Cleaning cast iron?

[hawkman]

I recently acquired a cast iron dutch oven that has been used over an open fire. I would like to use it to cook fish in but it desperately needs cleaning. The outside is covered with black soot that comes off on everything it touches & the inside could use a little cleaning too. I know you aren't supposed to use soap & water so does anyone have any suggestions?

[Roberta]

You can go ahead and clean it with a steel wool scrub pad, but you will need to re-season it. I've known people who build a hot fire and threw the cast iron pot into the coals to burn off the built up grime. They then remove it, allow it to cool, wash and season. I figure a good scrubbing is safer.

When you get it clean, wipe down the inside of the pot with oil and put it in a 300 degree oven for a few minutes so the oil can penetrate the iron. remove it, allow to cool and wipe off an excess oil. If it gets rust spots in storage, repeat. Sometimes it takes three or four treatments to really seal the iron

Using it to fry food in oil will help season it further. You can wash it in sink, just use a nylon scrubby or a cloth most of the time. Wipe dry, then put over a hot burner to dry completely. NEVER put a damp cast iron pot back in the cabinet. Once in a while, I have to use a scrubber to get some cooked on "stuff" off the inside and then I just reseason. I do most of my cooking in cast iron, especially in the winter, when I do my slow cooking on the woodstove.

Another tip: If you cook any hgih-acid food in your Dutch oven, especially tomatoes, you will need to reseason it after washing. - Roberta

[gonefishing]

If I let one of my Dutch Ovens get really bad I will burn it out. If its not too bad just scrub it out inside and out. Then put a light coat of oil all over it and put in an oven around 300 deg. and bake for about 45 minuets. I am sure that LODGE has a web site that will tell you in greater detail. Good luck.

[crap-king]

Hawk - yeah after you bake the pot then fry some fat back in it - dispose of your drippings and wipe it down good with dry paper towels leaving just a film of the grease in your pot - it has been my experience you can use a mild soap to clean with as long as you dry it good and then grease it good and bake it again so as not lose the seasoning of the pot - my Dad use to clean them out when we were camping with a little sand and then rinse with water good and then grease the pan before storing it till next use

[fishingpox]

Now Roberta has that down to a science.I miss cooking with my iron skillets. We have a ceramic top stove and they say not to cook on top of stove with non flat bottom cookware. I've been tempted to take them to work and set them up in a milling machine and turn the bottoms flat. I wonder if that would work? At least we can still use them for cornbread.

[gonefishing]

Here link to Lodge Dutch Ovens.

http://www.lodgemfg.com

http://www.lodgemfg.com/images/usecare1.gif

[papasage]

i use a cast iron skillett on my flat top stove . untill it gits hot it will bubble 0out in the center and git hotter in the center i will let it git hotall over and it will lay flat . have ben using it for 3 years .
milling it flat want help

[KARL]

I recently acquired a cast iron dutch oven that has been used over an open fire. I would like to use it to cook fish in but it desperately needs cleaning. The outside is covered with black soot that comes off on everything it touches & the inside could use a little cleaning too. I know you aren't supposed to use soap & water so does anyone have any suggestions?

.....

I had some of same questions......did a search......

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...=Google+Search

more than you ever wanted to know... :D

[CrappieLips]

fishingpox ;;; I also use my iron skillet on our smooth top, never had a problem with it yet. you just have to clean the stove top with that ceramic top cleaner it build's up after it get's hot for awhile.
Hawkman;;; As for cleaning the inside I also take sand and scoower it clean. As for the outside, I just fire up the rosebud on the old torch and burn the crud off in about 1 minute then take lard smear it in the pan while it's hot then put the torch in the inside of the pot and heat the mess out of it. that will season it quick

[jlaughlin72]

I have heard of all of the above methods, one not mentioned that i have see is sandblasting them then re-seasoning them, but not everyone has access to a sandblasting rig.