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Rust on outside of pan :(

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pan rust
5K views 19 replies 15 participants last post by  Rebookie 
#1 ·
I think I messed up my cast iron skillet. One day, I added water and boiled it to kill germs. But I left the kitchen and forgot about it. Err...oops! So, the iron got way over hot and ever since then, the bottom of the pan (the part touching the heating element) is rusted. Even if I scrape it off, it just comes back. I'm a little tempted to spray oil on it, but of course I'd be asking for trouble since oil is flammable.

Any suggestions?
 
#2 ·
Sand lightly and scrub and wipe dry. Season the whole thing with cooking oil or shortening and let it just sit for a bit to really soak into the pores, then wipe off with a paper towel. Place on a SLOW burner until heated and just starting to smoke. Done.

My ex left my favorite cast iron pot out in the rain once. Since it was handed down to me from 3 generations, I needed to save that baby! I wouldn't worry about it catching fire. It's not like a panful of hot grease or something.
 
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#3 ·
yep..gg beat me to it.

I use a steel wool pad.
wipe it clean
wipe some veg oil on it.
put in my oven at 200 degrees F
until I feel like it's done.
It's a look and see thing.
Black is Back thing.

Not to worry.
 
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#5 ·
Woo hoo, y'all rock! I'm so glad I won't cause my house to burn down if I season it. :) I'll use sand since my wool pad has soap integrated into it (SOS pad). Thanks again!
 
#6 ·
I was just gonna ask this question!! I left my castiron skillet in the sink but didnt realize there was still a little bit of water in it, it rusted the bottom. Thanks guys!!
 
#7 ·
I reseason my cast iron each time I wash it.. and I do wash it with soap and water and sometimes... after my DH (the D in DH doesn't always mean Dear!) uses it!

I turn on my stove burner on low, I then take crisco and wipe it all over the pan inside. Using a paper towel, I wipe it off until the pan is smooth. I take the towel with (may take a couple of towels) and wipe the handle and all over the outside of the pan.

I make sure it is all wiped off so it isn't greasy... it is ready for the next use.
 
#10 ·
You really can't hurt good cast iron with heat...I have used mine on campfires, and usually give them a good cleaning by throwing them right into the campfire coals... That gets rid of all old seasoning and makes it look like new.

To reseason, I coat the inside and outside with a good veg oil (of your choice) and put it into the oven on 400 for about 20 minutes, then turn it down to 200 and let it sit for a long time, several hours, then turn the oven off and let it sit there in the oven till the next day or till completely cool. I alway put the skillet or dutch ovens in the oven upside down, I don't know why, I just do, you can put some foil down if you think it may drip. The longer it heats the better...

You need to season the inside like this as often as you feel necessary, and the outside only every now and again. If I feel a need to wash mine in soap and water, I try to only do that on the inside where the food was, and not get the outside wet... then put the skillet back onto the burner to dry and once it is hot and dry, lighty coat it in oil and let it cool...the longer it takes to cool, the better, just don't let it scorch...turn the burner off and let it sit.
 
#12 ·
We bought our first cast iron frying pan for camping - figured it would be great on the campstove and on the grill of the campfire. We used it and HATED it. It was horrible - everything stuck etc etc. I put it in the bottom of my pots and pans cupboard for about a year. I took it out again after using pampered chef stoneware and after I realized you care for the cast iron pan the same way (season and dont wash with soap etc) I cant leave it alone. I use ours for everything now - frying eggs on th stove top to making pan pizza in the oven. I just recently reseasoned mine again (just as others did above with oil and put it in the oven) and its better than ever. I'm looking at thrift stores for a used one now. I saw them awhile back, tons of them!! Now that I want one or two I cant find them anywhere ..
 
#13 ·
There's nothing wrong with washing cast iron with soap and water and it does not hurt it to let it air dry, assuming it's set in a rack so air can circulate freely around it. I've also always stored mine with the lids on and never had a problem, but those who live in a more humid climate might have problems with rust.

I also let mine soak, sometimes even overnight if I'm extra lazy, with no harm done. I avoid that if I've made chili or some other tomato-based dish in it though. Cast iron generally is easier to wash when it's still warm, but not so hot you can't easily and safely handle it.

The worst thing for the seasoning is steaming. Since I've started cooking healthier and using more water instead of grease for cooking, I've had a harder time keeping mine seasoned.

Cast iron is brittle and can warp or crack if subjected to extreme temps. So for example, it would not be a good idea to store your cast iron in the unheated garage in Minnesota in January, then bring it in the house and throw it on a hot burner without letting it come to room temp first. Similarly, it's not a good idea to take a hot CI piece off the stove and run cold water in it. Either move could ruin it.

If you need to strip all the old seasoning off, simply run the cast iron through the self-clean cycle in your stove. This also works for stainless steel and cast aluminum. I particularly like using that method for grungy grill grates from the barbecue grill. Don't use it on anything that has plastic or wooden parts or non-stick coatings, etc. Do it at your own risk though with anything other than cast iron. I've never had any problems in the many times I've used that method, but like most things in life, there are no guarantees.

If you need to remove lots of rust, use electrolysis. Works great and it's effortless.

To season cast iron, first remove all the old seasoning, rust, etc, down to the bare metal. You will need to re-season immediately or the piece will start to rust. Rub or brush on the thinnest layer of cooking oil, Crisco, mineral oil, or Camp Chef Cast Iron Conditioner possible, making sure you get every bit covered. Set the pan upside down in the oven. You may want to put some foil under the pan because it may drip as it bakes. You can place more than one piece in the oven. I usually jam in as much as I possibly can. Bake for one hour or so at 400 degrees. This can get smoky, so turn on the fan over the stove and/or open up the windows. You may have to disconnect the smoke alarms. Usually one piece isn't too bad, but if you have a whole oven full, it's going to get smoky. If smoke is still coming out of the stove, then your iron is not seasoned yet. Basically what you're doing is burning the oil onto the pan and creating a carbon coating. Once the oil has burned to carbon, it will stop smoking. Turn the oven off, leave the door closed, and let the whole works cool overnight.

In the morning when you pull your newly seasoned piece out, it may look brownish instead of having the deep black patina you want. That's okay. It's fine to use as is, or you can slap on another coat of oil and go through the process again. In this picture, you can see the top pot has a nice black patina, while the brand-new DO under it looks brown because it has only one coat of seasoning on it. Either surface will work equally well.
 
#15 ·
Use Electrolysis. On cast iron? Effortless?

Ok - i'm stumped. How do you do that???
 
#17 ·
What kind of battery charger do they mean? 9v? AA? Car?
 
#19 ·
Very interesting...thanks for the info!
 
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