So I was using my beautiful ten inch cast iron skillet to make taco
meat and everything turned out great. Afterwards i cleaned it with
warm soapy water and hand dried. I placed it on an electric burner (i
know i know...i should use gas, but unfortunately where i live gas is
not an option). At any rate i took a phone call and walked away. When
I finally came back after the smell hit me, I noticed the pan was way
too hot to wipe down with oil. So i turned the coils down and went
away for a bit...not long enough. I poured a little bit of oil on the
outside edge and as soon as the stream contacted the middle of the
pan...poof. I was in hells kitchen with no baking soda. At any rate
is was not a lot of oil that had to burn off but it still left a
residue. A few hours later i decided to clean it again. I had to use
a copper scrubber to get off the burnt on residue (cooking side) and
also noticed that the bottom side had oxidized. Now I am upset and
freaked out that i ruined my cast iron. Thankfully the internet has
taught me there are several people out there that know more than me.
What is the best way to restore my cast iron?

Rusty - When I was a young bride, I purchased a 10" cast iron skillet,
which I still have 'til this day.

I recall having an experience similar to your's, and thinking I had
ruined the skillet. I oiled the thing down, and put it on a shelf out
in the garage, to use for camping only from then on. After years, of
camping, and cooking over open flames and nearly every kind of abuse
you can think of, the ole cast iron skillet is now a most treasured
item around my house.

STOP SCRUBBING that skillet. . .Instead put some oil on it, I'd suggest
the canned shortening kind. Put in the oven at a temperature of about
325 degrees and let it season for awhile.

When you take it out, let it cool, wipe it down and put it away. The
secret of cast iron cookery, is to never harshly cleanse it. Always
use mild liquid dish detergent, and mainly just wipe them down.

Myrl Jeffcoat
http://www.myrljeffcoat.com

wrote:
> Rusty - When I was a young bride, I purchased a 10" cast iron skillet,
> which I still have 'til this day.
>
> I recall having an experience similar to your's, and thinking I had
> ruined the skillet. I oiled the thing down, and put it on a shelf out
> in the garage, to use for camping only from then on. After years, of
> camping, and cooking over open flames and nearly every kind of abuse
> you can think of, the ole cast iron skillet is now a most treasured
> item around my house.
>
> STOP SCRUBBING that skillet. . .Instead put some oil on it, I'd
> suggest the canned shortening kind. Put in the oven at a temperature
> of about 325 degrees and let it season for awhile.
>
> When you take it out, let it cool, wipe it down and put it away. The
> secret of cast iron cookery, is to never harshly cleanse it. Always
> use mild liquid dish detergent, and mainly just wipe them down.
>
> Myrl Jeffcoat
> http://www.myrljeffcoat.com

I second that. I use my cast iron on the charcoal grill, it was never
harmed by direct flames so I can't see how sitting on a burner would
actually damage it. Oh, and if there's stuck-on stuff in the skillet, just
rub salt on it. It's the only abrasive I've ever needed and not even that
once cast iron is well seasoned.

Jill

Rusty wrote:
> So I was using my beautiful ten inch cast iron skillet to make taco
> meat and everything turned out great. Afterwards i cleaned it with
> warm soapy water and hand dried. I placed it on an electric burner (i
> know i know...i should use gas, but unfortunately where i live gas is
> not an option). At any rate i took a phone call and walked away. When
> I finally came back after the smell hit me, I noticed the pan was way
> too hot to wipe down with oil. So i turned the coils down and went
> away for a bit...not long enough. I poured a little bit of oil on the
> outside edge and as soon as the stream contacted the middle of the
> pan...poof. I was in hells kitchen with no baking soda. At any rate
> is was not a lot of oil that had to burn off but it still left a
> residue. A few hours later i decided to clean it again. I had to use
> a copper scrubber to get off the burnt on residue (cooking side) and
> also noticed that the bottom side had oxidized. Now I am upset and
> freaked out that i ruined my cast iron. Thankfully the internet has
> taught me there are several people out there that know more than me.
> What is the best way to restore my cast iron?
>


Quit freaking out. As long as it didn't crack, the skillet is fine. Quit
scrubbing it. If it's really a mess (like it's got burned on plastic) and
you can't clean it, burn it in the fireplace, wipe out the ashes, and
reseason it.

My mom used to burn her skillets every 3 or 4 years when the accumulation
of burnt Crisco and soot from the propane stove got too thick. They were
worn smooth from use and reseasoned almost immediately.

Best regards,
Bob

On Tue, 09 Jan 2007 23:57:25 -0600, zxcvbob >
wrote:

>> What is the best way to restore my cast iron?
>>
>
>
>Quit freaking out. As long as it didn't crack, the skillet is fine. Quit
>scrubbing it. If it's really a mess (like it's got burned on plastic) and
>you can't clean it, burn it in the fireplace, wipe out the ashes, and
>reseason it.
>
>My mom used to burn her skillets every 3 or 4 years when the accumulation
>of burnt Crisco and soot from the propane stove got too thick. They were
>worn smooth from use and reseasoned almost immediately.

If you have a self cleaning oven, I suppose you could put the skillet
in the oven and run it through a cleaning cycle. I've never tried
it... yet.

--
Zilbandy

"Rusty" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> So I was using my beautiful ten inch cast iron skillet to make taco
> meat and everything turned out great. Afterwards i cleaned it with
> warm soapy water and hand dried. I placed it on an electric burner (i
> know i know...i should use gas, but unfortunately where i live gas is
> not an option). At any rate i took a phone call and walked away. When
> I finally came back after the smell hit me, I noticed the pan was way
> too hot to wipe down with oil. So i turned the coils down and went
> away for a bit...not long enough. I poured a little bit of oil on the
> outside edge and as soon as the stream contacted the middle of the
> pan...poof. I was in hells kitchen with no baking soda. At any rate
> is was not a lot of oil that had to burn off but it still left a
> residue. A few hours later i decided to clean it again. I had to use
> a copper scrubber to get off the burnt on residue (cooking side) and
> also noticed that the bottom side had oxidized. Now I am upset and
> freaked out that i ruined my cast iron. Thankfully the internet has
> taught me there are several people out there that know more than me.
> What is the best way to restore my cast iron?
>

Short of melting it down, you can't ruin cast iron. You lost some of the
precious seasoning. OK, the good news is you can get it back. You've just
lost the strafe patina. Clean it up real good with a scrubber and then just
start the seasoning process again. It won't take as long this time around.
Coat it with oil, heat at 350 for an hour. Cool it, wipe it down, repeat.
Then it will be ready for use and will regain its non-stick qualities.

When I was in college, a dumbass roommate left my treasured iron skillet to
soak in dishwater. By the time I pulled it out it was a basket case. The
seasoning was mostly destroyed. I cleaned it up with a Brillo pad and
started anew but within a month of use it was almost like before.

They never found the roommates body, either.

Paul

"Paul M. Cook" > wrote in message
news:%M%oh.3498$AM4.3436@trnddc07...
>
> "Rusty" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> So I was using my beautiful ten inch cast iron skillet to make taco
>> meat and everything turned out great. Afterwards i cleaned it with
>> warm soapy water and hand dried. I placed it on an electric burner (i
>> know i know...i should use gas, but unfortunately where i live gas is
>> not an option). At any rate i took a phone call and walked away. When
>> I finally came back after the smell hit me, I noticed the pan was way
>> too hot to wipe down with oil. So i turned the coils down and went
>> away for a bit...not long enough. I poured a little bit of oil on the
>> outside edge and as soon as the stream contacted the middle of the
>> pan...poof. I was in hells kitchen with no baking soda. At any rate
>> is was not a lot of oil that had to burn off but it still left a
>> residue. A few hours later i decided to clean it again. I had to use
>> a copper scrubber to get off the burnt on residue (cooking side) and
>> also noticed that the bottom side had oxidized. Now I am upset and
>> freaked out that i ruined my cast iron. Thankfully the internet has
>> taught me there are several people out there that know more than me.
>> What is the best way to restore my cast iron?
>>
>
> Short of melting it down, you can't ruin cast iron. You lost some of the
> precious seasoning. OK, the good news is you can get it back. You've
> just lost the strafe patina.

Damn spell czecker. Strafe was supposed to be surface.

Paul

On 9 Jan 2007 20:49:30 -0800, "Rusty" >
wrote:

>So I was using my beautiful ten inch cast iron skillet to make taco
>meat and everything turned out great. Afterwards i cleaned it with
>warm soapy water and hand dried. I placed it on an electric burner (i
>know i know...i should use gas, but unfortunately where i live gas is
>not an option). At any rate i took a phone call and walked away. When
>I finally came back after the smell hit me, I noticed the pan was way
>too hot to wipe down with oil. So i turned the coils down and went
>away for a bit...not long enough.

Dork. Get smart and put it on a cool burner next time. You won't
break it by a sudden change of temperature.

> I poured a little bit of oil on the
>outside edge and as soon as the stream contacted the middle of the
>pan...poof. I was in hells kitchen with no baking soda. At any rate
>is was not a lot of oil that had to burn off but it still left a
>residue. A few hours later i decided to clean it again. I had to use
>a copper scrubber to get off the burnt on residue (cooking side) and
>also noticed that the bottom side had oxidized.

After just a "few" hours? No way Jose. I smell a fish.

>Now I am upset and
>freaked out that i ruined my cast iron. Thankfully the internet has
>taught me there are several people out there that know more than me.
>What is the best way to restore my cast iron?

RESTORE cast iron after that????? You fool. You idiot. You troll!
Scrub it down and re-season. That's all there is to it and don't be
so stupid next time.

Instead of trolling like an aspiring writer on semester break, come
back with a *real* cooking related question next time.

--
See return address to reply by email

On Tue, 09 Jan 2007 23:03:14 -0700, Zilbandy
> wrote:

>On Tue, 09 Jan 2007 23:57:25 -0600, zxcvbob >
>wrote:
>
>>> What is the best way to restore my cast iron?
>>>
>>
>>
>>Quit freaking out. As long as it didn't crack, the skillet is fine. Quit
>>scrubbing it. If it's really a mess (like it's got burned on plastic) and
>>you can't clean it, burn it in the fireplace, wipe out the ashes, and
>>reseason it.
>>
>>My mom used to burn her skillets every 3 or 4 years when the accumulation
>>of burnt Crisco and soot from the propane stove got too thick. They were
>>worn smooth from use and reseasoned almost immediately.
>
>If you have a self cleaning oven, I suppose you could put the skillet
>in the oven and run it through a cleaning cycle. I've never tried
>it... yet.


I did and it worked out just fine. You have to re-season from
scratch, but that's ok.

--
See return address to reply by email

On Wed, 10 Jan 2007 07:01:31 -0600, Alan wrote:

>Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
>Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
>Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
>Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
>Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
>Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
>Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
>Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
>Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!


Could you repeat that please...... <vbg>


The earth as we know it will not stop rotating.

I use a little Dawn and water every now and then. Particularly if I
have spilled grease on the outside of the pan when pouring out the
cold contents. All that will do is make a mess when you put the pan
away and then smoke up the kitchen when you reuse the pan.

On Tue, 09 Jan 2007 22:39:50 -0800, sf wrote:

> RESTORE cast iron after that????? You fool. You idiot. You troll!
> Scrub it down and re-season. That's all there is to it and don't be
> so stupid next time.
>
> Instead of trolling like an aspiring writer on semester break, come
> back with a *real* cooking related question next time.

Someone posts an on-topic question and you flame them? Why? Instead of
posting any useful advice or clarifying questions you jump right down
their throat.

"Food", "idiot", "troll"? Guess who comes off sounding that way to me?
(hint, it's not the OP)

Next time wait until you're sober before attempting Usenet.

--

-Jeff B.
zoomie at fastmail dot fm

You have not ruined it! (Ruined cast iron is cast iron that has split
or cracked -- difficult to do with good quality cast iron such as
US-made Lodge or Wagoner.) You have simply got a challenge to restore
it to your liking. You will get lots of good advice on this group.

Rusty wrote:
> So I was using my beautiful ten inch cast iron skillet to make taco
> meat and everything turned out great. Afterwards i cleaned it with
> warm soapy water and hand dried. I placed it on an electric burner (i
> know i know...i should use gas, but unfortunately where i live gas is
> not an option). At any rate i took a phone call and walked away. When
> I finally came back after the smell hit me, I noticed the pan was way
> too hot to wipe down with oil. So i turned the coils down and went
> away for a bit...not long enough. I poured a little bit of oil on the
> outside edge and as soon as the stream contacted the middle of the
> pan...poof. I was in hells kitchen with no baking soda. At any rate
> is was not a lot of oil that had to burn off but it still left a
> residue. A few hours later i decided to clean it again. I had to use
> a copper scrubber to get off the burnt on residue (cooking side) and
> also noticed that the bottom side had oxidized. Now I am upset and
> freaked out that i ruined my cast iron. Thankfully the internet has
> taught me there are several people out there that know more than me.
> What is the best way to restore my cast iron?

"Rusty" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> So I was using my beautiful ten inch cast iron skillet to make taco
> meat and everything turned out great. Afterwards i cleaned it with
> warm soapy water and hand dried. I placed it on an electric burner (i
> know i know...i should use gas, but unfortunately where i live gas is
> not an option). At any rate i took a phone call and walked away. When
> I finally came back after the smell hit me, I noticed the pan was way
> too hot to wipe down with oil. So i turned the coils down and went
> away for a bit...not long enough. I poured a little bit of oil on the
> outside edge and as soon as the stream contacted the middle of the
> pan...poof. I was in hells kitchen with no baking soda. At any rate
> is was not a lot of oil that had to burn off but it still left a
> residue. A few hours later i decided to clean it again. I had to use
> a copper scrubber to get off the burnt on residue (cooking side) and
> also noticed that the bottom side had oxidized. Now I am upset and
> freaked out that i ruined my cast iron. Thankfully the internet has
> taught me there are several people out there that know more than me.
> What is the best way to restore my cast iron?

The worst that could happen is that it cracked or was warped - the former is
obvious, and the latter is pretty rare. If it looks flat and sits flat,
it's ok. You just need some remedial work on the finish.
Basically, you want to get oil into the aspirations (microscopic peaks
and valleys) of the surface of the iron matrix, and then use heat to turn
the oil into a very thin layer of air-slowing oxidized-oil all over the
surface.
(I have cast - as in poured and filled molds with molten metal "cast" -
grey and white cast iron and created the black oxide in iron and steel, both
as an engineer and in hobbies. It's a pretty common technique, but much less
voodoo in the casting world than you find in pots and pans seasoning)

1) remove the residue. You can't "season" the pan if there is junk stuck on
the iron that gets in the way of the new oil bonding.
Scrape it off with the edge of a steel spatula if it's really heavy, rub
it off with a brillo pad. (And worst comes to worse, like if it's grandma's
old pan and it's really bad but you can't toss the $8 pan, you can use an
oscillating pad sander with 120 grit to smooth it off)

2) there are several ways to season the pan - most involve oil, heat, and
voodoo dolls, while some use oil and water and heat. And all work fairly
well - if the oil layer is complete, oxidized, and not too thick.

a) Oil that is heated and oxidized is called varnish. (yes, the same
"varnish" as is on the old cupboards, except that varnish is from a
different oil than the varnish "seasoned" on iron pans). Varnish blocks red
rust.

b) Iron turns red or black, depending on the type of oxide that forms. If
black forms, red will not. Red forms in the air rapidly, and basically
black forms slowly when the iron is partly protected from the air.

3) I have used several methods, and each has its benefits.

a) if you have a pan that has never been seasoned and needs to be seasoned
inside and out, you must use the oven method - lightly oil it all over, and
put it in a 375 oven for an hour. Use and time will deepen the outside
oxide.

b) if you have a pan that is already blackened on the outside, and only
the inside needs work - I use the stovetop method.
(This is also the method used for cleaning the pan after cooking, except
you don't add oil unless you have cooked tomato stuff. It is a quenching
method basically borrowed from casting's oil-spraying and water-quenching.)

FWIW, it takes a lot longer to explain it than it does to do it - that's
because it's technique senstive, like bread baking.

Put a couple tablespoons or so of oil in the pan (I use olive oil - most
oils will work), so you get a thin layer of oil in the pan when it's hot,
and heat the pan over med-high heat until the sides are nearly as hot as the
bottom. You can see the oil thin as it gets hot, but don't heat it so fast
you let it "dry out" on the bottom while the edges are still heating .

THIS DOES NOT WORK IF THE OIL AND PAN ARE NOT HOT ENOUGH WHEN THE WATER HITS
IT !!

Once the pan is hot, swirl or wipe the oil up the inner sides of the pan,
drain off any large amounts of excess oil, and return it to the heat. (You
just want the pan coated, not enough oil in it to deep-fry donuts.)

Next you will do a ten-second SURFACE quench of the iron to "fix" the oil
and create black oxide rapidly - you only want a very little water to fix
the oil, not so much that you boil off the oil with the steam.

- To get the quench, you must do it while the pan is hot, so you will move
quickly and carefully.

The following takes about ten seconds:

Mitt on each hand, stove vent on - Using a NATURAL bristle long-handled
vegetable brush, run the bristles under cold water - don't shake it.

Then pick up the hot pan off the stove and swirl the watered brush around
inside the pan, "cleaning the pan with the brush" - THERE WILL BE HEAVY
STEAM. Be thorough.

Re-dip the brush under running water and lightly brush the pan again,
draining off the residue into the sink and repeating once or twice until the
water does not boil off.

Drain off the remaining water, wipe dry, and hang on the rack or set on a
cold burner.

I've been using that method for 40 years with no problems and my pans are
more non-stick than teflon....

or you can make the voodoo dolls..

fwiw...














>

On 9 Jan 2007 21:41:04 -0800, rummaged among
random neurons and opined:

>Instead put some oil on it, I'd suggest
>the canned shortening kind. Put in the oven at a temperature of about
>325 degrees and let it season for awhile.

Vegetable oil! Vegetable oil! We've used the below instructions on the
DH's wonderful cast iron with great results:

From http://www.ehow.com/how_11103_season-cast-iron.html

Seasoning a cast-iron skillet with oil builds up an artificial
protective layer, thereby protecting it from rusting. Follow these
steps to enjoy your skillet for years to come.

Instructions

STEP 1: Scrub a new skillet with steel wool to remove its protective
coating, and wash with mild, soapy water. (If reseasoning an old
skillet, just scrub with hot water and a brush.)

STEP 2: Use a paper towel to coat the skillet with vegetable oil.

STEP 3: Heat, uncovered, for 2 hours in an oven at 250 degrees F.

STEP 4: Let cool before use.

Tips & Warnings
Once you've seasoned a skillet, avoid washing it with soap whenever
possible. Clean instead by wiping with a damp cloth after each use. If
you must wash it, clean with mild soap, avoiding detergents and
scouring pads; rinse and wipe dry immediately after washing, then oil
lightly with vegetable oil.

If food sticks to the skillet after cooking, rub with a paper towel
and an abrasive such as salt, then reapply vegetable oil. Store
uncovered.

If food starts sticking to the skillet during cooking, reseason it.
>
>When you take it out, let it cool, wipe it down and put it away. The
>secret of cast iron cookery, is to never harshly cleanse it. Always
>use mild liquid dish detergent, and mainly just wipe them down.

On seasoned pans, NO SOAP!!! None! Not even "mild liquid dish
detergent"!

Terry Pulliam Burd

--
"Most vigitaryans I iver see looked enough like their food to be
classed as cannybals."

Finley Peter Dunne (1900)

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"

On Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:37:16 GMT, Yeff > wrote:

>On Tue, 09 Jan 2007 22:39:50 -0800, sf wrote:
>
>> RESTORE cast iron after that????? You fool. You idiot. You troll!
>> Scrub it down and re-season. That's all there is to it and don't be
>> so stupid next time.
>>
>> Instead of trolling like an aspiring writer on semester break, come
>> back with a *real* cooking related question next time.
>
>Someone posts an on-topic question and you flame them? Why? Instead of
>posting any useful advice or clarifying questions you jump right down
>their throat.
>
>"Food", "idiot", "troll"? Guess who comes off sounding that way to me?
>(hint, it's not the OP)
>
>Next time wait until you're sober before attempting Usenet.

Take your foot out of your mouth.

--
See return address to reply by email

In article >,
Alan wrote:

> On 9 Jan 2007 20:49:30 -0800, "Rusty"
> > wrote:
>
> >So I was using my beautiful ten inch cast iron skillet to make taco
> >meat and everything turned out great. Afterwards i cleaned it with
> >warm soapy water and hand dried.
>
> Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
> Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
> Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
> Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
> Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
> Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
> Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
> Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
> Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
>
>
> That is how you ruin the seasoned surface which you should
> have carefully cultivated. . . . .

I have used hot soapy water on my cast-iron skillets for over twenty
years (I soak them and then don't scrub very hard, though). Still
non-stick. How long does it take to ruin them?

Isaac

>>I have used hot soapy water on my cast-iron skillets for over twenty
>>years (I soak them and then don't scrub very hard, though). Still
>>non-stick. How long does it take to ruin them?
>>
>>Isaac
>
>So, then, you re-season them every time after you wash them?
>
>????????
>
>The conventional wisdom is that you season them once, and
>then never use soapy water on them again. The seasoning
>leaves a layer on the inside that protects against rust, and
>tends to help make the pan non-stick.
>
>A little water and detergent destroys that, right away!

I also wash my cast iron pan in hot soapy water. How the hell else
would you get rid of tomato sauce, fried onions, and all kinds of
other goopy stuff? Wiping with a paper towel just doesn't cut it.

My pan still works just fine. I think it's about 40 years old.

Jo Anne

Alan wrote:
> On Thu, 11 Jan 2007 20:08:31 -0500, Jo Anne Slaven
> > wrote:
>
>>>> I have used hot soapy water on my cast-iron skillets for over twenty
>>>> years (I soak them and then don't scrub very hard, though). Still
>>>> non-stick. How long does it take to ruin them?
>>>>
>>>> Isaac
>>> So, then, you re-season them every time after you wash them?
>>>
>>> ????????
>>>
>>> The conventional wisdom is that you season them once, and
>>> then never use soapy water on them again. The seasoning
>>> leaves a layer on the inside that protects against rust, and
>>> tends to help make the pan non-stick.
>>>
>>> A little water and detergent destroys that, right away!
>> I also wash my cast iron pan in hot soapy water. How the hell else
>> would you get rid of tomato sauce, fried onions, and all kinds of
>> other goopy stuff? Wiping with a paper towel just doesn't cut it.
>>
>> My pan still works just fine. I think it's about 40 years old.
>>
>> Jo Anne
>
> You soak it in plain water -- overnight if necessary, but
> you don't let soap or detergent touch it!
>
> Alan


Once it's really well seasoned, the burnt varnish ("season") is not really
hurt by soap or detergent. It takes lye or a long soak in ammonia to
damage it.

Bob

hob wrote:

(snipped description of cast iron care)

>
> I've been using that method for 40 years with no problems and my pans are
> more non-stick than teflon....
>
> or you can make the voodoo dolls..
>
> fwiw...
>

What an excellent description of how you care for cast iron at various
stages in its life. Thank you for this.

Any opinions on pre-seasoned cast iron? I have a yen for a Dutch oven
and I have only once successfully seasoned a cast iron pan. Ok maybe
twice. I might buy a new pre-seasoned one if I don't find a used one
secondhand.

Leila.

"Leila" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> hob wrote:
>
> (snipped description of cast iron care)
>
> >
> > I've been using that method for 40 years with no problems and my pans
are
> > more non-stick than teflon....
> >
> > or you can make the voodoo dolls..
> >
> > fwiw...
> >
>
> What an excellent description of how you care for cast iron at various
> stages in its life. Thank you for this.
>
> Any opinions on pre-seasoned cast iron? I have a yen for a Dutch oven
> and I have only once successfully seasoned a cast iron pan. Ok maybe
> twice. I might buy a new pre-seasoned one if I don't find a used one
> secondhand.

Thinking out loud --- The cast iron doesn't care if you do it, or if someone
at the foundry does it - so it's not much different,

I think that pre-seasoned gets a bad name because some of it doesn't end
up like the old pans used by frequent cast iron users. But --
I would hazard a guess that the reason the preseasoned piece didn't get
the smooth and deep black oxide is because the piece wasn't used more than a
few times and then it was abandoned by the impatient user for not being as
black and smooth as they expected -- and that has little to do with the
pre-seasoning itself.

The more times you use cast iron, the more black oxide you form. The
deeper it gets, the harder it is to form more.
The more times you use cast iron, the more times you form and scrape off
the higher tips of the oxides from the pan, until the bottom is covered
with smooth black oxide.

Takes maybe a few hundred usings to get that teflon-smooth surface???


>
> Leila.
>

In article >,
Alan wrote:

> On Wed, 10 Jan 2007 22:28:16 -0800, isw >
> wrote:
>
> >In article >,
> > Alan wrote:
> >
> >> On 9 Jan 2007 20:49:30 -0800, "Rusty"
> >> > wrote:
> >>
> >> >So I was using my beautiful ten inch cast iron skillet to make taco
> >> >meat and everything turned out great. Afterwards i cleaned it with
> >> >warm soapy water and hand dried.
> >>
> >> Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
> >> Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
> >> Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
> >> Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
> >> Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
> >> Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
> >> Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
> >> Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
> >> Never use soapy water to clean a cast-iron skillet!
> >>
> >>
> >> That is how you ruin the seasoned surface which you should
> >> have carefully cultivated. . . . .
> >
> >I have used hot soapy water on my cast-iron skillets for over twenty
> >years (I soak them and then don't scrub very hard, though). Still
> >non-stick. How long does it take to ruin them?
> >
> >Isaac
>
> So, then, you re-season them every time after you wash them?

Nope -- well, not as a special effort, anyway. One of our favorite
dinners is pan-seared steaks. By the time I drizzle a little oil in the
skillet and get it hot enough for the steaks (smoking), it's pretty well
taken care of.

After I take the steaks out, I might quickly cook some minced shallots,
deglaze with wine and a bit of stock, add some beef base, and reduce to
a nice glaze.

While we eat a nice meal, the skillet is sitting in the sink, full of
steamy-hot water with a bit of soap in it.

After dinner, everything in the pan is nice and soft; a quick swipe with
a sponge, followed by a towel-dry while the pan is still hot from the
water, and it's ready to be put away until next time, non-stick coating
perfectly intact.

Of course, I use the skillets for all sorts of other things, too, but
nothing I've done has ever compromised (much less ruined) their
non-stickiness.

One thing I never use them for is dishes that require long, wet cooking
-- a stew, say.

> The conventional wisdom is that you season them once, and
> then never use soapy water on them again. The seasoning
> leaves a layer on the inside that protects against rust, and
> tends to help make the pan non-stick.
>
> A little water and detergent destroys that, right away!

If conventional wisdom says that, conventional wisdom does not agree
with my experience (or that of my non-stick and totally rust-free
skillets).

Many kinds of oil (corn oil is a very good example, but most animal fats
do it too), sort of "polymerize" when the get hot (corn oil does it
without getting hot; look at the threads around the cap when the bottle
is nearly empty). No oil that does that is going to notice a "little
water and detergent", unless you get its attention with a ball of steel
wool.

Isaac

Alan wrote:


> ==
>
> It's not that I think stupidity should be punishable by death.
> I just think we should take the warning labels off of everything
> and let the problem take care of itself.

A small technical note. The usenet standard separator for signature
blocks is two dashes followed by a space on a line by themselves (see
mine below for an example). This allows other newsreaders to
automatically trim away .sigs in replies, or to not display .sigs at
all.

You may want to consider changing yours.



Brian

--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)

"Rusty" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> So I was using my beautiful ten inch cast iron skillet to make taco
> meat and everything turned out great. Afterwards i cleaned it with
> warm soapy water and hand dried. I placed it on an electric burner (i
> know i know...i should use gas, but unfortunately where i live gas is
> not an option). At any rate i took a phone call and walked away. When
> I finally came back after the smell hit me, I noticed the pan was way
> too hot to wipe down with oil. So i turned the coils down and went
> away for a bit...not long enough. I poured a little bit of oil on the
> outside edge and as soon as the stream contacted the middle of the
> pan...poof. I was in hells kitchen with no baking soda. At any rate
> is was not a lot of oil that had to burn off but it still left a
> residue. A few hours later i decided to clean it again. I had to use
> a copper scrubber to get off the burnt on residue (cooking side) and
> also noticed that the bottom side had oxidized. Now I am upset and
> freaked out that i ruined my cast iron. Thankfully the internet has
> taught me there are several people out there that know more than me.
> What is the best way to restore my cast iron?
>

I would think that placing it in a self cleaning oven for one cycle and then
reseasoning it would be enough.
I'm not sure it is possible to 'ruin' a cast iron skillet to the point where
it has to be thrown out.

In article >,
"Default User" > wrote:

> Alan wrote:
>
>
> > ==
> >
> > It's not that I think stupidity should be punishable by death.
> > I just think we should take the warning labels off of everything
> > and let the problem take care of itself.
>
> A small technical note. The usenet standard separator for signature
> blocks is two dashes followed by a space on a line by themselves (see
> mine below for an example). This allows other newsreaders to
> automatically trim away .sigs in replies, or to not display .sigs at
> all.
>
> You may want to consider changing yours.


Alan may consider snipping also. If it doesn't fit on my screen (and I
have a big one), I generally move on.

hob said...

> I think that pre-seasoned gets a bad name because some of it doesn't
> end
> up like the old pans used by frequent cast iron users. But --
> I would hazard a guess that the reason the pre-seasoned piece didn't
> get
> the smooth and deep black oxide is because the piece wasn't used more
> than a few times and then it was abandoned by the impatient user for not
> being as black and smooth as they expected -- and that has little to do
> with the pre-seasoning itself.


This happened to me with my new (last summer) 12" Lodge pre-seasoned pan.
Even with oil, eggs stuck to the finish. I figured it was a loser pan.

I gave it another chance recently. I've taken to cooking with oil and when
finished, let it cool and wipe out any crumbs and oil with paper towels. If
something sticks, I add more oil and heat it up on medium and deglaze the
bits off the surface with the spatula. Let cool, wipe out, add a light coat
of fresh oil and set it in the oven (or the pots and pans drawer) until
next use. Then I'll heat up the pan again and wipe out any old oil and add
new oil to cook with.

It hasn't seen soap or water in the past 10 or so uses.

It's beginning to "break in" (easier to cook and clean) and now I'm
convinced that with more frequent use and the same care, it's going to be a
champ!

Andy