Once upon a time a long, long time ago I got fed up with my cast iron pans and put them in a cupboard and closed the door. They didn’t see the light of day for several years. You see, my cast iron was a pain in the neck. Cast iron cleaning and maintenance was apparently beyond me because every time I used my skillet the food stuck to the point where it was impossible to remove and I had no idea how to clean it up again. I ruined a few good meals this way. Ugh!
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Then not to long ago I decided I was going to learn to use my cast iron or I was going to give it away. Plain and simple. I did some digging around and found instructions to re-season my skillets, there are lots of different methods but this is the one I used – a mash up of a few different methods.
Cast Iron Seasoning
- Preheat the oven to 325°
- Coat the pan inside and out with cooking oil. Use a paper towel or soft cloth to lightly coat the pan.
- Place two or three paper towels in layers on the oven rack and then put the pan on top of the paper towels upside down.
- Heat the pan for about an hour, turn off the oven and allow the skillet to cool. All done!
A seasoned pan is smooth, shiny, and non-stick. You’ll know it’s time to re-season if food sticks to the surface or if the pan appears dull or rusted.
It’s pretty easy to season the skillet but to keep it seasoned you don’t want to put it into dish washing water or use any kind of cleaner that will make food taste bad. Oh, and don’t use steel wool as it will scratch and remove the seasoned finish.
In the past, I used Kosher salt and my finger tips to clean cast iron. A large pan with a sticky mess like Pineapple Upside Down Cake could mean brutal punishment for my hands.
Then I was asked to try the Scrubber Pro. It’s a stainless steel chainmaille scrubber that scrapes off the food without tearing up your fingers or the seasoned finish on the pan. I tried it with the Pineapple Upside Down Cake – cleaning a cast iron skillet is easiest when it is warm but to test out the Scrubber Pro I let the food sit in the skillet for A WEEK!
A. Solid. Week.
The Scrubber Pro cleaned the skillet in record time. Even though the contents were allowed to sit.
I scoured the inside of the pan and wiped it out with a paper towel and it’s all ready to go again. I was really surprised as I didn’t expect it to work like it did. I’m definitely keeping this cast iron cleaning and maintenance tool close at hand.
Oh, and I used my cast iron more often now. I’m taking turns using my different sized pans.
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If you would like to purchase your own Scrubber Pro I will have a 25% off coupon available in my newsletter later tonight. The coupon will be good until Sunday June 12. It normally retails for $19.99 on amazon here.
My husband got one of these a few months ago (the chain maille scrubber thingie) and he luuuuuurves it. And we don’t go through salt the way we used to before.
Hey ya Kelbel,
They are pretty handy to have on hand. I’m wishing I’d gotten one sooner. Now I’m on the lookout for new cast iron. 🙂
♥V
The ScrubberPro looks like chain maille to me. LOL I clean our with a stiff plastic brush, and go to the scrubber after that if there is anything left stuck to the pan.