A couple years ago I invested in a ridiculously expensive set of stainless steel pots and pans. Don’t get me wrong, I love them and I use them all the time. I’m a firm believer in using good quality tools, and pots and pans are the tools of the trade for a food blogger or any serious home cook. Last year I purchased my first cast iron pans and I notice that I reach for them more and more often when I’m cooking. I love how evenly foods cook, and their amazing non-stick properties without the chemical coating of other non-stick cookware. I also love having the ability to transfer pans directly from the stovetop, right into the oven, and then onto the table for serving. I find their chunky rustic look quite appealing. Their versatility is amazing and they’re a cooks best friend. The biggest drawback for me was always how to clean them. Once I figured out an easy way to clean them that worked for me, I was hooked!
I know most websites will tell you that you should never ever wash cast iron cookware with soap and water, but I just can’t go there. The OCD/germaphobe part of me just can’t tolerate the idea of not washing a pan after cooking in it. To be quite honest, it just grosses me out, and it’s the main reason I stayed away from cast iron pans for so long.
I’m the same way when it comes to upholstered or fabric items at the thrift store. Unless I can toss it in the washing machine to clean and sanitize it, I just keep on walking! Used shoes…pass, pillows…pass! Like I said I’m just weird like that about certain things. But I digress…
If you are like me, and lean toward certain germaphobic tendencies like I do, I have good news for you. You don’t have to give up on cast iron. You can wash your cast-iron in hot soapy water without ruining it. Yes! The secret is that it must be dried completely, immediately after washing it. Because rust is cast iron’s worst enemy!
A word of CAUTION: you must commit to drying off your cast iron pans immediately if you are going to wash them with soap and water. Allowing them to drip dry on a dish drainer is an invitation for rust that will ruin your pans in short order.
The easiest way to clean your cast iron is to wash it in warm soapy water, rinse off all the soapy water, and then place it on your stove over medium-high heat for a few minutes until it is completely dry. Once it is dry, turn off the heat and leave it on the stove to cool to room temperature before storing it in your cupboard. That’s it! Easy peasy, right? Every few months I re-season my pan(s) by rubbing a thin layer of oil onto them and baking them in the oven at 450 degrees for an hour.
A new cast iron skillet can set you back anywhere from $30 to $50 or more. I see old cast iron skillets at the thrift store all the time, but most are in pretty bad shape covered in rust with thick layers of baked on crusty gunk…YUCK! The thought of cooking with them just grosses me out, so I typically just keep on walking.
When I spied this pan for just $10, plus 50% off, I couldn’t resist, so I took the plunge and decided to bring it home. It wasn’t rusty and looked like it was maybe used once or twice? The stuck on gunk at the bottom of the pan was minimal and I decided to see if I could get it cleaned up. At worst, I would be out $5 and a little elbow grease. If I couldn’t get it cleaned up to my liking I suppose I could use it for home defense, right? This sucker is heavy and you could easily knock someone out with it…LOL. So I took the plunge and brought it home with me.
You only need two ingredients that you probably have on hand to scour off the baked on gunk, some Kosher salt and a lemon.
Pour some kosher salt onto the surface of the pan. I used about a 1/4 cup or so of salt.
Cut a lemon in half and use it to scrub, scrub, scrub.
Once your arm is tired and ready to fall off…LOL…rinse the pan under some cold water and dry it off with a dish towel to see if you got all the gunk to come off.
How much scrubbing you will have to do will depend on how much gunk is stuck to the pan. Repeat the process until the pan is clean or your arm falls off, whichever comes first.
TIP: For really stubborn baked on gunk fill the pan with water and bring the water to a boil. Use a spatula to scrap off stuck on foods. Be careful, the pan and water will be very hot!
Now for the final step, seasoning the pan. Not only will this seal the pan and give it its amazing non-stick properties, but it will also sterilize the pan and kill off any germs that may be lingering on the surface. That’s an important element to consider when you are dealing with an item that was previously used for who knows what. Pour a scant tablespoon of vegetable oil onto the pan and rub it onto the surface to coat the entire pan using a paper towel.
Be sure to coat the handles and the outside of the pan too.
CAUTION: Use only a thin layer of oil to coat the pan. Using too much oil will cause the pan to develop a sticky, gummy surface when heating it, not a hard, non-stick surface which is what you are going for.
Once you have coated the pan with a thin layer of oil, place it upside down in a preheated 450 degree oven and bake it for one hour. Baking it upside down allows any excess oil to drip off the pan and not pool in the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and open the oven door. Allow the pan to cool to room temperature in the oven.
TIP: place a layer of foil on the bottom of your oven to catch any drips that might come off the pan as it heats.
The pan is now clean, sterilized, and seasoned. All the gross gunk is gone, and it has a hard protective coating on it. You can now use it to cook with and not have to worry about anything gross transferring to the foods you cook.
This may be one of the best dollars I have spent in a very long time! I can’t hardly wait to cook up some gourmet meals in it. A cast iron pan is perfect for any recipe you have that calls for cooking something on the stovetop and then transferring it to the oven to finish cooking. Set a trivet on the table and serve your meal right from the pan. The rustic charm of a cast iron pan looks lovely at the table and it’s perfect for a casual family dinner. Only one pan to clean up too, gotta love that!
Now that you know how easy it is to to clean it for everyday use, and the wonderful way it heats foods so evenly, I’m betting you will be like me; reaching for your cast iron pans more and more often.
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And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28
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