing it to need re-seasoned.