Ta-da! So it's going to take a little elbow grease. This’ll prevent clingy food scraps like eggs or sauces from hardening and sticking to the pan. Unless you're a blacksmith, there's no fix for damage deep below the surface. If your cast iron skillet has gotten rusty, it’s actually easy to remove the rust and get back to cooking. Use a clean paper towel to remove any excess oil. Step 4 Oil the outside and the handle, too. The vinegar will slowly loosen up the rust from the iron surface. A cast iron skillet is a kitchen staple in many homes, and sometimes, those pieces of cookware are in need of a little extra love. Evapo-Rust is the safe, simple way to remove rust from all of your cast iron cookware pieces. At this point you’ve likely worked up a copper-brown mush. Then pour a bunch of coarse salt into the pan (about 1/4C to 1/2C, depending on how dirty or rusty your pan is). Did she drop it in some sort of radioactive acid? Cast-iron skillets are naturally prone to rust. To do so, submerge your entire pan in a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water. A CIA alumna with honors, she creates cookbooks and food-related content. You just need salt, warm water and some oil. We’ll show you how it’s done. Don’t worry-we’ll add more seasoning later. So that's how to clean rust off cast iron pans. (Psst. Place the pan on the stove over low heat for a minute or so to help dry out any remaining moisture. Keep the following tips in mind: Now Cook Something in That Cast-Iron Skillet! The good news? Scrub in small circles, focusing on the rustiest parts first. If the skillet has a thick layer of rust and very little visible black iron, soak the pan in a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water in a plugged sink. Allow the pan to soak, checking on it frequently to see if the rust has been removed (this could take up to eight hours). Cut the potato in half and place it cut side down into the pan, on top of the salt, and use the potato to scrub the pan. If it’s heavily rusted then you can keep it for 2-3 hour. With just a little cast iron skillet care, they'll be back to the amazing kitchen tools they're touted to be. Dry it off with a clean dish rag. The skillet can leave dark stains!) Drop a tablespoon of vegetable oil on the pan and spread it around with your fingers or a paper towel. The point of cleaning your cast iron is to remove rust, not cause it. Buff off any residue or rusty bits that remain. Raw potato Kosher salt Oil Directions. 10 Products That Can Clean Your Cast Iron—Fast! But first: How do you know when cast iron is beyond repair? While you should clean the skillet after each use, season it as often as you like by rubbing a small amount of cooking oil on the inside of the pan using a paper towel or dish cloth. This video is a quick How to for Cleaning Rust off of your Cast Iron. The sizzling water hitting the hot iron removes or softens stuck-on food without removing the oil coat. Scour away all that gross rust. What you Need to Clean your Rusty Cast Iron Cookware. Fortunately, rust is just surface damage, meaning it is reversible with some scrubbing. Home Gear Stovetop Cookware Skillet Cast-Iron Skillet, “My cast-iron skillet is ruined. Some people use steel wool for this, but I prefer sand paper. Christine loves to read, curate, sample and develop new recipes as a book editor at Taste of Home. The method of cleaning cast iron is something of tradition passed down to generations along with the cookware itself. With the rust completely removed, your cast-iron skillet should be looking almost back to normal. Clean your cast iron each use, wiping away leftover food morsels and … She would not be pleased with what I've let happen. (Even if you snag an old, rusty skillet at the flea market, that orange will come off!) How To Clean a Cast Iron Pan After Use When you are done with your skillet, you can just allow the pan cool a little bit and after that wipe out any left over oil by using a paper towel. After the pan is cooled, lightly clean it with a soft plastic scrubbing pad, rinse in warm water, and dry well immediately. (You can also pour a glass of hot water into the pan while it sits on the stove.) The iron itself is virtually indestructible. Wipe off any excess water with a towel immediately after rinsing. Got a cast iron pan that's crusted with rust? Now that you’ve returned your skillet to its base layer, you’ll need to season it for use. That means it’s time to start cooking. Use a paper towel to wipe the surface until no oil residue remains. Simply dampen a paper towel with oil and use it to wipe away the rust. For tips on day-to-day regular care, check out this step-by-step guide for how to clean and season a cast iron pan, which includes tips for everyday washing and care of your re-claimed cast-iron pan. Go easy on the oil—you want just a thin layer, not enough to drip or run when you tilt it. The first step to bringing that cast iron skillet back to life is the vinegar soak. Thin layers are important for baking seasoning into the pan. It also is not very healthy to have near food either. Make sure to leave enough of the potato so you can grab it easily. Earn cashback now on Palmolive® Ultra Dish Soap.. How To Clean A Rusty Cast Iron Skillet. Those both could be concerns, but they're easily dealt with. Cleaning your skillet. If you have rust on your skillet, restoring cast iron can be easily done with a few different and inexpensive household ingredients, including Coca Cola. © Copyright 2021, 15 Instant Pot Recipes to Power You Through Whole30, 20 Meatless Monday Ideas That Everyone Will Love, 14 Hearty, Comfort Food Casseroles Starring Winter Squash, Our 25 Best Hot and Cheesy Dips Got Serious Game, 25 Beloved Bread Recipes From Grandma's Kitchen, 10 Banana Bundt Cakes to Make with Excess Bananas, The Best Comfort Foods to Get You Through Flu Season, 12 Recipes to Turn Extra Chicken into Healthy Main Dish Salads, 12 Vegetable-Friendly Side Dishes for the Mediterranean Diet, 19 Hearty Meatless Soups and Stews To Keep You Warm This Winter, 10 Vegan Bowls Packed with Veggies and Grains, 20 Recipes for the Super Bowl for Two People, The 8 Best-Rated Cast Iron Skillets for Every Cook, According to Thousands of Reviews, The Best Recipes to Cook in a Cast Iron Skillet, A scouring pad, abrasive sponge, or fine steel wool. 60 grit sandpaper; Vegetable oil; Paper towels; Elbow grease; You’ll want to use a really tough sandpaper. Previous positions include pastry chef at a AAA Five Diamond property. Did it break in half? Here, you’re going to strip away all the rust (and the seasoning). Whether you have a seasoned cast iron skillet, a Dutch oven, a grill pan, or bakeware, each piece of our cast iron cookware follows the exact same steps for cleaning. While cast iron pans can get a little scrungy looking, cleaning a rusty cast iron pan is simple; in fact, cast iron frying pans are dead simple to bring back to life. Slice off the top of a raw potato. But this makes the reasoning step after the cleaning all the more important. Some cooks and cast iron diehards dare not let theirs near water, much less soap of any sort, and letting one rust may indeed fall into the book of unpardonable sins for some Southerners. What you’ll need to clean a rusty cast iron skillet. Add a very thin layer of cooking oil to the entire surface of your cast iron with a cloth or lint-free paper towel. To clean a cast iron skillet, heat it to medium heat, pour in a cup or so of hot tap water, and turn off the heat. Continue wiping the entire skillet, then skip to step 3. Don't toss it! But when your cast iron needs a refresh, follow this dry cleaning method: Wash your cookware with dish soap and a stiff bristle dish brush, but don't soak it. Using the Lodge Rust Eraser to remove a large area of rust from a cast-iron skillet. I love using my cast iron skillet and carbon steel wok, but on occasion I'll forget to clean them… But even if it has turned bright orange, the pot absolutely can be fixed. Then pop the skillet in, upside down, on the upper rack for about 1 hour. Next, take a folded napkin and wipe off the excess oil. Books can probably be written on this subject alone, and it can take some time to familiarize yourself with the landscape of the many brand names from America's cast-iron heyday.There are the Griswolds and Wagners, Victors and Favorites, old Lodges, Wapaks, and Birmingham Stove and Ranges. Add comma separated list of ingredients to include in recipe. That is right – there is no reason to scrub, rinse or wash the skillet with soap and water. Neglected Cast Iron Pan | Photo by Noel Christmas, It's okay to use soap! Repeat this step a second time and you’ll have an almost glassy surface of seasoning. Mix basic white vinegar with water in equal parts and submerge your pan in it. | Photo by Noel Christmas. The vinegar soak is the tried and true method for cast iron skillets that have intense and what appears to be irreversible rust damage. You’ll want the skillet to be lightly greased. So, whether it's a thrift shop find or a hand-me-down, here's how to clean a rusty cast iron pan and bring it back to beautiful life — just like new again. Any lingering moisture will evaporate right off. Store in a dry place overnight to ensure it's completely dry. Underneath the rust is an almost indestructible pan that will give you a lifetime of cooking pleasure. Add comma separated list of ingredients to exclude from recipe. To do so, submerge your entire pan in a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water. But for cast iron with a thick layer of rust, you'll need to remove the seasoning entirely. 6. But without any seasoning, it’ll have a dark gray, matte finish. It is important that you remove your pan as soon as the rust is gone, or else the vinegar could cause irreversible pitting. Try to rinse your cast-iron pan right after cooking. How To Clean A Rusty Cast Iron Skillet | Just A Pinch Recipes To get your skillet bone dry, pop it on the burner to remove extra moisture. In order clean this rusty cast iron skillet, I was going to need to take it down below the rust level. Do: Clean Immediately After Use. Nicole is a writer, editor and lover of Italian food. Turn the oven off and leave the pan inside until it’s cool. Easy, right? Maintaining a Rust-free Pan Clean the pan correctly. But for cast iron with a thick layer of rust, you'll need to remove the seasoning entirely. (Take care not to burn yourself on a warm skillet!). Maybe I should just throw it away.”. With a quick sigh of relief, I consoled her. The reason to be gentle while cleaning is to preserve the seasoning. A favorite part of the job is taste-testing dishes. You'll be surprised how quickly it cleans up. You may have heard that cleaning cast iron is difficult, because of water and rust and how soap isn't good for it. Don’t let the pan air dry. Use the potato the same way you would a scrub brush to rub in the salt, using circular motions to scrape away rust patches. Start here, with our favorite cast-iron skillet recipes. Materials. Soaking with soap, over-scrubbing, or cooking highly acidic foods in cast iron can strip the seasoning. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Seasoning a cast iron skillet has nothing to do with herbs and spices; instead, it's all about using oil to build up a nonstick surface and prevent rusting. Your pan can handle it. The oil will bake into the pores of the pan, providing a non-stick finish. Make sure your skillet is totally clean by doing another scrub-this time with a soft soapy sponge. Now you need to know how to reseason a cast iron pan! Watch the video below to learn the quick 5-step process to remove rust from your cast iron skillet. It was once my Mom's. There’s an easier way to restore it to new. You’ll learn how to sizzle up some fajitas, pan-fry pork chops and even bake an upside-down cake. In her spare time, you’ll find her thumbing through vintage cookbooks or testing out recipes in her tiny kitchen. That's what it's supposed to do. Especially that little bit of burnt cheese that's been there for a long, long time. Rinse the pan in water before cleaning with the Scotch-Brite® Advanced Scrub Dots Non-Scratch Scrubbers and Palmolive® Ultra Oxy. To properly clean your cast iron pan, it takes a few key things. It’s as simple as that! Continue scrubbing until you see the original black iron emerge. The vinegar will strip your pan of its seasoning, but that's okay! Oil Rub a very light layer of cooking oil or Seasoning Spray onto the surface of your cookware. (Psst: Master cast iron cooking with our guide.). Learn how, here! Rust eats away at the metal and tarnishes your skillet. Allow the pan to soak, checking on it frequently to see if the rust has been removed (this could take up to eight hours). And now that you've brought your cast iron pan back to life, let's keep it alive! Rust isn't a death sentence for your cast iron skillets. 1. Now go ahead, scrub-a-dub-dub with mild dish soap and warm water. It's important to note that you can choose to begin the drying process for the skillet on low heat on a stovetop burner, though a truly clean cast iron will finish upside down at 350 degrees Fahrenheit in the oven so no more rust forms. Scars in the surface of the pan—shallow or deep—increase the risk of rust. You can even place the pan on the stove over low heat to help all the moisture evaporate. After pulling out the skillet from the vinegar soak, sprinkle some baking soda to neutralize the acid iron reaction. Rinse that gunk off in the sink. Your rusted cast-iron skillet is good as new. Take it … Mix 50% vinegar with 50% water and soak your pan in … The Surprising Ways You Never Thought to Clean Cast Iron, Do Not Sell My Personal Information – CA Residents. Christine moonlights at a boutique wine shop, where she edits marketing pieces and samples wine far higher than her pay grade. Ignore all those times you’ve been told to be gentle with your cast-iron skillet. Begin by pouring a bit of oil into your skillet. What could have gone so terribly wrong for her to want to throw away a cast-iron skillet? Poor cleaning techniques can cause a cast iron … How to clean rust from cast iron using this method begins by adding a layer of sea salt over the entire skillet. Since cast iron is so vulnerable to rust, it’s best to limit your pan’s exposure to water as much as possible. Light pitting on the surface is okay as well. Read this before you toss your crusty old cast iron. Test Kitchen tip: Have a newer pan that’s developing small amounts of rust? Start by rinsing out your pan with water, and then dry the pan with a paper towel to remove any large gunky bits. 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