I bought a cheap, off-brand (Non-Lodge) imported cast iron stovetop
Dutch oven and made the mistake of cooking chili in it without curing
it first. The wax ruined the chili and I tossed it, cleaned up the
oven, heated it and wiped it with Virgin Olive Oil (I know, wrong, use
older oil to avoid excessive smoking.) My question is this. What do
I have to do to get the oven usable? Or should I just drill holes in
the bottom and use it for a planter?

My first thoughts are these. Scrub it out again in hot water, heat it
on the stove to dry it, wipe it with bacon dripping, cure it in the
oven as per normal curing procedures, cool and wipe again with either
peanut oil or bacon drippings. Store in cool, dry place with towel
between oven and lid to ventilate.

Any advice?

V

Vesper wrote:
> I bought a cheap, off-brand (Non-Lodge) imported cast iron stovetop
> Dutch oven and made the mistake of cooking chili in it without curing
> it first. The wax ruined the chili and I tossed it, cleaned up the
> oven, heated it and wiped it with Virgin Olive Oil (I know, wrong, use
> older oil to avoid excessive smoking.) My question is this. What do
> I have to do to get the oven usable? Or should I just drill holes in
> the bottom and use it for a planter?
>
> My first thoughts are these. Scrub it out again in hot water, heat it
> on the stove to dry it, wipe it with bacon dripping, cure it in the
> oven as per normal curing procedures, cool and wipe again with either
> peanut oil or bacon drippings. Store in cool, dry place with towel
> between oven and lid to ventilate.
>
> Any advice?
>
> V

Dont drill the holes just yet .

Please DO NOT use peanut oil

IMO do the following

1 clean it with as best you can

2 Apply when Iron is cool a dusting of Bi carb of soda

3 add vinegar and scrub again


rinse well at least 3 times


4 fill with hot water and boil for a while

5 empty water

let dry until warm but not cold wipe out with chamoise or paper towel
keep it warm put on stove and heat up a bit BUT NOT TOO MUCH


then back into an oven to cure the warm metal with any animal fat
but not oil minimum of 2 hours at high temp


Yiu may have to do this two or more times but even with cheap Rubbish
Chinese
cast iron the thing well cured will do you for years IMO

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:27:04 +0800, Phil-c <invalid@invalid> wrote:

>Vesper wrote:
>> I bought a cheap, off-brand (Non-Lodge) imported cast iron stovetop
>> Dutch oven and made the mistake of cooking chili in it without curing
>> it first. The wax ruined the chili and I tossed it, cleaned up the
>> oven, heated it and wiped it with Virgin Olive Oil (I know, wrong, use
>> older oil to avoid excessive smoking.) My question is this. What do
>> I have to do to get the oven usable? Or should I just drill holes in
>> the bottom and use it for a planter?
>>
>> My first thoughts are these. Scrub it out again in hot water, heat it
>> on the stove to dry it, wipe it with bacon dripping, cure it in the
>> oven as per normal curing procedures, cool and wipe again with either
>> peanut oil or bacon drippings. Store in cool, dry place with towel
>> between oven and lid to ventilate.
>>
>> Any advice?
>>
>> V
>
>Dont drill the holes just yet .
>
>Please DO NOT use peanut oil
>
>IMO do the following
>
>1 clean it with as best you can
>
>2 Apply when Iron is cool a dusting of Bi carb of soda
>
>3 add vinegar and scrub again
>
>
>rinse well at least 3 times
>
>
>4 fill with hot water and boil for a while
>
>5 empty water
>
>let dry until warm but not cold wipe out with chamoise or paper towel
>keep it warm put on stove and heat up a bit BUT NOT TOO MUCH
>
>
>then back into an oven to cure the warm metal with any animal fat
>but not oil minimum of 2 hours at high temp
>
>
>Yiu may have to do this two or more times but even with cheap Rubbish
>Chinese
>cast iron the thing well cured will do you for years IMO


Thank you very much. Some of this sounds unusual but I will take your
word for it. It should make an interesting experiment. I have no
problems with my Lodge stuff.

V

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:14:59 -0500, Vesper > wrote:

>Thank you very much. Some of this sounds unusual but I will take your
>word for it. It should make an interesting experiment. I have no
>problems with my Lodge stuff.

Lodge, schmodge. What's the real problem? Did you just lose the
seasoning or do you have a burned on crust? If you lost the
seasoning, you know what to do... but cooking up some bacon and making
a couple batches of fried chicken in it wouldn't hurt either.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:51:07 -0700, sf > wrote:

>On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:14:59 -0500, Vesper > wrote:
>
>>Thank you very much. Some of this sounds unusual but I will take your
>>word for it. It should make an interesting experiment. I have no
>>problems with my Lodge stuff.
>
>Lodge, schmodge. What's the real problem? Did you just lose the
>seasoning or do you have a burned on crust? If you lost the
>seasoning, you know what to do... but cooking up some bacon and making
>a couple batches of fried chicken in it wouldn't hurt either.


The problem is that it was never properly cured to begin with.

I cooked with the wax still on it.

Then I tried to cure it again and screwed it up.

Now it stinks.

I now know how to fix it.

Thanks

V

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:08:55 -0500, Vesper wrote:

> The wax ruined the chili and I tossed it, cleaned up the
> oven, heated it and wiped it with Virgin Olive Oil (I know, wrong, use
> older oil to avoid excessive smoking.)

Virgin Olive Oil does not come from trees that are under the age of
14. What you want is any *refined* oil. Refined oil comes from the
fruits of trees or shrubs that have attended etiquette school for at
least one year and are of legal age of consent in their respective
countries.

-sw

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:28:58 -0500, Sqwertz
> wrote:

>On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:08:55 -0500, Vesper wrote:
>
>> The wax ruined the chili and I tossed it, cleaned up the
>> oven, heated it and wiped it with Virgin Olive Oil (I know, wrong, use
>> older oil to avoid excessive smoking.)
>
>Virgin Olive Oil does not come from trees that are under the age of
>14. What you want is any *refined* oil. Refined oil comes from the
>fruits of trees or shrubs that have attended etiquette school for at
>least one year and are of legal age of consent in their respective
>countries.
>
>-sw


Thanks. I feel so dumb around here.

V

"Vesper" > wrote in message
...
>I bought a cheap, off-brand (Non-Lodge) imported cast iron stovetop
> Dutch oven and made the mistake of cooking chili in it without curing
> it first.

Don't need to "cure"/season cast iron before cooking chili (cast iron is
very reactive, chili will remove all the seasoning), just wash it... should
be scrubbed well inside and out before seasoning too. All new cookware of
any kind is dirty, always scrub well before using for food. I don't see the
point in usin gcast iron for cooking chili, any non reactive pot is
superior... earthenware ovenware is probably best if one doesn't mind the
extra labor involved.

BTW, the grade of cast iron for Lodge is precisely the same as for
inexpensive cookware... only real difference is that Lodge castings may be
of prettier configurations... the cast iron used for all cookware is the
lowest quality. The stringent rules imposed by the EPA make foundry work
much more costly done in the US, that is why the majority of low quality
cast iron such as is used for all cookware is now done in the Orient and
Mexico.

"Vesper" wrote

>I bought a cheap, off-brand (Non-Lodge) imported cast iron stovetop

Heck if I know if my stuff is 'cheap'! Most of it is 20-70 years old
though.

> Dutch oven and made the mistake of cooking chili in it without curing
> it first. The wax ruined the chili and I tossed it, cleaned up the

What 'wax' was there? You mean the layer of almost petroleum used when they
are shipped new to prevent rust prior to curing?

You don't need to do anything horrendous to fix it if so.

> My first thoughts are these. Scrub it out again in hot water, heat it
> on the stove to dry it, wipe it with bacon dripping, cure it in the
> oven as per normal curing procedures, cool and wipe again with either
> peanut oil or bacon drippings. Store in cool, dry place with towel
> between oven and lid to ventilate.

Bingo! Get any burned chili out, wipe dry with towel and immediately wipe
well with bacon grease (preferred but you can use chicken or any pork grease
and yes, there are others you can use). Remember to wipe the outside too
(basically all of it, handles etc). Heat oven to about 250F then turn it
off and put the pot in there overnight.

If you missed a spot, you'll know in the morning. Just clean that area and
add more fat with a towel, put it back in the oven and turn it off and check
when you get home.

For at least the next 5 uses, you need to cook fatty low-acid (no tomato)
foods in it.

Grin, my cast iron was stored for 7 years while we were in Japan and it came
out of the box perfect with only a need to dust it off.

In article >,
Vesper > wrote:

> I bought a cheap, off-brand (Non-Lodge) imported cast iron stovetop
> Dutch oven and made the mistake of cooking chili in it without curing
> it first.
(snip)
> My question is this. What do I have to do to get the oven usable?
> Any advice?
>
> V

Run it through you oven's self-clean cycle; cool and season it.


--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller - good news 4-6-2009
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."
-Philo of Alexandria

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:12:34 -0400, "cshenk" > wrote:

>"Vesper" wrote
>
>>I bought a cheap, off-brand (Non-Lodge) imported cast iron stovetop
>
>Heck if I know if my stuff is 'cheap'! Most of it is 20-70 years old
>though.
>
>> Dutch oven and made the mistake of cooking chili in it without curing
>> it first. The wax ruined the chili and I tossed it, cleaned up the
>
>What 'wax' was there? You mean the layer of almost petroleum used when they
>are shipped new to prevent rust prior to curing?
>
>You don't need to do anything horrendous to fix it if so.
>
>> My first thoughts are these. Scrub it out again in hot water, heat it
>> on the stove to dry it, wipe it with bacon dripping, cure it in the
>> oven as per normal curing procedures, cool and wipe again with either
>> peanut oil or bacon drippings. Store in cool, dry place with towel
>> between oven and lid to ventilate.
>
>Bingo! Get any burned chili out, wipe dry with towel and immediately wipe
>well with bacon grease (preferred but you can use chicken or any pork grease
>and yes, there are others you can use). Remember to wipe the outside too
>(basically all of it, handles etc). Heat oven to about 250F then turn it
>off and put the pot in there overnight.
>
>If you missed a spot, you'll know in the morning. Just clean that area and
>add more fat with a towel, put it back in the oven and turn it off and check
>when you get home.
>
>For at least the next 5 uses, you need to cook fatty low-acid (no tomato)
>foods in it.
>
>Grin, my cast iron was stored for 7 years while we were in Japan and it came
>out of the box perfect with only a need to dust it off.
>
Thanks. All the good advice is adding up. One of these days I may
know what I am doing.

V

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:29:04 GMT, "brooklyn1"
> wrote:

>
>"Vesper" > wrote in message
.. .
>>I bought a cheap, off-brand (Non-Lodge) imported cast iron stovetop
>> Dutch oven and made the mistake of cooking chili in it without curing
>> it first.
>
>Don't need to "cure"/season cast iron before cooking chili (cast iron is
>very reactive, chili will remove all the seasoning), just wash it... should
>be scrubbed well inside and out before seasoning too. All new cookware of
>any kind is dirty, always scrub well before using for food. I don't see the
>point in usin gcast iron for cooking chili, any non reactive pot is
>superior... earthenware ovenware is probably best if one doesn't mind the
>extra labor involved.
>
>BTW, the grade of cast iron for Lodge is precisely the same as for
>inexpensive cookware... only real difference is that Lodge castings may be
>of prettier configurations... the cast iron used for all cookware is the
>lowest quality. The stringent rules imposed by the EPA make foundry work
>much more costly done in the US, that is why the majority of low quality
>cast iron such as is used for all cookware is now done in the Orient and
>Mexico.
>


Thanks for the info. I assumed that Lodge was actually better but
then I make a lot of bad assumptions. Go figure.

V

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:19:48 -0500, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

>In article >,
> Vesper > wrote:
>
>> I bought a cheap, off-brand (Non-Lodge) imported cast iron stovetop
>> Dutch oven and made the mistake of cooking chili in it without curing
>> it first.
>(snip)
>> My question is this. What do I have to do to get the oven usable?
>> Any advice?
>>
>> V
>
>Run it through you oven's self-clean cycle; cool and season it.


I don't see a Self-Clean switch on my Roper electric. Guess I gotta
do it the hard way.

Thanks, Barb

V

Vesper wrote:
>
> My first thoughts are these. Scrub it out again in hot water, heat it
> on the stove to dry it, wipe it with bacon dripping, cure it in the
> oven as per normal curing procedures, cool and wipe again with either
> peanut oil or bacon drippings. Store in cool, dry place with towel
> between oven and lid to ventilate.
>
> Any advice?

This is in the rec.food.cooking FAQ. To save network bandwidth, it is
requested that you check the FAQ before posting a question to the
newsgroup.

Here's the entry from the FAQ:

SEASONING A CAST IRON PAN

> How do I season a cast iron pan?

There are several methods. The best results are achieved using
the following procedure. First, the surface must be "awakened"
by scrubbing lightly with grade 00 steel wool. The entire surface
must be abraded. Then, the pan is coated with SAE 90 gear oil
and heated in a foil-lined oven at the highest temperature until
it stops smoking. Then, after it cools down, it is packed tightly
with cow or horse manure and buried in an inverted position
at least ten inches underground. After six months, the article
is dug up and cleaned by _lightly_ scrubbing it with a dry cotton
ball. Before using it, the surface needs to be conditioned by frying
a pound of bacon or pork sausages. Then you'll have one well-
seasoned cast iron pan!

Hope this helps! :-)

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:22:23 -0700, Mark Thorson >
wrote:

>Vesper wrote:
>>
>> My first thoughts are these. Scrub it out again in hot water, heat it
>> on the stove to dry it, wipe it with bacon dripping, cure it in the
>> oven as per normal curing procedures, cool and wipe again with either
>> peanut oil or bacon drippings. Store in cool, dry place with towel
>> between oven and lid to ventilate.
>>
>> Any advice?
>
>This is in the rec.food.cooking FAQ. To save network bandwidth, it is
>requested that you check the FAQ before posting a question to the
>newsgroup.
>
>Here's the entry from the FAQ:
>
>SEASONING A CAST IRON PAN
>
>> How do I season a cast iron pan?
>
>There are several methods. The best results are achieved using
>the following procedure. First, the surface must be "awakened"
>by scrubbing lightly with grade 00 steel wool. The entire surface
>must be abraded. Then, the pan is coated with SAE 90 gear oil
>and heated in a foil-lined oven at the highest temperature until
>it stops smoking. Then, after it cools down, it is packed tightly
>with cow or horse manure and buried in an inverted position
>at least ten inches underground. After six months, the article
>is dug up and cleaned by _lightly_ scrubbing it with a dry cotton
>ball. Before using it, the surface needs to be conditioned by frying
>a pound of bacon or pork sausages. Then you'll have one well-
>seasoned cast iron pan!
>
>Hope this helps! :-)


This sounds like one of the reasons I don't bother reading group faqs.

Thanks but no thanks. Several other methods have been suggested and
I will try them all before this one. If none of them work, then I
will drill holes in all of my cast iron and start a garden on my
porch.

V

"Vesper" > wrote in message
...
>I bought a cheap, off-brand (Non-Lodge) imported cast iron
>stovetop
> Dutch oven and made the mistake of cooking chili in it
> without curing
> it first. The wax ruined the chili and I tossed it,
> cleaned up the
> oven, heated it and wiped it with Virgin Olive Oil (I
> know, wrong, use
> older oil to avoid excessive smoking.) My question is
> this. What do
> I have to do to get the oven usable? Or should I just
> drill holes in
> the bottom and use it for a planter?
>
> My first thoughts are these. Scrub it out again in hot
> water, heat it
> on the stove to dry it, wipe it with bacon dripping, cure
> it in the
> oven as per normal curing procedures, cool and wipe again
> with either
> peanut oil or bacon drippings. Store in cool, dry place
> with towel
> between oven and lid to ventilate.
>
> Any advice?
>
> V

A good place to find information about your cast iron and
how to take
care of it,
I've used cast iron pots, Dutch ovens, etc. to cook most
anything I have wanted
including tomato based sauces or Chile with no problems over
wood
stoves, in the oven, open fire pits, ranges, provided
it is well seasoned.

http://www.lodgemfg.com/use-care-seasoned-cast-iron.asp

In my opinion there are differences in cheap china made cast
iron versus better quality made products, The casting
process,
the iron ore and other metals added, the cleaning process
from
the manufacture, including how the products are cooled after
casting,
Many of the US companies are no longer in business, but
their iron ware
is worth seeking out on the used market
CC

Vesper wrote:
> On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:22:23 -0700, Mark Thorson >
> wrote:
>
>> Vesper wrote:
>>> My first thoughts are these. Scrub it out again in hot water, heat it
>>> on the stove to dry it, wipe it with bacon dripping, cure it in the
>>> oven as per normal curing procedures, cool and wipe again with either
>>> peanut oil or bacon drippings. Store in cool, dry place with towel
>>> between oven and lid to ventilate.
>>>

This may help you and a quick google turned up this us web link that is
perhaps worth a read
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-...Cast-Iron.aspx


but we use things called camp ovens here and the easy way to cure
has always been this .

fully submerge on boiling water scrub with steel wool wire brush

rinse clean and dry

Get the fire going and coals ready (if you dont have such use a BBQ
range with a hood and heat the thing up to like Hades)

Pour cooking oil in wipe oil all over inside out side

whack in the fire or oven and go have a couple of stubbies
or whiskies

come back in an hour or so and she is all done.

Sometimes reading this ng I reckon you lot make it all to hard on
yourselves
http://www.aussiecampovencook.com/Seasoning/Sea1.JPG
Pic of what camp oven is over here various sizes
BTW have had an old Ajax cast in Victoria in 1928 still going strong
and more than few other types (some of which I have broken run over or
forgot )

On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:38:13 +0800, Phil-c <invalid@invalid> wrote:

>Vesper wrote:
>> On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:22:23 -0700, Mark Thorson >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Vesper wrote:
>>>> My first thoughts are these. Scrub it out again in hot water, heat it
>>>> on the stove to dry it, wipe it with bacon dripping, cure it in the
>>>> oven as per normal curing procedures, cool and wipe again with either
>>>> peanut oil or bacon drippings. Store in cool, dry place with towel
>>>> between oven and lid to ventilate.
>>>>
>
>This may help you and a quick google turned up this us web link that is
> perhaps worth a read
>http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-...Cast-Iron.aspx
>
>
>but we use things called camp ovens here and the easy way to cure
>has always been this .
>
>fully submerge on boiling water scrub with steel wool wire brush
>
>rinse clean and dry
>
>Get the fire going and coals ready (if you dont have such use a BBQ
>range with a hood and heat the thing up to like Hades)
>
>Pour cooking oil in wipe oil all over inside out side
>
>whack in the fire or oven and go have a couple of stubbies
>or whiskies
>
>come back in an hour or so and she is all done.
>
>Sometimes reading this ng I reckon you lot make it all to hard on
>yourselves
>http://www.aussiecampovencook.com/Seasoning/Sea1.JPG
>Pic of what camp oven is over here various sizes
>BTW have had an old Ajax cast in Victoria in 1928 still going strong
>and more than few other types (some of which I have broken run over or
>forgot )
>
>
>
Thanks.

V

Vesper wrote:
>
>
> Thanks for the info. I assumed that Lodge was actually better but
> then I make a lot of bad assumptions. Go figure.

I use to have a cheap Chinese cast iron and that worked fine although
our old family frypan just looked nicer. What I would look for in any
frypan is that the frying surface have a nice satin finish. Some of them
have a pebbly type finish. My cheap-o Chinese pan had concentric tooling
marks. Worked fine, looked crappy. OTOH, crappy looking or not, they
pretty much all work the same.





>
> V

"Vesper" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:51:07 -0700, sf > wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:14:59 -0500, Vesper > wrote:
>>
>>>Thank you very much. Some of this sounds unusual but I will take your
>>>word for it. It should make an interesting experiment. I have no
>>>problems with my Lodge stuff.
>>
>>Lodge, schmodge. What's the real problem? Did you just lose the
>>seasoning or do you have a burned on crust? If you lost the
>>seasoning, you know what to do... but cooking up some bacon and making
>>a couple batches of fried chicken in it wouldn't hurt either.
>
>
> The problem is that it was never properly cured to begin with.
>
> I cooked with the wax still on it.
>
> Then I tried to cure it again and screwed it up.
>
> Now it stinks.
>
> I now know how to fix it.
>
> Thanks
>
> V



There shouldn't be "wax" on cast iron. You must have bought that
pre-seasoned stuff which has never really worked well (Lodge brand or not).
It needs a proper cure with fat and high heat.

Jill

On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:50:57 -0400, "jmcquown" >
wrote:

>"Vesper" > wrote in message
.. .
>> On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:51:07 -0700, sf > wrote:
>>
>>>On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:14:59 -0500, Vesper > wrote:
>>>
>>>>Thank you very much. Some of this sounds unusual but I will take your
>>>>word for it. It should make an interesting experiment. I have no
>>>>problems with my Lodge stuff.
>>>
>>>Lodge, schmodge. What's the real problem? Did you just lose the
>>>seasoning or do you have a burned on crust? If you lost the
>>>seasoning, you know what to do... but cooking up some bacon and making
>>>a couple batches of fried chicken in it wouldn't hurt either.
>>
>>
>> The problem is that it was never properly cured to begin with.
>>
>> I cooked with the wax still on it.
>>
>> Then I tried to cure it again and screwed it up.
>>
>> Now it stinks.
>>
>> I now know how to fix it.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> V
>
>
>
>There shouldn't be "wax" on cast iron. You must have bought that
>pre-seasoned stuff which has never really worked well (Lodge brand or not).
>It needs a proper cure with fat and high heat.
>
>Jill


Well, it sure looked like wax and tasted like wax in the chili. It
was kinda sticky too.

Point taken. I will cure all my iron properly from now on.

V

jmcquown wrote:
> "Vesper" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:51:07 -0700, sf > wrote:
>>
>>> On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:14:59 -0500, Vesper > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thank you very much. Some of this sounds unusual but I will take your
>>>> word for it. It should make an interesting experiment. I have no
>>>> problems with my Lodge stuff.
>>>
>>> Lodge, schmodge. What's the real problem? Did you just lose the
>>> seasoning or do you have a burned on crust? If you lost the
>>> seasoning, you know what to do... but cooking up some bacon and making
>>> a couple batches of fried chicken in it wouldn't hurt either.
>>
>>
>> The problem is that it was never properly cured to begin with.
>>
>> I cooked with the wax still on it.
>>
>> Then I tried to cure it again and screwed it up.
>>
>> Now it stinks.
>>
>> I now know how to fix it.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> V
>
>
>
> There shouldn't be "wax" on cast iron. You must have bought that
> pre-seasoned stuff which has never really worked well (Lodge brand or
> not). It needs a proper cure with fat and high heat.
>
> Jill

Jill I disagree in some jurisdictions like here and NZ they usually
come *waxed* to protect against rust and the shipping dockets call it
wax as do the instructions on how to wash off BEFORE FIRST USE .

Although a lot of the JUNK from China is pretty useless and have seen a
few just crack.

One brand that I can not recall the brand name comes from South Africa
Damned expensive but the four wheel drive chaps swear by them (for the
heat retention ability and the kit they come with) Such as two complete
sets of mess pans mugs and a pack of light sticks

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> "Vesper" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:51:07 -0700, sf > wrote:
>>
>>>On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:14:59 -0500, Vesper > wrote:
>>>
>>>>Thank you very much. Some of this sounds unusual but I will take your
>>>>word for it. It should make an interesting experiment. I have no
>>>>problems with my Lodge stuff.
>>>
>>>Lodge, schmodge. What's the real problem? Did you just lose the
>>>seasoning or do you have a burned on crust? If you lost the
>>>seasoning, you know what to do... but cooking up some bacon and making
>>>a couple batches of fried chicken in it wouldn't hurt either.
>>
>>
>> The problem is that it was never properly cured to begin with.
>>
>> I cooked with the wax still on it.
>>
>> Then I tried to cure it again and screwed it up.
>>
>> Now it stinks.
>>
>> I now know how to fix it.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> V
>
>
>
> There shouldn't be "wax" on cast iron. You must have bought that
> pre-seasoned stuff which has never really worked well (Lodge brand or
> not). It needs a proper cure with fat and high heat.
>
> Jill

New cast iron cookware is typically coated with some sort of anti-rust
protectorant, it could be "wax" but more likely a petro product like
cosmolene. In any event it should be removed by washing off, not burned
off... scrub well with a wire sponge and dishwashing detergent, or run
through the dishwasher.... then proceed to season. Do not run cast iron
cookware through the oven self clean cycle, that gets too hot and can cause
microscopic cracks, warpage, or fracture.

On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:17:50 +0800, Phil-c <invalid@invalid> wrote:

>jmcquown wrote:
>> "Vesper" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:51:07 -0700, sf > wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:14:59 -0500, Vesper > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Thank you very much. Some of this sounds unusual but I will take your
>>>>> word for it. It should make an interesting experiment. I have no
>>>>> problems with my Lodge stuff.
>>>>
>>>> Lodge, schmodge. What's the real problem? Did you just lose the
>>>> seasoning or do you have a burned on crust? If you lost the
>>>> seasoning, you know what to do... but cooking up some bacon and making
>>>> a couple batches of fried chicken in it wouldn't hurt either.
>>>
>>>
>>> The problem is that it was never properly cured to begin with.
>>>
>>> I cooked with the wax still on it.
>>>
>>> Then I tried to cure it again and screwed it up.
>>>
>>> Now it stinks.
>>>
>>> I now know how to fix it.
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>> V
>>
>>
>>
>> There shouldn't be "wax" on cast iron. You must have bought that
>> pre-seasoned stuff which has never really worked well (Lodge brand or
>> not). It needs a proper cure with fat and high heat.
>>
>> Jill
>
>Jill I disagree in some jurisdictions like here and NZ they usually
>come *waxed* to protect against rust and the shipping dockets call it
>wax as do the instructions on how to wash off BEFORE FIRST USE .
>
>Although a lot of the JUNK from China is pretty useless and have seen a
>few just crack.
>
>One brand that I can not recall the brand name comes from South Africa
>Damned expensive but the four wheel drive chaps swear by them (for the
>heat retention ability and the kit they come with) Such as two complete
>sets of mess pans mugs and a pack of light sticks
>
>
Thank you. I thought I was going nuts there for a minute.

V

On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:33:59 GMT, "brooklyn1"
> wrote:

>
>"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
>> "Vesper" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:51:07 -0700, sf > wrote:
>>>
>>>>On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:14:59 -0500, Vesper > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>Thank you very much. Some of this sounds unusual but I will take your
>>>>>word for it. It should make an interesting experiment. I have no
>>>>>problems with my Lodge stuff.
>>>>
>>>>Lodge, schmodge. What's the real problem? Did you just lose the
>>>>seasoning or do you have a burned on crust? If you lost the
>>>>seasoning, you know what to do... but cooking up some bacon and making
>>>>a couple batches of fried chicken in it wouldn't hurt either.
>>>
>>>
>>> The problem is that it was never properly cured to begin with.
>>>
>>> I cooked with the wax still on it.
>>>
>>> Then I tried to cure it again and screwed it up.
>>>
>>> Now it stinks.
>>>
>>> I now know how to fix it.
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>> V
>>
>>
>>
>> There shouldn't be "wax" on cast iron. You must have bought that
>> pre-seasoned stuff which has never really worked well (Lodge brand or
>> not). It needs a proper cure with fat and high heat.
>>
>> Jill
>
>New cast iron cookware is typically coated with some sort of anti-rust
>protectorant, it could be "wax" but more likely a petro product like
>cosmolene. In any event it should be removed by washing off, not burned
>off... scrub well with a wire sponge and dishwashing detergent, or run
>through the dishwasher.... then proceed to season. Do not run cast iron
>cookware through the oven self clean cycle, that gets too hot and can cause
>microscopic cracks, warpage, or fracture.
>
>
>
>
>
>
Thanks on the self-clean tip.

V

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> "Vesper" > wrote in message
> ...
>> The problem is that it was never properly cured to begin with.
>>
>> I cooked with the wax still on it.
>>
>> Then I tried to cure it again and screwed it up.
>>
>> Now it stinks.
>>
>> I now know how to fix it.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> V
>
>
>
> There shouldn't be "wax" on cast iron. You must have bought that
> pre-seasoned stuff which has never really worked well (Lodge brand or
> not). It needs a proper cure with fat and high heat.
>
> Jill
You been hitting the Scotch already this morning?

All cast iron, when new, has a light waxy coating to prevent rusting in
shipping, and in the store. The instructions tell you how to remove it, and
how to season it.

On Jun 29, 6:19*pm, Vesper > wrote:
>
> This sounds like one of the reasons I don't bother reading group faqs.
>
OTOH if you had read them you'd have known he was joking. The advice
in the FAQ on cast iron is actually pretty reasonable and non-
didactic. -aem

On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:56:12 -0700 (PDT), aem >
wrote:

>On Jun 29, 6:19*pm, Vesper > wrote:
>>
>> This sounds like one of the reasons I don't bother reading group faqs.
>>
>OTOH if you had read them you'd have known he was joking. The advice
>in the FAQ on cast iron is actually pretty reasonable and non-
>didactic. -aem


He was joking? Wow. You mean that manure bit was just pulling my
leg? I'm gonna have to be a lot more careful around here following
folks' suggestions, then.

V

aem wrote:
> On Jun 29, 6:19 pm, Vesper > wrote:
>> This sounds like one of the reasons I don't bother reading group faqs.
>>
> OTOH if you had read them you'd have known he was joking. The advice
> in the FAQ on cast iron is actually pretty reasonable and non-
> didactic. -aem

Irony abounds. If you're joking, that would make it pretty much perfect. :-)

"brooklyn1" > wrote in message
...
>
> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "Vesper" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:51:07 -0700, sf > wrote:
>>>
>>>>On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:14:59 -0500, Vesper > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>Thank you very much. Some of this sounds unusual but I will take your
>>>>>word for it. It should make an interesting experiment. I have no
>>>>>problems with my Lodge stuff.
>>>>
>>>>Lodge, schmodge. What's the real problem? Did you just lose the
>>>>seasoning or do you have a burned on crust? If you lost the
>>>>seasoning, you know what to do... but cooking up some bacon and making
>>>>a couple batches of fried chicken in it wouldn't hurt either.
>>>
>>>
>>> The problem is that it was never properly cured to begin with.
>>>
>>> I cooked with the wax still on it.
>>>
>>> Then I tried to cure it again and screwed it up.
>>>
>>> Now it stinks.
>>>
>>> I now know how to fix it.
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>> V
>>
>>
>>
>> There shouldn't be "wax" on cast iron. You must have bought that
>> pre-seasoned stuff which has never really worked well (Lodge brand or
>> not). It needs a proper cure with fat and high heat.
>>
>> Jill
>
> New cast iron cookware is typically coated with some sort of anti-rust
> protectorant, it could be "wax" but more likely a petro product like
> cosmolene. In any event it should be removed by washing off, not burned
> off... scrub well with a wire sponge and dishwashing detergent, or run
> through the dishwasher.... then proceed to season. Do not run cast iron
> cookware through the oven self clean cycle, that gets too hot and can
> cause microscopic cracks, warpage, or fracture.
>
>

Okay, so the word "wax" threw me Of course I wash any cookware I
purchase prior to using it. It wouldn't have occurred to me to use it
without scrubbing it first.

Jill

"Vesper" wrote
> "cshenk" wrote:

>>Grin, my cast iron was stored for 7 years while we were in Japan and it
>>came
>>out of the box perfect with only a need to dust it off.

> Thanks. All the good advice is adding up. One of these days I may
> know what I am doing.

Grin, none of us know everything although some try to pretend it!

Vesper wrote:
>
> On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:12:34 -0400, "cshenk" > wrote:
>

<snip>

> >Grin, my cast iron was stored for 7 years while we were in Japan and it came
> >out of the box perfect with only a need to dust it off.
> >
> Thanks. All the good advice is adding up. One of these days I may
> know what I am doing.
>
> V

Don't feel bad. The only time we've ever had trouble with cast iron
cookware was with a 'Dutch' oven. Our frying pans are divided between a
couple of Lodge and the rest from Korea and China. None of them have
caused problems after seasoning. The Dutch oven was made in the US (not
Lodge though) and it rusted no matter how we seasoned/cured/coddled it.
So never again.

On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:42:26 -0400, "jmcquown" >
wrote:

>"brooklyn1" > wrote in message
...
>>
>> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> "Vesper" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:51:07 -0700, sf > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:14:59 -0500, Vesper > wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>Thank you very much. Some of this sounds unusual but I will take your
>>>>>>word for it. It should make an interesting experiment. I have no
>>>>>>problems with my Lodge stuff.
>>>>>
>>>>>Lodge, schmodge. What's the real problem? Did you just lose the
>>>>>seasoning or do you have a burned on crust? If you lost the
>>>>>seasoning, you know what to do... but cooking up some bacon and making
>>>>>a couple batches of fried chicken in it wouldn't hurt either.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The problem is that it was never properly cured to begin with.
>>>>
>>>> I cooked with the wax still on it.
>>>>
>>>> Then I tried to cure it again and screwed it up.
>>>>
>>>> Now it stinks.
>>>>
>>>> I now know how to fix it.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks
>>>>
>>>> V
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> There shouldn't be "wax" on cast iron. You must have bought that
>>> pre-seasoned stuff which has never really worked well (Lodge brand or
>>> not). It needs a proper cure with fat and high heat.
>>>
>>> Jill
>>
>> New cast iron cookware is typically coated with some sort of anti-rust
>> protectorant, it could be "wax" but more likely a petro product like
>> cosmolene. In any event it should be removed by washing off, not burned
>> off... scrub well with a wire sponge and dishwashing detergent, or run
>> through the dishwasher.... then proceed to season. Do not run cast iron
>> cookware through the oven self clean cycle, that gets too hot and can
>> cause microscopic cracks, warpage, or fracture.
>>
>>
>
>Okay, so the word "wax" threw me Of course I wash any cookware I
>purchase prior to using it. It wouldn't have occurred to me to use it
>without scrubbing it first.
>
No problem, Jill... wax was a bad word to use if it wasn't really wax!
I pictured something that looked like it was coated with paraffin or
candle wax.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Looking at the length of this thread
perhaps the person who started it can just get on a cook with
the bloody thing .
Send pics

On Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:11:46 +0800, Phil-c <invalid@invalid> wrote:

>Looking at the length of this thread
>perhaps the person who started it can just get on a cook with
>the bloody thing .
> Send pics


I'm workin' on it ... haha

V