cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

Hello All,
Sorry for the crossposting !

I have 5 black "tradional" cast iron skillets that need some extra attention
these days! I keep rust off by rubbing oil on them once they are cleaned
and this sort of works.... but I wonder if I couldn't give them a new look.

Is there a recipe or specific method for seasoning a skillet?
Can I apply an enamel myself ? Is there a heat resistant glaze available in
hardware stores? Would I be asking for trouble if I did this myself, such as
flaking,scratches or chips?

It would be great if I could get a couple good suggestions from you avid
passionates of food and metal !

Many thanks

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

Hi Sally,

We have some cast iron utensils in the kitchen.
They're nice to use, and have good "non-stick" properties.
The quality French ones have a smooth finish, easy to keep clean.
Cheap Asian pans are pretty good too, but the finish is coarser and
harder to keep pristine (so we don't).
If used regularly, they don't rust.
If they're for show only, a clear lacquer ought to keep them nice.
Spray cans would be easiest to apply. Don't cook with them!
As I understand seasoning of CI pans, it's what must be done before
using a new one. You just heat it pretty hot, then pour on some oil and
swill around - but that's not what you mean?

Jordan
rcm

sally pepper wrote:

>
> I have 5 black "tradional" cast iron skillets
> I keep rust off by rubbing oil on them once they are cleaned
> and this sort of works....
> Is there a recipe or specific method for seasoning a skillet?
> Can I apply an enamel myself ?

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

"sally pepper" > wrote in
:

> Hello All,
> Sorry for the crossposting !
>
> I have 5 black "tradional" cast iron skillets that need some extra
> attention these days! I keep rust off by rubbing oil on them once
> they are cleaned and this sort of works.... but I wonder if I couldn't
> give them a new look.
>
> Is there a recipe or specific method for seasoning a skillet?
> Can I apply an enamel myself ? Is there a heat resistant glaze
> available in hardware stores? Would I be asking for trouble if I did
> this myself, such as flaking,scratches or chips?
>
> It would be great if I could get a couple good suggestions from you
> avid passionates of food and metal !
>
> Many thanks
>
>

The seasoning on skillets is cooked on fat (grease or oil). If you scrub
a cast iron skillet after cooking in it, you may well remove the
seasoning. If you are using the skillets for cooking,

a) do not spray any enamel or other foreign substance on the pan!!!!

b) never use harsh abrasives to clean them (some people will also tell
you not to use soap on them)

c) clean using hot water, and then dry promptly. A gentle abrasive, like
coarse salt, can be used to dislodge stuck-on food.

d) cast iron pans that need seasoning can be coated with a film of
vegetable oil and then either baked at a low temperature or heated on the
stove until the oil turns black. Wipe off the excess. Repeat if
necessary.

Debbie


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cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

"sally pepper" > wrote in message
...
> Hello All,
> Sorry for the crossposting !
>
> I have 5 black "tradional" cast iron skillets that need some extra
attention
> these days! I keep rust off by rubbing oil on them once they are cleaned
> and this sort of works.... but I wonder if I couldn't give them a new
look.
>
> Is there a recipe or specific method for seasoning a skillet?
> Can I apply an enamel myself ? Is there a heat resistant glaze available
in
> hardware stores? Would I be asking for trouble if I did this myself, such
as
> flaking,scratches or chips?
>
> It would be great if I could get a couple good suggestions from you avid
> passionates of food and metal !
>
> Many thanks
>


Take your cast iron skillet or what ever you have and coat it with shortning
or lard. Stick them in your oven for an hour at 300 F. I never use soap on
mine and nothing any more abraisive than those little plastic scrubbers.
>

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

[This followup was posted to rec.crafts.metalworking and a copy was sent
to the cited author.]

In article >, says...
> Hello All,
> Sorry for the crossposting !
>
> I have 5 black "tradional" cast iron skillets that need some extra attention
> these days! I keep rust off by rubbing oil on them once they are cleaned
> and this sort of works.... but I wonder if I couldn't give them a new look.
>
> Is there a recipe or specific method for seasoning a skillet?
> Can I apply an enamel myself ? Is there a heat resistant glaze available in
> hardware stores? Would I be asking for trouble if I did this myself, such as
> flaking,scratches or chips?
>
> It would be great if I could get a couple good suggestions from you avid
> passionates of food and metal !
>
> Many thanks
>
If you still use the pots for cooking- look at http://www.lodgemfg.com/
follow the link on the page for use & care of cast iron cookware.

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

sally pepper wrote:
>
> Hello All,
> Sorry for the crossposting !
>
> I have 5 black "tradional" cast iron skillets that need some extra attention
> these days! I keep rust off by rubbing oil on them once they are cleaned
> and this sort of works.... but I wonder if I couldn't give them a new look.
>
> Is there a recipe or specific method for seasoning a skillet?
> Can I apply an enamel myself ? Is there a heat resistant glaze available in
> hardware stores? Would I be asking for trouble if I did this myself, such as
> flaking,scratches or chips?
>
> It would be great if I could get a couple good suggestions from you avid
> passionates of food and metal !
>
> Many thanks

Sand blast, then re-season the traditional way.
Bake at high temp. after covering with a heavy coat of olive oil.

Dad and mom used to totally season them using a campfire.

After a good scrubbing, they would coat the pan heavily with oil,
and bury in the red hot coals for a couple of hours.

K.

--
>^,,^< Cats-haven Hobby Farm >^,,^< >^,,^<

"There are millions of intelligent species in the universe, and they are
all owned by cats" -- Asimov

Custom handcrafts, Sterling silver beaded jewelry
http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAP...s&userid=katra

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

Katra wrote:

> After a good scrubbing, they would coat the pan heavily with oil,
> and bury in the red hot coals for a couple of hours.


Wouldn't "red hot coals" extrude enough heat to *remove* the seasoning
from a Cast Iron pan?... The same as a self-cleaning oven cycle...

~john!

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

levelwave wrote:
>
> Katra wrote:
>
> > After a good scrubbing, they would coat the pan heavily with oil,
> > and bury in the red hot coals for a couple of hours.
>
> Wouldn't "red hot coals" extrude enough heat to *remove* the seasoning
> from a Cast Iron pan?... The same as a self-cleaning oven cycle...
>
> ~john!


I dunno... Mom and dad were camping fanatics. :-)
Every time I mention cast iron seasoning to dad, he quotes me that
and swears by it! I have not personally tried it. Yet.

Funny too. I'm still in the process of trying to get my #10 back into
shape after he burned those damned shredded potatoes in it a couple of
weeks ago..... <sigh> Not all of the silver streaks are gone yet, but
I've not had much trouble with sticking.

Not quite the same thing I don't think. I usually just use the "time"
method. I carefully cook with the hot pan cold oil and gentle cleaning
thing and can usually re-season a pan with daily use within a couple of
weeks or so.

I think you have to really burn _food_ in it to de-season it.
Roasting oil in it seems to be the key to season them?

Works pretty well for me, just babying them for a couple of weeks. Don't
cook any eggs in them for that period. <G> Just meat and mixed veggies.

Remember, I did say that he coated it heavily with oil prior to roasting
the pan in hot coals.

K

--
>^,,^< Cats-haven Hobby Farm >^,,^< >^,,^<

"There are millions of intelligent species in the universe, and they are
all owned by cats" -- Asimov

Custom handcrafts, Sterling silver beaded jewelry
http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAP...s&userid=katra

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

levelwave wrote:
> Katra wrote:
>
>> After a good scrubbing, they would coat the pan heavily with oil,
>> and bury in the red hot coals for a couple of hours.
>
>
>
> Wouldn't "red hot coals" extrude enough heat to *remove* the seasoning
> from a Cast Iron pan?... The same as a self-cleaning oven cycle...
>
> ~john!
>

Yes. I've cleaned nasty cast iron skillets by burning them in the
wood-burning stove. Wipe out the ash and grease the pan thoroughly with
Crisco. They reseason much quicker than the first seasoning when they were
new.

Best regards,
Bob

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

zxcvbob wrote:

>
> Yes. I've cleaned nasty cast iron skillets by burning them in the
> wood-burning stove. Wipe out the ash and grease the pan thoroughly with
> Crisco. They reseason much quicker than the first seasoning when they
> were new.
>



I've burnt out a few pans/ griddles, etc. and have found they need
greased immediately or they tend to rust badly quickly.








--

Mark

N.E. Ohio


Never argue with a fool, a bystander can't tell you apart. (S. Clemens,
A.K.A. Mark Twain)

When in doubt hit the throttle. It may not help but it sure ends the
suspense. (Gaz, r.moto)

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

"Debbie Deutsch" > wrote in message
. 97.132...
> "sally pepper" > wrote in
> :
>
> > Hello All,
> > Sorry for the crossposting !
> >
> > I have 5 black "tradional" cast iron skillets that need some extra
> > attention these days! I keep rust off by rubbing oil on them once
> > they are cleaned and this sort of works.... but I wonder if I couldn't
> > give them a new look.
> >
> > Is there a recipe or specific method for seasoning a skillet?
> > Can I apply an enamel myself ? Is there a heat resistant glaze
> > available in hardware stores? Would I be asking for trouble if I did
> > this myself, such as flaking,scratches or chips?
> >
> > It would be great if I could get a couple good suggestions from you
> > avid passionates of food and metal !
> >
> > Many thanks
> >
> >
SNIP
> d) cast iron pans that need seasoning can be coated with a film of
> vegetable oil and then either baked at a low temperature or heated on the
> stove until the oil turns black. Wipe off the excess. Repeat if
> necessary.
>
> Debbie
>
About once per year, Mum would give the old frying pan a good clean. To
restore the non-stick properties, she boiled potato peelings in it for a
while, after which she would just give it a quick wipe before allowing it to
dry.

Graham

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

"Graham" > wrote in
news:VOrxb.506033$6C4.159670@pd7tw1no:

>> d) cast iron pans that need seasoning can be coated with a film of
>> vegetable oil and then either baked at a low temperature or heated on
>> the stove until the oil turns black. Wipe off the excess. Repeat if
>> necessary.
>>
>> Debbie
>>
> About once per year, Mum would give the old frying pan a good clean.
> To restore the non-stick properties, she boiled potato peelings in it
> for a while, after which she would just give it a quick wipe before
> allowing it to dry.
>
> Graham
>
>
>

If you say so, but it makes no sense at all to me.

--
Anti-spam advisory: The email address used to post this article is a
throw-away address. It will be invalidated and replaced with another if
and when it is found by spammers.

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

"Debbie Deutsch" > wrote in message
. 97.132...
> "Graham" > wrote in
> news:VOrxb.506033$6C4.159670@pd7tw1no:
>
> >> d) cast iron pans that need seasoning can be coated with a film of
> >> vegetable oil and then either baked at a low temperature or heated on
> >> the stove until the oil turns black. Wipe off the excess. Repeat if
> >> necessary.
> >>
> >> Debbie
> >>
> > About once per year, Mum would give the old frying pan a good clean.
> > To restore the non-stick properties, she boiled potato peelings in it
> > for a while, after which she would just give it a quick wipe before
> > allowing it to dry.
> >
> > Graham
> >
> >
> >
>
> If you say so, but it makes no sense at all to me.
>
A lot of things in life don't make sense, even when they work. Presumably,
starch particles coated the surface and acted like a primitive teflon. I've
not bothered with the technique because I rarely fry anything and I don't
have a cast-iron frying pan.

Graham

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

Graham wrote:
> "Debbie Deutsch" > wrote in message
> . 97.132...
>
>>"Graham" > wrote in
>>news:VOrxb.506033$6C4.159670@pd7tw1no:
>>
>>
>>>>d) cast iron pans that need seasoning can be coated with a film of
>>>>vegetable oil and then either baked at a low temperature or heated on
>>>>the stove until the oil turns black. Wipe off the excess. Repeat if
>>>>necessary.
>>>>
>>>>Debbie
>>>>
>>>
>>>About once per year, Mum would give the old frying pan a good clean.
>>>To restore the non-stick properties, she boiled potato peelings in it
>>>for a while, after which she would just give it a quick wipe before
>>>allowing it to dry.
>>>
>>>Graham
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>If you say so, but it makes no sense at all to me.
>>
>
> A lot of things in life don't make sense, even when they work. Presumably,
> starch particles coated the surface and acted like a primitive teflon. I've
> not bothered with the technique because I rarely fry anything and I don't
> have a cast-iron frying pan.
>
> Graham
>
>

A physics professor in my AP physics class was always saying "nothing
really makes sense, but as long as it's working, leave it alone."

In Memory of Dr. Joseph Rosen. I truly miss our quiet lunches while
contemplating on life on other worlds and the Earths core status.

Richard

--
"..A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava
beans and a nice chianti..."

Hannibal "The Cannibal"

Silence Of The Lambs 1991

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

"sally pepper" > wrote in message
...
> Hello All,
> Sorry for the crossposting !
>
> I have 5 black "tradional" cast iron skillets that need some extra
attention
> these days! I keep rust off by rubbing oil on them once they are cleaned
> and this sort of works.... but I wonder if I couldn't give them a new
look.
>
> Is there a recipe or specific method for seasoning a skillet?
> Can I apply an enamel myself ? Is there a heat resistant glaze available
in
> hardware stores? Would I be asking for trouble if I did this myself, such
as
> flaking,scratches or chips?
>
> It would be great if I could get a couple good suggestions from you avid
> passionates of food and metal !
>
> Many thanks
>
>
My sister has a cast iron skillet that she loves to use when making
spaghetti sauce. It has high sides and she says it's perfect for this.
Well, needless to say, it's not all that great for the "seasoning" of the
skillet, especially when after the meal she throws the thing in the
dishwasher for cleaning. Our father saw this and about had a stroke. He
then "rescued" it and proceeded to give it the "propper" cleaning and
seasoning that it should have.

And as soon as his back was turned, into the dishwasher it went. Funny - -
she's never had any problem with sticking or rusting or anything. Perhaps
she's just lucky? Either that, or the darned thing was so well seasoned
before she got ahold of it that nothing can touch it.

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

How is rust removed from cast iron skillets?

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

Micia64 wrote:
>
> How is rust removed from cast iron skillets?


I just wipe my pan out well with an oiled paper towel after adding a
couple of tbs. of olive oil to the bottom of the pan....

K.
--
>^,,^< Cats-haven Hobby Farm >^,,^< >^,,^<

"There are millions of intelligent species in the universe, and they are
all owned by cats" -- Asimov

Custom handcrafts, Sterling silver beaded jewelry
http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAP...s&userid=katra

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

Maybe the starch particles absorbed some fats or protein that made it
sticky. Potato is great in absorbent ability.

Cleans frying oil after frying shrimp - throw them away or eat shrimp
laced fry's.
Martin
--
Martin Eastburn, Barbara Eastburn
@ home at Lion's Lair with our computer
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

Take a chunk of stainless steel. coat in oil. put in oven and either
put it into a clean mode or just turn it on for a while - 550F
naturally.
The oil transforms into patina.

Martin
--
Martin Eastburn, Barbara Eastburn
@ home at Lion's Lair with our computer
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

On Thu, 27 Nov 2003 20:43:40 -0800, "L Beck" >
wrote:

>And as soon as his back was turned, into the dishwasher it went. Funny - -
>she's never had any problem with sticking or rusting or anything. Perhaps
>she's just lucky? Either that, or the darned thing was so well seasoned
>before she got ahold of it that nothing can touch it.
>
>

Howdy,

I know that I am touching on religious matters here, but...

Consumers reports rated cast iron cookware perhaps a year or two ago.
They compared brand new stock with "My great grandmother has carefully
seasoned this piece since 1848 stock" and could not detect a
difference.

In my experience, brand new iron, and steel, cookware will have great
non-stick properties if I am careful with the temperature when I cook.

All the best,

--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

Kenneth wrote:
>
> On Thu, 27 Nov 2003 20:43:40 -0800, "L Beck" >
> wrote:
>
> >And as soon as his back was turned, into the dishwasher it went. Funny - -
> >she's never had any problem with sticking or rusting or anything. Perhaps
> >she's just lucky? Either that, or the darned thing was so well seasoned
> >before she got ahold of it that nothing can touch it.
> >
> >
>
> Howdy,
>
> I know that I am touching on religious matters here, but...
>
> Consumers reports rated cast iron cookware perhaps a year or two ago.
> They compared brand new stock with "My great grandmother has carefully
> seasoned this piece since 1848 stock" and could not detect a
> difference.
>
> In my experience, brand new iron, and steel, cookware will have great
> non-stick properties if I am careful with the temperature when I cook.
>
> All the best,
>
> --
> Kenneth
>

BLASPHEMY!!! Blasphemy I tell you! ;-)

You are going to go to hell...... ;-D

K. (with her Antique Griswold collection)

--
>^,,^< Cats-haven Hobby Farm >^,,^< >^,,^<

"There are millions of intelligent species in the universe, and they are
all owned by cats" -- Asimov

Custom handcrafts, Sterling silver beaded jewelry
http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAP...s&userid=katra

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

>> "sally pepper" > wrote

>> > I have 5 black "tradional" cast iron skillets that need some extra
>> > attention these days! I keep rust off by rubbing oil on them once
>> > they are cleaned and this sort of works.... but I wonder if I couldn't
>> > give them a new look.
>> >
>> > Is there a recipe or specific method for seasoning a skillet?
>> > Can I apply an enamel myself ? Is there a heat resistant glaze
>> > available in hardware stores? Would I be asking for trouble if I did
>> > this myself, such as flaking,scratches or chips?

I kind of figured this was a troll, given mention of a "new look" and
painting on enamel. And I see "sally pepper" hasn't been back. :-)

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

Sally,

You cannot enamel them yourselves. Enamels are a form of glass, and
unless you have a kiln or lehr, you have no way of producing the high
heat required for enameling.

Just use them occasionally, and if you continue to have problems, fry up
a couple of pounds of bacon. Provides a great non-stick coating.

Colin




sally pepper wrote:
> Hello All,
> Sorry for the crossposting !
>
> I have 5 black "tradional" cast iron skillets that need some extra attention
> these days! I keep rust off by rubbing oil on them once they are cleaned
> and this sort of works.... but I wonder if I couldn't give them a new look.
>
> Is there a recipe or specific method for seasoning a skillet?
> Can I apply an enamel myself ? Is there a heat resistant glaze available in
> hardware stores? Would I be asking for trouble if I did this myself, such as
> flaking,scratches or chips?
>
> It would be great if I could get a couple good suggestions from you avid
> passionates of food and metal !
>
> Many thanks
>
>

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

"Katra" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> >
> > On Thu, 27 Nov 2003 20:43:40 -0800, "L Beck" >
> > wrote:
> >
> > >And as soon as his back was turned, into the dishwasher it went.
Funny - -
> > >she's never had any problem with sticking or rusting or anything.
Perhaps
> > >she's just lucky? Either that, or the darned thing was so well
seasoned
> > >before she got ahold of it that nothing can touch it.
............................................
>
> BLASPHEMY!!! Blasphemy I tell you! ;-)
>
> You are going to go to hell...... ;-D
>
> K. (with her Antique Griswold collection)
===
I had the same feeling of revulsion. I won't get over this for a while.
===
===

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

Gini wrote:
>
> "Katra" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> >
> > >
> > > On Thu, 27 Nov 2003 20:43:40 -0800, "L Beck" >
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > >And as soon as his back was turned, into the dishwasher it went.
> Funny - -
> > > >she's never had any problem with sticking or rusting or anything.
> Perhaps
> > > >she's just lucky? Either that, or the darned thing was so well
> seasoned
> > > >before she got ahold of it that nothing can touch it.
> ...........................................
> >
> > BLASPHEMY!!! Blasphemy I tell you! ;-)
> >
> > You are going to go to hell...... ;-D
> >
> > K. (with her Antique Griswold collection)
> ===
> I had the same feeling of revulsion. I won't get over this for a while.
> ===
> ===

ROFL!!! ;-D

K.

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 14:41:40 GMT, Colin > wrote:

>
>Just use them occasionally, and if you continue to have problems, fry up
>a couple of pounds of bacon. Provides a great non-stick coating.
>
>Colin

And really good BLTs

Gunner

"The British attitude is to treat society like a game preserve where a
certain percentage of the 'antelope' are expected to be eaten by the
"lions".
Christopher Morton

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

As far as I can tell all the 'seasoning' business is so much hooey, I
just throw the cast iron pots and pans into the dishwasher with all the
rest, can't stand that fried on grease of seen on some of them.
--
wf.

L Beck wrote:

> My sister has a cast iron skillet that she loves to use when making
> spaghetti sauce. It has high sides and she says it's perfect for this.
> Well, needless to say, it's not all that great for the "seasoning" of the
> skillet, especially when after the meal she throws the thing in the
> dishwasher for cleaning. Our father saw this and about had a stroke. He
> then "rescued" it and proceeded to give it the "propper" cleaning and
> seasoning that it should have.
>
> And as soon as his back was turned, into the dishwasher it went. Funny - -
> she's never had any problem with sticking or rusting or anything. Perhaps
> she's just lucky? Either that, or the darned thing was so well seasoned
> before she got ahold of it that nothing can touch it.

cast iron pan maintenance & refinishing question
 

"randee" > wrote in message
...
> As far as I can tell all the 'seasoning' business is so much hooey, I
> just throw the cast iron pots and pans into the dishwasher with all the
> rest, can't stand that fried on grease of seen on some of them.
> --
> wf.

You can do anything you want with them. But like anything else, if you use
as intended and follow directions, you get a little better service from the
product.

Steve