Cleaning Cast Iron

Cooking with cast iron pans is the best! For years I had a glass cooktop and though I’v heard you can still carefully use them, I was afraid of damaging the glass top so I packed them away. Boy did I miss those skillets! We now have an older gas stove and I don’t care because I now use my cast iron pans ever day! If you don’t have one, I highly recommend getting one!

Here are some TIPs to care for them:

First, if your pan is new, you must season it. This is easily done by lightly coating the pan in some cooking oil, using a paper towel. Bake it in your oven for about an hour at 350deg. Allow to cool, then you’ll be good to go!

Never put your cast iron in the dishwasher and do not leave it wet or it will rust!

Cast iron pans retain heat very well and the handle can burn you if not careful. Most kitchen stores will sell them. Here is an example I found on Amazon.

The very best way I have found to clean my pan is by using Kosher salt. Here you will see my large skillet just prior to cleaning. Just pour in a couple of tablespoons in your pan.

Next, using a fairly wet paper towel, begin scrubbing off the food particles stuck on your pan.

Once completed, rinse under warm water and scrub off any last particles that may have been missed.

Your next step is to lightly oil the pan. I used about 1/2 a teaspoon of cooking oil. Using a dry paper towel, rub it into the interior of the pan until completely coated.

Now your pan is ready to be stored or used for your next fabulous meal!

I admit that I do not oil my pan every time I clean it, but I do it at least 3-4 times per week.

Now lets say something is accidentally burned in your pan (by someone else, of course) and extra cleaning and scrubbing is required. What I do is add about an inch of water to the pan and simmer on low heat, just until it begins to simmer. I then turn off the heat and use my spatula to gently scrape any stubborn areas. Once the pan cools a bit, I then begin cleaning with the Kosher salt as described above.

One other word of caution – You should never put your pan away wet or even damp or it will rust. If you need to speed up the drying, you can sit the pan over low heat for a few minutes until you see the water begin to dissipate, then when cool enough to touch, use paper towel or a soft towel to remove any additional moisture. If you do end up with some rust, you can remove it with the Kosher salt method as well. Do not give up and throw it away, it can be salvaged for sure!

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