Cleaning Up Cast Iron Mistakes
We have to be creative with kitchen space here. There are a lot of stacked pots and Tetris-like cabinets in this household. About a month ago I emptied our dishwasher (this is the first time we’ve had one… not sure what I did in life before it.) and placed a pot on top of the only cast iron pan we have. When I went to use it a couple weeks later, I found it in this state…
Whoops! The pan I placed on top of it must have been wet on the bottom. Here’s a step by step guide on how you can clean up any cast iron mistakes you’ve made in the past.
1. Use fine steel wool to remove rust from affected areas.
2. Scrub the skillet until you can see the raw cast iron.
3. Wash the skillet with warm water and mild dish soap. Use a sponge if needed.
4. Thoroughly dry the cast iron immediately with paper towels and then apply a small amount of cooking oil to the entire piece including handle and bottom.
5. Place pan upside down in preheated oven (350 degrees). Put aluminum foil on the bottom to catch any drips.
6. Heat the pan for one hour. Let the pan cool if you intend to use same day.
(I taught myself how to do this thanks to thekitchn.com!)