Old Cast Iron Cookware

[N80]

I have a number of old cast iron skillets and dutch ovens sitting around my cabin. They were owned by my wifes grandmother but have been in disuse for decades and outdoors most of that time. There is one huge skillet and one dutch oven that would actually be very useful on a grill, campfire or even a gas range. Both have some rust but no serious pitting on the cooking surfaces.

I wondering what would be the best way to clean these up? Should I just steel wool the heck out of them and then season them normally or is there something else I should do? And special polishes or cleaners? Thanks for any input.

 

[Egon]

Wire brush on an angle grinder. Then use cooking oil to cure them.

 

[Duffster]

Actually you should stay away from vegatable oil. Lard works best.

Google Backwoods Home Magazine. They have a tons of good info on restoring cast iron cookware.

 

[Toyboy]

There's various ways to clean them up. I use one of those long stiff wire things in an electric drill (can't recall the name) that they use for stripping paint. USE Safety glasses. Works good for me. Lite surface rust can can be wire brushed. I season mine w/Crisco in the oven. I'm sure you'll hear a lot more ways to clean them up. Well seasoned cast iron cookware is hard to beat. Let them warm on low for a minute before raising to cooking temp to give the iron a chance to get adjusted and minimize warping. Never use soap on them.
That's my way, lets see what other people recommend.

 

[RobertN]

There used to be a member here who posted pictures of cleaning up old cast iron. He did the trick with submersing the cast iron, and connecting a battery charger to it. Came out sparkly clean. Might search this site; I think it was 3-5 years ago...

Here is a link to an outside website:
Byron's - Dutch Oven Care
Rust removal by electrolysis


My son and I use veggie oil on our camp Dutch ovens. Also have had to clean up and re-season some skillets and Dutch ovens for our Scout troop camp gear. The veggie oil has worked fine.

I refer to this site often for camp recipes, and cast iron cooking...

Byron's Dutch Oven Cooking Page

 

[RobertN]

I would add... One of Asst Scoutmasters made a charcoal stew in one of the Troop Dutch ovens. He ran a welding shop; he bead blasted it clean, and then reseasoned it before the next campout... Seemed to work...

 

[GGB]

I love cast iron-just seems like everything tastes better when it's done in a black skillet.

Several of our cast iron pieces had minor rust when we bought them at auctions or garage sales. It usually only took some steel wool and some scrubbing by hand to clean up what we bought. Then I just sprayed with vegetable oil and put in the oven directly on a rack upside down at 300 degrees for one hour to season, and then let cool down in the oven before using. Be sure to use a cookie sheet on the rack below to cast the runoff. Then be sure to clean up after using while the pan is still warm with nothing but a scrub brush and hot water (NO SOAP!), wipe dry with a paper towel, respray with vegetable oil and put back on the still warm burner. I rarely have to reseason this way.

I'm thinking that Duffster is right about using lard though to season, though! Don't know why I didn't do this before, as that is what my parents and grandparents used....

If you have a lot of rust, you might want to try putting the skillet in a good bed of coals from a campfire instead of using a wire brush. I haven't tried this method, but from what I've read, this method is very good at getting rid of the rust. Some other TBN'ers may be able to tell us if they've tried this.

GGB

 

[sixdogs]

Eight inch wire bush mounted on motor on stand and rust goes away.
Warming it a little first helped get evwerything off.
Then scribbed with steel wool and dishwashing detergent.
After that is individual preference.
Mine came out sparkling clean.

 

[crash325]

I just did 3 old skillets and a few years ago the top of a cast iron stove top.

First wire brush all the loose rust off, where you find the most pitting is on the rims, sand or grind that off.

If you can do the following outdoors, as I usually make a mess. Heat any kind of cooking oil in them add in a lot of table salt. Then smear the oil & salt all around. keep it up for a while and let the mixture get real hot. After they cool a little pour out the mess, wipe clean, re oil and heat again. When they cool wipe them out again. Your now ready to start cooking.

If you find deep pitting that hast to be ground out. Curing will take several go around's with the oil & heat.

Don't do as I did. Tried to do all 3 at the same time on the outdoor stove. Only 1 big and the small one would fit. IT was just 2 busy to keep up with all 3.

You can take the hot oil mixture and scouring rag to almost anything handy that needs some rust removed.

 

[Transit]

Here is one of many sits that explain how to season and care for cast iron cookware.

Seasoning and Caring for cast iron cookware

 

[AchingBack]

If one of your skillets is a 13" Griswold skillet - you're rich. Last I knew they were worth over 1K.

 

[N80]

Nine replies on cast iron cookware in about an hour on a tractor web site. You guys are amazing. The level of experience, know-how and common sense on this site is incredible. Thanks guys.

 

[N80]

If one of your skillets is a 13" Griswold skillet - you're rich. Last I knew they were worth over 1K.

I don't know how big this skillet is but it is way bigger than 13". I'll have to see if I can find out who made it. I'm just guessing but I'd say it is at least 16". I don't think I've seen one bigger than this, but I'm sure there are bigger ones. It seems too big to use on a standard stove top. I'm going back down to the cabin tonight and I'll measure it.

I'm having a 36" gas range installed in my kitchen at home so I may be able to use this big skillet as a griddle.

My wife has always used cast iron so we have several pieces. Nothing else will do for cornbread.

During the short time after college that I was a batchelor and cooking for myself I had an old used cast iron skillet. I'd cook with it with disatrous results, soak it in the sink, scrub the life out of it with steel wool and then put it in the dishwasher. I never understood why people thought they were so great.....it wasn't until my wife (fiance') at the time told me how to wipe it out and cure it that I figured out how to 'work' a cast iron skillet.

 

[RobertN]

Oh, you should taste the made from scratch blackberry cobbler from a Dutch oven cooked in camp

Nine replies on cast iron cookware in about an hour on a tractor web site. You guys are amazing. The level of experience, know-how and common sense on this site is incredible. Thanks guys.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I've been cooking with cast iron on a camp fire for over 20 years. Of course that makes me a relative newbie.

I've had to resurrect a few old cast iron skillets or dutch ovens. I concur with the caution to not use soap except that sometimes an abused dutch oven needs it. The problem with soap is that you take off all of the old seasoning and have to start over. Of course wire brushing, abrasives (oil and salt), and most of the other suggestions will do the same. When you get rust and/or pitting, you about have to start over anyway.

If you do get aggressive with cast iron, be sure to rinse it well with lots of cold water. The other trick is to get oil on it as soon as possible to stop the new rust and corrosion. As soon as possible means within seconds.

Once your oven is seasoned, onging care and seasoning will ensure that the pot or pan continues to get better with use.

 

[Toyboy]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nine replies on cast iron cookware in about an hour on a tractor web site. You guys are amazing. The level of experience, know-how and common sense on this site is incredible. Thanks guys.
__________________
George
South Carolina________________________________________________________

Anything that has to do w/food will draw everyone out of the woodwork

 

[N80]

And now this thread includes food, cast iron, power tools, oil and camping! What's this? I think I just grew another chest hair!

Now I have two! (Making Tim the Tool Man ape noise)

 

[Iplayfarmer]

And now this thread includes food, cast iron, power tools, oil and camping! What's this? I think I just grew another chest hair!

Now I have two! (Making Tim the Tool Man ape noise)

...and fire. Add another chest hair.

 

[sixdogs]

Oh, you should taste the made from scratch blackberry cobbler from a Dutch oven cooked in camp

Years back I knew a guy that made a roast in a dutch oven and cooked it in the ground. It was the tastiest piece of meat I ever had.
He rubbed the beef roast with what appeared to be a mix of salt, pepper and such and then wrapped it in aluminum foil and put it in the dutch oven.
I do not recall what else went in and I'm not sure if it was anything.

He dug a hole in the ground, started a big fire and when it burned down to coals put the dutch oven in.
He then put a thin piece of steel over it and covered with dirt.
The next day he dug it up and you never had a better tasting sandwich than that.
I wasn't paying attention back then so that's all I know.
Does anyone have any ideas on this?

Now that I am retired it's on my short list for this summer.

 

[AchingBack]

CAUTION! The acid in tomatoes will strip the seasoning from cast iron.