How Long To Soak Cast Iron In Lye

Restoring Cast Iron:

It's become my addiction. Information technology makes me happy. Like anything you restore, whether information technology exist antique article of furniture, or CI, information technology'due south exciting to see what's under all the gunk, and give information technology new life!

STRIPPING:

At that place are 3 rubber means I know of to get your pan to bare metal. The Easy Off Method, a Lye bath or an due east-tank.

If y'all only have one or two pieces you want to strip, you lot can apply the easy off oven spray method.

Use the Piece of cake Off that has the Yellowish lid. It must incorporate 100% LYE. Yous can get it at the Superstore.

Habiliment rubber gloves, and if possible, do this outside.******

I put a big piece of cardboard on the ground, get a large green garbage bag, open up it up, lay the pan on peak of bag so you will be able to just pull of the edges of the bag when you're washed spraying and pan will be inside of information technology.

While belongings the handle of the skillet spray both front end and back of pan, including handle, so the garbage bag collects the extra spray mist.  Bring up edges of garbage bag and so pan is inside of it, twist information technology a couple of times. Make sure it's bottom side downward.

Typically, if there is a lot of build up on it, information technology will take near 2 weeks to get information technology off using this method. This will not remove rust, just the crud build upwardly and old seasoning. If you want a Ameliorate method, do a LYE BATH. One pound of LYE to five Gallons of water. Information technology will accept the crud off but not the rust. You tin can leave it in there forever, it won't injure it! The best method I hear, is an etank. It'due south on my list of things I desire to make.

Back to the Easy Off method… The pan volition accept a black liquid mess in information technology then make certain y'all go along information technology in the garbage bag while you're checking it. I use blueish store towels, (and rubber gloves). I wipe off all the oven cleaner and crud. If all the seasoning has come off,  you need to wash your pan in soap and water. I employ cold h2o as typically the pan is cold from being in the garage. If you use hot water you lot'll probable crack your pan. (Lye works best if it'south in a warm surround.)

Once its washed with soap and water you will be able to see if in that location is any seasoning left. It will just appear as black splotches hither and in that location. You can typically scrub them off using 'Barkeepers Friend' and steel wool. NEVER use brass scouring pads or bristle cleaners, it will discolour your pan. If there is still as well much seasoning left on the CI, spray it again with oven cleaner and go out information technology in the bag again for at least a week before you lot check it over again.

Wash with soap and h2o again. I use DAWN. If information technology's all downwardly to blank metal, you're gear up for the next stride.

You want to avoid Flash RUST at all costs. I've learned from a lot of failed attempts what works best for pretty much stopping this altogether.

When you do your final rinse in water and your pan is dripping wet, spray it all over with ORIGINAL PAM cooking spray. Employ a few pieces of bluish shop towel to wipe dry. Past coating it this way with oil, the pan does not rust. If you simply try to dry it with a paper towel, and no oil, yous'll see orange rust springing upward all over because y'all can never dry out information technology well enough!! If this does happen, yous can put it in 50/l of h2o and vinegar FOR NO LONGER THAN 30 MINUTES AT A TIME OR YOUR PAN WILL PIT, and then scrub with BarKeepers Friend to remove the rust. If it's just a bit of rust, I but add more than Pam cooking spray and rub really good with more clean paper towel. That typically takes information technology off. One time your pan is stale off really well, only get out it for a 24-hour interval or more earlier you start the seasoning process. The pan has been moisture for a long fourth dimension, if yous become straight from washing it and drying it with Pam, direct to putting it in the oven, you have a big risk it will wink rust before your eyes in the over and y'all'll be starting over again.  I sometimes leave mine for weeks later on I've dried them with Pam, until I have time to season them. The metal is protected now with that fine coating of Pam, then is okay to get out as it is.

NEVER USE THE SELF CLEANING SETTING ON YOUR OVEN TO STRIP YOUR Cast IRON.

SEASONING:

*****If you utilize a gas oven, you Have to preheat it earlier y'all put the blank CI in. Gas causes a vapour when you turn the oven on that is enough moisture to crusade wink rust. So… make it the addiction of just preheating then putting your CI in the oven.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

I utilize three racks, and depending on the sizes of pans can usually season about v-8 at a time. If you accept something other than a skillet that has lots of nooks and crannies, like a waffle atomic number 26, y'all won't want to do too many along with that as they take a longer time to do.

One time oven reaches 200, put your pans in upside down on the racks. Set your timer for 20 minutes. This gives them a take chances to warm up, only won't exist too hot. Employ oven mitts that have silicone on them so you don't burn down yourself or melt the material to your CI.

At 20 minutes, remove one pan at a time. I put them on silicone mats on the counter, (just resting the edge on the matt while I concur the handle with the silicone oven paw. I apply a cotton t-shirt, that I have cut upwardly. Exercise not use any parts of the shirt that have thread as you volition more then likely finish upwardly with melted thread on your cast iron. Cascade about a tablespoon of vegetable oil in the pan and wipe it all over the pan, inside, outside, edges, handles. All nooks and crannies. Then, go a clean cloth from the t-shirt and wipe ALL oil off. It'due south impossible to practice that actually, and then merely go on wiping it off, all over. If you don't, it volition puddle when it'southward heated and will leave blotchy bits of seasoning on the pan. In one case you do one and it's wiped downwards, put it on the oven top, take the next 1 out, when they are all out, turn the temperature upwardly to 300, when information technology's reached information technology'southward temperature, put the pans back in upside downwardly (not need for pans or tinfoil, equally you accept already wiped the oil off well) set the timer for 15 minutes. This needs to all be done quickly as you are putting the pans on the stove top, while the oven preheats, once again, this likely just applies to gas ovens, but this is the process I would practise no affair what type of oven.

When the timer goes off, have one pan at at time out, wipe it all down over again with a clean dry cloth, put on summit of stove. Set temperature to 485 degrees. Put all pans back into the oven upside down, fix timer for 1.5 hours. Y'all will smell it, and it could smoke lightly, but that's what you demand to do in order to get the seasoning on to stay. If y'all use anything other than Crisco Oil (liquid) you volition have to suit your temperature according to the smoking temperature of the oil you employ. Do non use olive oil or flax oil.

When the timer goes off, close the stove off, don't open the door and leave them in in that location until temp comes down.

Repeat process about 4 times before you start using. Doesn't take to be on the same day, can be any time you have time.

Cleaning your Bandage Atomic number 26 Skillet

They say… 'Only cook BACON'… They say… 'It will season your pan up so squeamish!' they say…

I say phooey to that!

Every time I fry bacon, I completely mess up my skillet.

Check out this caked on mess!

Melt bacon low and slow. Don't attempt to motion information technology until the pan releases the bacon. The sugar in salary today is what makes it this sticky mess. (PS, I accept since learned how to cook bacon, depression and slow and my pans has never looked like this since!)

****** If you accept a mess to clean up… and your pan is well seasoned (no bare metal) it'southward totally fine to let it soak in soapy water and scrub with a plastic scrubber like this, NOT the green pads, they will remove your seasoning!!

Source: https://www.loveflips.com/cast-iron-seasoning-and-maintenance/

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