fleamarket find

**marlas1too** · 05-22-2011, 05:18 PM

well im trying to get out more after everything and well this last sat. my son convinced me to go with him to the harpers ferry fleamarket and i found 2 vacuum packer for 2 dollast each and bought both and found 2 iron skillets for 4 dollas each good find on both ---well that was what i did ---trying to get around ---hugs to all fv

**frugalwarrior2** · 05-22-2011, 05:22 PM

Good going DS. I just love flea markets and such. Glad your getting out a bit too!

**Daisygirl** · 05-22-2011, 06:25 PM

Cast iron skillets rock! I have several and they were all secondhand finds!!! Way to go on getting out there!

**Spirit Deer** · 05-22-2011, 08:56 PM

I've bought almost all my CI, except for camp ovens, secondhand. I love the vintage stuff!

**thefrug** · 05-23-2011, 09:11 AM

Hey neighbor! Was there many people set up? Hubby and I were thinking of going, but if it's only a few folks then we don't want to waste the gas.
It's the same old people over at SpringMills behind the Sheetz. And they want ( to us) too much for their stuff.

**Debbie-cat** · 05-23-2011, 09:42 AM

Great finds and good for you in getting out!

**marlas1too** · 05-23-2011, 12:52 PM

to thefrug the harpers freey fleamarket is always packed if the weather is good and this last sat. it was more than packed it was overflowing

**teagan911** · 05-24-2011, 07:08 AM

That is a steal for cast iron! Even when I do find it second hand, it's still expensive lol.

**marlas1too** · 05-24-2011, 04:55 PM

went back to harpers ferry flea-market on Sunday and scored 2 more iron cookware one a 6 in.skillet and one a 2 quart sauce pan all for 2 dollars as they were rusty so i had my son sand blast them then i smeared the outside with lard and filled the inside of both with oil -as i have lids for both i put them in the grill and now they are cooking and being seasoned--i save the oil to be recycled as a friend use,s a used oil furnace to heat his house and he gets all the old oil and used car oil around the neighborhood well thats my find and im going back to my room for a while --hugs to all fv

**NikoSan999** · 05-24-2011, 09:52 PM

Glad you got out. Good finds...there for a minute I thought Martins Ferry...but then reread and saw Harpers Ferry. Used to live in Ohio and went to Wheeling 3 to 4 times a year.

**BlissMommy** · 05-24-2011, 11:51 PM

Great deals too. I hope you had fun.

**thefrug** · 05-25-2011, 07:54 AM

uh oh. theres no stopping marla now! ha ha

I'm gonna see if hubby wants to go down this weekend

**Spirit Deer** · 05-25-2011, 12:06 PM

Marlas, this may be obvious, but I hope you mean you filled the new CI with food-safe cooking oil.

I know people sandblast rusty CI but I'd be worried about pitting it. I use electrolytic rust reduction instead. Very easy if you have a battery charger and no real work involved. Google for that term if you're interested.

To season CI, you don't fill it with oil. Just apply a very, very thin layer of cooking oil, Crisco, Camp Chef Cast Iron Seasoning, etc to every surface. It has to be extremely thin or the oil will be sticky and yucky and you'll have the fun of removing the mess and doing the job over again. Then bake it at 350 to 450 degrees for an hour or so. Once it quits smoking, the oil is carbonized and the seasoning is done. You can apply as many thin coats as you like, baking the piece in between each one. Multiple coats will only thicken the seasoning and improve the CI. You're aiming for a deep black, shiny patina on the piece. One coat may leave the CI looking more brown than black, but that's okay. It's perfectly all right to use it that way.

Contrary to popular opinion, it's perfectly okay to wash CI with mild soap if you prefer. Personally, I wouldn't dream of putting away a dirty pan. It's also okay to soak the pan, but don't leave anything acid-based like tomato sauce in it, ever. There's no need to dry over a burner or anything like that. I rinse mine, after washing with soap, in the hottest tap water, then just prop it up on the drainer to air dry. It doesn't hurt a thing and no calamity has happened in the past 50+ years of doing so. Of course it can also be towel-dried.

I don't oil after each use either, because I don't want greasy pans in my cabinets.

A lot of the things people insist one must do to care for CI comes down to personal preference, but after years of reading posts on camping forums from newbies who want to try cast iron cooking but think the care of CI is too fussy and complicated, I've concluded it's just not fair to scare the newbies with a bunch of needless rigamarole. No offense intended to anyone whose methods are different than mine. I'm just saying not everything people do is absolutely necessary for successful CI use and care. By all means, each CI cook should do what works for him or her. Anything that leads to success is the correct way of doing things.

**marlas1too** · 05-25-2011, 12:11 PM

thefrug--the flea-market will be booming this coming weekend-i,ll be there on sat.I'll be there I'm my bright orange blouse and straw hat and i always wear caprice jeans hope to see you there -i like to be there early--hugs to all fv