Cleaning an Iron Skillet

How can I get an older cast fry pan back in shape? Any ideas are most welcome.
Thanks.

By elaine from Ontario, Canada

Answers:

Cleaning an Iron Skillet

Make sure your cast iron is clean with mild soap. Never use a scouring pad like SOS pad. Dry by putting it in a warm oven for a few minutes until dry. Then rub a small amount of vegetable oil all inside the skillet. The skillet has to be warm during this process. If you use too much oil, then remove excess with a paper towel.

Place it back in the oven. Be sure the oven is warm 250 degrees no more than 300 degrees for 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the skillet in oven until ready to use the skillet or oven. I hope this will help. (12/21/2009)

By Bridget Purnell

Cleaning an Iron Skillet

I did this once. If you do it, be careful!

Build a campfire. Put the skillet in it. Cover it with coals. Leave it for a pretty good while then rake it out of the fire on to a sandy, stony, or otherwise fireproof place with some kind of tool. It is very hot. Do not touch it! Give it some cooling time and then stand way back and poor some cooking oil into it. The Skillet should be real hot, but not so hot as to catch the oil on fire. You will need to use some judgment on this. Also, do not splash the oil.

The skillet will come out clean as a whistle and seasoned as well. Another method is to use a wire brush attachment on a drill. Another is to make a little bag of salt, oil the skillet and scrub it with the salt bag. I always clean my good skillets with a wipe down with a damp cloth and set them on the wood stove to dry. No wood stove, just set them in a warm oven that has already been turned off (in case you forget). (12/22/2009)

By Margaret Oren