Cast-iron..Everything everything sticks

SWMO wrote:
Yup, just don't leave them in there after they cool

..but don't take them out before they cool.. I've burnt several oven mitts this way, and they can crack when you put them on the stove. I've cracked a couple of antique pieces this way before I figured out what was happening. :(

JRS & B wrote:
I wonder if you could clean them in an electric clean oven. Probably would need to leave the windows open.

Yup, just don't leave them in there after they cool. They will start to rust all most immediately. If you can't re-season right away they can be sprayed with a non-stick or wiped with oil to stop it. I've never worried about the minute amount of early rust. I do wipe them down thoroughly though to get most of it off before seasoning.

I wonder if you could clean them in an electric clean oven. Probably would need to leave the windows open.

towhead wrote:
One thing not mentioned here is how to clean a very old skillet that has gotten a thick crust on the outside. This is rarely a problem since it takes years of use to get that way. Years ago my grandfather showed me how. He put grandma's favorite skillet into a red hot fire and let it get hot enough to burn the crust off. It came out like new and had to be seasoned again before useable. That thing must have been really old, mine is forty years old now and still not as crusty as hers was.

Actually I have one just like that and I tried scraping if off. Thanks for the tip

There is a bit of the old "Catch 22" in play. I had a similar problem with a Lodge Combo Cooker. The food sticks and so the pan had to be scrubbed clean. But after the pan is scrubbed clean, guess what? The food sticks again. It is a viscous cycle.

I oiled/greased my pan like everyone says. BUT, then I also used non-stick aluminum foil on my pan so the food would not stick. Eventually the so-called patina formed on the pan and I could stop using the foil. Give it try. It can't hurt.

My neighbor stores his larger cast iron pots outside in a shed, and after cleaning them he wipes down the inside with food grade mineral oil, not vegetable oil, before storing them. He says vegetable oil will get rancid. Before use, wipe as much of the mineral oil out as possible with a clean paper towel.

campn4walleye wrote:
Make sure you wash the pans in hot water with heavy salt used as cleaning mechanism. Then put on a warm burner to dry and wipe with a bit of vegetable oil.

This was how I was taught in a restaurant I work in. We were never sure which was older, the pans or the cook. :)

They make great trotline weights if you don't season them.

Make sure you wash the pans in hot water with heavy salt used as cleaning mechanism. Then put on a warm burner to dry and wipe with a bit of vegetable oil.

It takes a while to get them seasoned but when they are, they'll be like Teflon.

Another option is to look at flea markets and such and you'll find some really old well seasoned ones. They last forever and imagine the history.

southernkilowatt wrote:

Be very careful doing this, a friend of mine did this and cracked and ruined two nice pans we had found in a barn. He got them red hot and took them out of the fire and sprayed them with water to cool them quickly (stupid). Leave them in the fire until it burns out and let them cool gradually. They will come out like new and will need to be seasoned again.

I got a griddle too hot, not red hot but close, and pulled it off the burner and it cracked. The advice to leave it on the fire and let it cool slowly is very good advice.