Cast iron question

[JustUs4All]

It sounds counter intuitive but I like to use salt as a scouring agent on my iron pans when cleaning them. Does anyone else do this?

My routine is:
Pour out and blot away as much grease or oil as possible.
Heat pan just to the point of smoking.
Pour water in and de-glaze the pan with a stiff spatula to remove material.
Rinse with hot water pouring out as much as possible.
Add salt to the pan and scour any remaining spots with a paper towel.
Rinse again with hot water, warm on the stove till dry, wipe down with bacon grease, then wipe out as much as possible.

This sounds like a lot when you write it all out but it is pretty quick and the pans like it.

 

[Cmp1]

I used to use vegetable oil,,,,

 

[kmckinnie]

I’ve used salt. Then wipe out with a grease. Like bacon. As said before by me. I watched my granny from time to time , get a little water simmering in it. Add a table of baking soda. Lots of stuff would come out then pits. Then I seen her use salt at times and re grease. Paper towels.
Wish I had paid more attention!

 

[Core Lokt]

Is this and old pan or one you use daily/weekly? I use mine often. Cook in it, pour grease or whatever out, wipe with a paper towel and then wash in 130* hot water with a rag. Slick as a babies behind and clean. Put it in the cabinet .

y wife's grandmother would wash hers in dawn soap. But she used it 3-4 times a day every day. It stayed seasoned.

 

[JustUs4All]

I do not own any pans that are much younger than I am and several that are well over 100. Dawn is not soap, it is detergent and detergent will cut the seasoning on a pan, new or old if it is used often enough. Soap, real soap, will not harm pans but I have never used it.

The cleaning routine above is for a a situation where something is stuck to the pan. My wife likes a bacon that is smoked and sugared. The sugar causes a lot of sticking in the pan. Most will come out wit the de-glazing step, but to get the little discolorations I use the salt scour.

I have two #8 size round griddles that I use for pancakes, spoon bread and such. These pans just get wiped out with a paper towel for cleaning. They belonged to my grandmother and are over 100 years old. I have tested the seasoning by frying an egg on the pan with no oil. It came out without sticking.

 

[Dustin Pate]

On the off chance something needs scrubbing, I have a chain mail scrubber. It works easy, quick, and doesn’t harm the seasoning.

https://www.amazon.com/Cleaner-Stai...t=&hvlocphy=9057368&hvtargid=pla-870151936506

 

[Nicodemus]

If I have to scour one of mine, I use salt. After any type cleaning I wipe my cast iron dry before I put it up.

 

[JustUs4All]

On the off chance something needs scrubbing, I have a chain mail scrubber. It works easy, quick, and doesn’t harm the seasoning.

I got gifted one of those and it works but not as well as a little water in a hot pan and scraping with a stiff spatula. Spatula keeps my hands out of the pan too.

 

[treemanjohn]

I use the scotch brite grittle scrubbing pads for cast iron and the blackstone. Sand if I'm camping

 

[zedex]

I use these on new, rough surface cast as well on as rusty. It cleans them nicely and smooths the surface pretty quickly.
Then, I use coarse sandpaper and flapwheels to bring it down to a very smooth surface.
Once to that point, it's ready to use with a virtual nonstick surface.
After washing and while still wet, I put it on a hot burner to dry it completely then wipe with oiled paper towel while still hot. This causes the oil to carbonize to create a protective layer and it's super slick.
To clean up daily use cast, occassionally, I use a foam sanding block after washing. Keeps the finished surface. Then treat as normal after every wash.
I avoid using anything caustic on cast. It just creates more pores.
One fella I know refuses to even wash his cast. He just wipes it out after use and burns the surface on the burner. Says washing ruins the metal. Lots of carbon buildup. I dont think that's really dangerous, healthwise, but not very appetizing either

 

[gobbleinwoods]

I use these on new, rough surface cast as well on as rusty. It cleans them nicely and smooths the surface pretty quickly.
Then, I use coarse sandpaper and flapwheels to bring it down to a very smooth surface.
Once to that point, it's ready to use with a virtual nonstick surface.
After washing and while still wet, I put it on a hot burner to dry it completely then wipe with oiled paper towel while still hot. This causes the oil to carbonize to create a protective layer and it's super slick.
To clean up daily use cast, occassionally, I use a foam sanding block after washing. Keeps the finished surface. Then treat as normal after every wash.
I avoid using anything caustic on cast. It just creates more pores.
One fella I know refuses to even wash his cast. He just wipes it out after use and burns the surface on the burner. Says washing ruins the metal. Lots of carbon buildup. I dont think that's really dangerous, healthwise, but not very appetizing either

Left over flavor crystals.