If some of you are planning to give or expect to receive cast iron cookware this Christmas, this will take the mystery and fear out of owning this time tested cookware.
The question as to how to clean cast iron was brought up on a kitchen gadget forum. This question comes up a lot so I am reposting this easy "How To" for those new to cast iron. I guarantee you will enjoy your cast iron for years to come and will be able to pass it onto the next generation of cooks in your family.
When I read this question I happened to read it just as I was getting ready to clean my Lodge cast iron skillet. I used it to brown and season hamburg for tacos.
I'd thought it would be a perfect opportunity to share my technique for cleaning cast iron. This kitchen gadget is too handy not to have just because you're not sure how to care for it.
Cooks are hesitant to get cast iron because they feel they are too much work to maintain. Not true.
For the many, many years I've owned and cooked with cast iron I've never felt it was a bother to go through these few steps. The reward is to be able to cook with these amazing pots & pans. They also make for a pretty presentation for meals and hot dips.
Here is the sequence I use to cleaning cast iron cookware.
Hope this encourages some of you to get a pan or two to try out.
Below is the Amazon link for the one used in the photos below:
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| Dirty skillet |
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| Warm, soapy water (I use Dawn). If you prefer not to use soap, just use warm water. |
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| Cleaned skilled, just before getting final rinse. |
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| Rinsed skillet, over heat to dry out all the water. |
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| Add a dab of olive or vegetable oil NOTE; this only has to be done every now and then. |
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| Spread the oil evenly in and around inside of skillet. Let it absorb with the heat still on. |
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| Warm, Clean, dry, oiled skillet |
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| Old schoolhouse desk & basket is my cast iron storage area. |
