New idea for saving cast iron skillet

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

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The Best Trick for Removing Rust from a Cast-Iron Skillet

Cast-iron pans have been passed down in families for generations, so it's no surprise that sometimes those pans get a little rusty. Instead of throwing out your well-seasoned heirlooms, there's an easy way you can bring them back to life.

The best way to salvage a rusty cast-iron pan is by soaking it in vinegar.

This method works best on pans that need serious work. Mix together equal parts basic white vinegar and water, and either add the solution to the pan if it's rusty only on the inside or completely submerge the pan in a bucket of the stuff to dissolve the rust all over. Letting it soak for about an hour should do the trick, depending on the damage. Check back often, though, because once the vinegar eats through the rust, it will start on the actual pan. And you definitely don't want that.

Next, using an abrasive sponge or scrub pad and a soft soap, lightly buff the pan. Dry it immediately once done. Then, it's time to reseason the skillet and off you go.

Follow these steps, and your skillet will be as good as new. After all, cast-iron pans only get better with age.

from Tasting Table

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sherri1058

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

I found a cast iron skillet a few years ago. The magic of vinegar.......

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Comments (13)

Steve J
5 years ago
It's not a "NEW IDEA",, but it is certainly a good tip.
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Got reunited with CI a few years ago when I found 3 different size "name-brand" (Lodge, griswold, etc.) skillets for next to nothing at a yard sale. It took SEVERAL applications of oven cleaner to get the unknown GOOK off. I reseasoned like my Grandmother always did... HOT pan and a dab of bacon grease smeared all over... inside and out. As for cleaning, if cooking something "dry" like eggs... once pan was seasoned, only needed to be wiped out with paper towel. If something "wet"... scrape with metal spatula... HOT water, cheap salt and a scrubber. Then on burner till hot and another dab of BG. IMO, KEY to cast iron is USE IT!! I think it's easy to find... CHEAP at yard sales, thrift stores, flea markets... cuz it is HEAVY and some people think it's "old-fashioned"... they don't know what they're missing. When I first started "collecting" CI, stored several pieces in oven. Then noticed minor rust?? Figure from steam coming off whatever was cooking while pieces were sitting there. Just scrubbed it off, a little more BG... but I moved pieces to where I saw them everyday and then use them frequently.
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My point about out in the sun was that the closed bag will warm up the pot and help the reaction along and also vent the nasties outside. As it happens, I put my pot out yesterday afternoon. I had planned to remove the handle and screw from the lid but I forgot until a few minutes ago when I saw your post. I was afraid that the handle and screw might be damaged, so I took the lid out of the sunning bag and washed it off. I could see that some internal crud was oozing down the pot, so cleaning was happening. Upon lid examination, the black crud (much less than your bottom) came right off with an easy rub with a green scrub sponge. The handle and screw didn't seem to be damaged. Some dingy crud on the bumpy white inner surface came off with more scrubbing. I plan to leave the pot out for another day. From this, I would expect that your black crud will come off completely and easily. I hope that we will have success with the more critical inner surfaces. Time will tell. Mine is a small 7 inch pot. The inner surface appeared scorched or cracked. I was only using it to bake the no knead breads and the surface was of no concern. I got it for $7 at a thrift store. If it turns out just to be crud that can be removed, I will have a nice deal. Otherwise we will have learned more about cleaning them. Good luck.
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Jasdip
5 years ago
Yes, vinegar and water work great on rust. Your skillet looks beautiful!

Oven cleaner works best for getting a lot of crud and gunk off. Put in a bag and let sit for several days.
sherri1058
5 years ago
Jasdip, I didn't know if there was a skillet under all the rust or not! It didn't survive the rust / abuse unscathed, but I do like it!
annie1992
5 years ago
Thanks for that reminder, Kate. I've been telling myself that I absolutely cannot get any more cooking utensils, but I just can't pass up that old cast iron. (sigh)

Sherri, that's a nice old skillet. I like them with a little "character"!

Annie
sooz
5 years ago
Wow, that's amazing! A picture, a thousand words, y'know what I'm saying!

Thanks for sharing!
Steve J
5 years ago
Not knowing what's underneath the crud is part of the excitement. Sorta like treasure hunting. I was given a CI skillet last winter, and I did the oven cleaner/vinegar bath treatment and found it was an old Griswold No. 11. I'm currently doing the same thing for a skillet of my MIL's who though it was a Griswold, but turned out to be a 50's-60's Burlington Stove & Range "Chicken Fryer" after being able to read the markings on it. Not nearly as desirable, but it's still a great usable skillet that beats anything new you can buy today.

The "electrolysis" option is the quickest way to clean a piece, but the eazy off/vinegar option is probably the easiest to do option for most people.
chas045
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I was given a CI skillet last winter, and I did the oven cleaner/vinegar bath treatment and found it was an old Griswold....

What a find. Wow.

Well, Griswold or not, a Chicken Fryer is always valuable when you need deep sides.

....but the eazy off/vinegar option is probably the easiest.....

But to be clear, its eazy off OR vinegar; they are opposite approaches.
Steve J
5 years ago
Not necessarily. The directions I've found are that the eazy off is used to remove the crud, and the vinegar is used to remove any rust formed during the eazy off treatment before you can re-season.

I do an eazy off in the garbage bag and let it sit for 24 hrs and do a quick scrub and add more eazy off until it's back to the gunmetal gray everywhere. Then a quick back in the vinegar to remove any rust that started during the process just before seasoning.
plllog
5 years ago
To be clear, it's serial. Easy Off OR vinegar, or Easy Off, wash, THEN vinegar. Don't combine them!
Steve J
5 years ago
correct. Wonder what kind of noxious chemicals that would create combining them?

Also, prolonged exposure of the vineger to the raw iron will deteriorate the iron so only bathe in vinegar for as long as you need to remove the rust.
bragu_DSM 5
5 years ago
wouldn't want to smell it ... like bleach and ammonia ... lethal
lovemrmewey
5 years ago
Thanks for these hints AND the clarifications!

New idea for saving cast iron skillet

sherri1058

Comments (13)

Steve J

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