I have been meaning to give my cast iron some love and finally got around to it the other day. They were not looking that great and I know part of the reason is because I have not used them much.
I scrubbed my pots with soap and water and then allowed them to dry. If you have one that has areas that are rusted you may need to use a stiff brush to remove the rust. Once they were dry I decided to go with coconut oil and covered the pot and teapot with it; I then placed each of them on a baking sheet (so the oil would not drip into my oven and 'baked' them at 375 for one hour.
After the hour I removed them from the oven and allowed them to cool for about ten minutes, I was then able to wipe off all of the excess oil with a clean rag. That's all it took to have my cast iron looking good again.
A couple of things to remember about cast iron:
1. Heat and cool slowly.
2. Cast iron retains heat well so you can cook at a lower heat to avoid foods sticking.
3. Wash by hand (do not place in dishwasher) and dry immediately. There is no need to use dish soap, but if you feel you need to a little will be fine.
4. If there are bits of stuck food use a scraper to get them off or heat some water in the pan to loosen them.
5. You should not use a scouring pad because it will ruin your seasoned cast iron.
6. Once your pot is dry rub a little oil on it and then store.
I scrubbed my pots with soap and water and then allowed them to dry. If you have one that has areas that are rusted you may need to use a stiff brush to remove the rust. Once they were dry I decided to go with coconut oil and covered the pot and teapot with it; I then placed each of them on a baking sheet (so the oil would not drip into my oven and 'baked' them at 375 for one hour.
After the hour I removed them from the oven and allowed them to cool for about ten minutes, I was then able to wipe off all of the excess oil with a clean rag. That's all it took to have my cast iron looking good again.
A couple of things to remember about cast iron:
1. Heat and cool slowly.
2. Cast iron retains heat well so you can cook at a lower heat to avoid foods sticking.
3. Wash by hand (do not place in dishwasher) and dry immediately. There is no need to use dish soap, but if you feel you need to a little will be fine.
4. If there are bits of stuck food use a scraper to get them off or heat some water in the pan to loosen them.
5. You should not use a scouring pad because it will ruin your seasoned cast iron.
6. Once your pot is dry rub a little oil on it and then store.
