Cast Iron pans are almost indestructible, they last forever but last weekend when I cooked a delicious piece of meat with my cast iron pan I had to clean it because there was rust in it. But this weekend when I used it it was rust free. Here is how to clean your cast iron pan and keep it away from rust.
Seasoning
When you have a cast iron pan you need to season it even if it’s brand new. When you’re seasoning a Cast iron pan you’re basically building up a layer that will protect your pan from the acidic attack of your food and from the rust caused by water and humidity.
In order to start this process, first, you need to give it a good scrub with a steel wool or an abrasive sponge (the green or blue side) with dish soap in order to remove any rust and food residue.
Because cast iron is made in one piece you need to scrub it down to the base layer all over the pan, you can’t leave the bottom side of the handle without cleaning it. It will rust.
When you’re done scrub it down, rinse it under hot water. With the warm water give it another quick rub with the abrasive sponge to be sure every bit of rust is removed and it is clean. Because cast iron rust very quickly now dry it with a towel to remove any humidity.
Now put your pan in your oven at the maximum temperature. Leave it dry until all water is evaporated.
When it’s dry carefully remove it with insulated gloves and add a thin layer of oil. The best oil to use is canola oil but if you don’t have canola oil you can substitute it with sunflower oil or vegetable oil, but do NOT use olive oil it will be sticky at the end of the process. We want to create a thin layer of oil because when the oil will dry it will seal porous surface that it recover with microscopic holes that are the reason why cast iron rust so easily. This thin layer by filling those small holes will create a perfect smooth cooking surface.
Spread the oil all over the cast iron and wipe it all of with a paper towel. This step is very important because now you will put it back in the oven in order to harden this thin layer. If you left to much oil your pan will be sticky at the end.
Leave it in the oven for 10mins at the maximum temperature. If smoke comes out of the pan when you put it outside the oven it means to reach the right temperature and the oil is now turned into a hard layer.
Now you cast iron has a hard shiny layer that will last a long time if you take care of it like I explain it today. You don’t have to repeat the whole process every time you’re cooking with it. But every time you’re using it just clean it almost right after cooking when it’s still a little bit warm with warm water and a little bit of soap with a soft sponge. Do not scrub it or you’ll ruin all did before. When clean, dry it with a towel and let it completely dry in the oven or on the stove. When dry add a thin protective layer of oil and spread it all over the pan and let it dry in the oven or on the stove.
With this technique, you’ll be able to keep your cast iron pan shiny forever as it was the first day you got it.
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Francis Universe 