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Post by soupandstew on Mar 27, 2018 18:09:47 GMT -5
My neighbor of 22+ years retired and is relocating to another area so, during the neighborhood feeding frenzy for her stuff, I got a great cast iron skillet. No, it's not Lodge, but it's stamped made in USA and in good condition, just super dirty, but no rust at all despite garage storage. I'd been thinking about investing in one, but free is even better, especially since I'm unsure how much I'll actually use it.
It obviously needs some cleanup and re-seasoning. Tips and techniques? I grew up with cast iron skillets in the house and the rule was no soap, only boiling water and paper towel wipe, grease after every use and gently reheat on stovetop to remove any moisture and let grease sink in. The seasoning technique was to gently heat in oven, coat liberally with lard, bake for hours at very low temp, lather, rinse, repeat.
This was 55 years ago so what's the standard for initial clean-up, seasoning, and maintenance in the modern era.
TIA!
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Post by wallycat on Mar 27, 2018 22:29:39 GMT -5
I think that is timeless info. I've been able to season pans on the stove and skip the oven. I also admit that if I have a really yucky pan, I use soap and do a quick re-season on the stove.
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applecrisp1
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Post by applecrisp1 on Mar 27, 2018 23:19:51 GMT -5
Soupandstew -- Lodge has some info and videos on this and it seems that soap is ok if you use small amounts (I sometimes use it after seeing that, well if Lodge said it was ok ; ) )
I basically do what you mentioned. Hmm, I do heat the pan a bit after I clean it to make sure I got rid of all the water (I do wipe it dry with a towel first) and then lightly apply with typically grapeseed oil. I've never heated it after (although certainly residual heat).
If I have stubborn stuck on food, I sometimes toss in some kosher salt, a bit of really hot water, and scrub with a brush (I always scrub with a brush). I think the salt helps clean the pan. And like I said, I have used a tiny bit of dish soap.
I will say the last time I wanted to reseason my pan a bit (I left it on a burner that was a bit wet) --- it bothered my eyes. My apartment must have gotten a bit smokey (although I did, or at least I thought, wipe out all the excess oil). And I was just waiting for my temperamental smoke alarm to go off. So I'm avoiding that for sure. "They" say after cleaning it out, scrubbing any grime etc --- is to simply use it for cooking up some meat, use oll etc. I sometimes just cook some chicken (with the skin) breasts in the pan -- especially if I haven't used the pan in awhile.
I just read WC comments. I don't do anything different after cleaning with a bit of soap and haven't noticed any probs. I won't say my pan is one of those super glossy Lodge pans that you hear about, maybe I need to get some bacon. Ha.
I often boll some water in the pan for a just little while (after it is cleaned) before I dry it/oil it. And if super gunked up, I sometimes boil some water in the pan for a short bit before cleaning to help loosen some of the food.
It turns out to be one of my favorite pans (and cheapest!). And love that it is made in the US and won't end up in a land fill after a few years. I used it to tonight for cooking up some peppers and onions.
Enjoy!
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