How To Restore Cast Iron Cookware

Cooking with cast iron is an art and requires a lot of practice to master it. If not cared for properly your cast iron cookware can rust and become unusable. Here is what you need to know to restore cast iron cookware.

Cast iron was created many generations ago and it’s still incredibly versatile. Cooking with cast iron is a timeless skill. You can fry, bake and do pretty much anything you can think of using cast iron. Some of the survival cooking methods of our grandparents relied on the intensive use of cast iron.

You can find all sorts of cast iron cookware at garage sales or flea markets. Even if some of these cooking utensils look rusty, you shouldn’t hesitate to buy them. There is a simple way to restore cast iron cookware.

Step by step guide to restore cast iron cookware:

1. Gather your cast iron cookware

After you purchased all your cast iron items from a flea market, it’s time to gather all utensils together. To restore cast iron cookware, you will first need a large container to hold each piece submerged. Besides the container, you will also need water, white vinegar and steel wool. I have to warn you that some items are more difficult to clean than others. When you restore cast iron cookware, items such as cornbread pans will give you a hard time.

2. Create the cleaning mixture

This is an important step to restore cast iron cookware. You need to create a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar. The quantity should be enough to allow the items to be completely submerged. Pay attention and use equal parts of water and vinegar otherwise the mixture will be too weak or too strong. You won’t be able to control how quickly the rust comes off.

3. Soak the cast iron cookware

Lay your kitchen utensils in the container and pour the mixture over them until they are completely submerged. This is the most time-consuming part when it comes to restoring cast iron cookware. You need to wait until the rust loosens. It really depends on how much rust there is on your items. The longest I’ve waited was ten hours. However, few items take that long.

Check every one hour or so and use your fingernail to scrape the rust. If the rust comes off easily, start scrubbing. Don’t let the pan sit in the mixture any longer if the rust comes off. It will begin to oxidize and will make the cast iron unusable.

4. Scrub the cast iron cookware

To restore cast iron cookware, scrubbing becomes necessary after the items were soaked in water and vinegar. Use steel wool and scrub the items until all the rust comes off. Make sure you scrub the entire surface of the item you are restoring. Even the handles should be taken care of otherwise the rust will expand and make them weak. If you let rust on the handles, they will be eaten by rust and eventually break off. Scrubbing can last up to an hour, depending on the item you are restoring.

5. Dry the cast iron cookware

When you consider you did a good job scrubbing all the rust, you should dry the cast iron. Do so immediately and make sure the pieces are completely dry. This is an important step to consider when you restore cast iron cookware. If the iron is wet and in contact with air, it will easily rerust.

Once the cast iron cookware is dry, you can consider it clean and you only need to reseason it before using it.

6. Oil the cast iron cookware

To restore cast iron cookware, this step requires vegetable oil, a dishtowel you will have to throw away after and an oven. When you are sure the cast iron is completely dry, place it on a flat surface like a kitchen counter. Put ½ or 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil onto it, depending on how big the cooking item is. Make sure you pour the oil into the cooking area first. Use the dishtowel to spread the oil over the entire surface of the cast iron item.

7. Heat the cast iron cookware

Now it’s time to preheat the oven to 300°F and place the cast iron in the oven. Make sure you place it on the middle rack of the oven for an even heating. If you plan to restore cast iron cookware such as pot and pan, place them upside down. Once the oven has reached 300°F, leave the cast iron in for 20 minutes.

8. Dry the cast iron cookware

After 20 minutes, pull the item out and let it cool. Avoid touching it unless you are entirely sure it has cooled. When the item is cool, use the dishtowel to do final polishing to make sure there’s no remaining oil. If you leave any oil behind, your cast iron pot or pan will have permanent marks.

Check out the video below to discover how our ancestores lived:

9. Heat the cast iron cookware again

This is another time-consuming step when you restore cast iron cookware. You need to preheat the oven to 400°F and place the cast iron item back for two hours. You don’t have to check it and you can take care of your other chores during this time.

10. Cool the cast iron cookware

After two hours, remove the cast iron from the oven. Once the cast iron is cool, it is entirely restored and reseasoned. You can now use it for cooking experiments. To restore cast iron cookware in the future, use the same step by step guide.

A final word

When you restore cast iron cookware, make sure you store it properly and use it carefully to avoid damage. The better you treat your cast iron utensils, the longer they will last. Never stack anything on top of your cast iron cookware. If you are forced to stack cast iron on top of cast iron, use a towel between the two pieces.

When you cook with your cast iron, never use metal utensils on it. Try using plastic or wooden ones to avoid scraping off the seasoning. After each use, clean it doing a light reseasoning. Scrape the food particle with a towel, coat the pan with oil and heat in the oven at 400°F for one hour.

Since cast iron produced in the early 20^th century in America still exists today, you can find good deals at antique dealers. Cast iron will last forever and it’s a pity not buying it when you have the chance. Learn how to restore cast iron cookware and keep this cooking legacy alive.

Source: http://prepperswill.com/restore-cast-iron-cookware/

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