How to properly care for a cast iron pan after cooking: how to wash, care for an uncoated pan

Experienced housewives will agree that it is in a cast-iron pan that many dishes turn out to be more tasty and fragrant. And few people know that in many respects the high quality of dishes directly depends on the condition of the pan. You might think that a heavy and somewhat rough-looking frying pan is a kind of “perpetual motion machine”, and nothing will happen to it. But it's not. Let's try to figure out what "threatens" her and how you can protect your favorite frying pan.

A properly cared for cast iron skillet can serve you for the rest of your life.

Features of cast iron cookware

Cast iron, however, like any other metal, has its own characteristics, which must be taken into account during operation and subsequent processing of products.

Here are just some of the nuances:

• There are kitchen utensils made of pure cast iron, and there are items made of cast iron covered with enamel;
• This metal is characterized by poor thermal conductivity (the pan heats up for a very long time, and also cools down for a long time);
• The melting point of cast iron is 1400 degrees, so you won’t be able to hopelessly ruin such a frying pan on fire;
• A characteristic feature of cast iron products is their heavy weight;
• Cast iron itself is a porous material; cooking in such a pan without oil will not work.

The quality of the cooked dishes directly depends on the condition of the cast iron pan.

Where to begin

Even a brand new cast iron skillet needs your attention. The thing is that during the production process, the metal undergoes several treatments using oil (even machine oil). If you do not remove its remnants, the food will get an unpleasant aftertaste.

Cast iron is a whimsical alloy, and for long-term use of cast iron cookware, you need to follow the rules for caring for cast iron cookware.

So, the first step is cleaning the new frying pan. To do this, use ordinary rock salt (the larger, the better) and sponges for washing dishes.

Before you start using a cast iron pan for its intended purpose, it is necessary to clean the product from dirt and impurities by applying rock salt.

At the first stage, the pan is washed under hot water without detergent. If you still want to use some additional composition, take laundry soap.

After washing, dry the skillet with paper towels.

Put it on the fire and heat it up well.

The calcination process is as follows. Rock salt is poured into the pan so that it tightly covers the bottom with a thick layer. Then put on maximum fire. An important point: do not forget to slightly open the window or turn on the hood.

Ordinary salt works well - it cleans delicately, at the same time it removes bacteria from pores and cracks.

Leave the pan on the heat for about 30 minutes and stir the salt constantly. In the process of such processing, the salt should acquire a dark shade, which means that it has absorbed unnecessary impurities.

But after such cleaning, be sure to lubricate with oil and bake.

After 30 minutes, turn off the heat, pour out the salt and leave the pan to cool completely. After that, rinse the cooled cast-iron pan under hot water and wipe dry again.

Wipe the inside surface of the bottom and walls with a paper towel or napkins.

At the final stage, put the pan on medium heat and pour vegetable oil into it. Leave on fire for about 20-30 minutes. Thus, your pan will receive some kind of non-stick coating.

After cooling and removing the oil, the pan can be used for cooking.

Daily care

So how do you care for a cast iron skillet? We note right away that everyday care is not as intricate as the initial one. The main thing is not to “run” the cast iron cookware, promising yourself to wash it well next time.

Wash immediately after cooking.

After each use, you need to remove food residues and wash off the fat accumulated during the cooking process. After that, pour boiling water. Finally, pat dry with paper towels. At the end of the procedure, do not forget to grease the pan with vegetable oil.

Store in a dry ventilated place.

If grease has accumulated on the inside of the pan, remove it as follows:

• Pour 3 tablespoons of salt into the pan and add a little vinegar;
• Fill the pan with water;
• Put on fire and bring to a boil;
• Add 4 tablespoons of soda to the resulting mixture and leave until the liquid has completely evaporated;
• Wash the pan with hot water.

It is better to wash the cast iron skillet by hand.

The trend of recent years is the maximum use of household appliances in all areas. Today, a dishwasher is not a luxury, but a necessity. And active housewives tend to put all the kitchen utensils in it. It is worth noting that a dishwasher is not the best friend for a cast-iron pan. The thing is that in the process of washing, detergents remove the protective film from the surface and the bottom of the pan becomes rough. Subsequently, it is very difficult to cook in such a pan, as food sticks and corrosion appears on the surface over time.

How to store a cast iron skillet

Even on how you store cast iron utensils, its service life depends.

Cleanliness is a prerequisite: only a cleaned pan without food or oil residues can be left for storage. To minimize food contact, remove food from the pan immediately after cooking.

Do not store food in the pan.

Where you store your cast iron skillet, provide ventilation as much as possible. Control the humidity level, as high humidity will damage the cast iron.

First of all, the pan must be kept away from chemicals that cause corrosion.

Do not put other pans or pots in the cast iron skillet, believe me, this will adversely affect its performance.

If you have to stack pans on top of each other, use spacers.

Prevention of corrosion and soot

You can often hear the phrase: "The disease is easier to prevent than to cure." It is safe to say that this is also true in relation to the care of cast iron pans, it is better to prevent the appearance of corrosion and soot than to try to get rid of them later.

Let's start with corrosion. Water is the main enemy of any cast iron products. Avoid excessive contact with it, and after washing, be sure to wipe the pan dry.

Food causes oxidation, which over time will inevitably lead to corrosion.

If we talk about soot, then in the case of a cast-iron pan, it, alas, is inevitable. But you can delay this moment.

First of all, carefully remove the food from the pan. For some reason, it is very common to believe that nothing can happen to a cast-iron skillet, and the housewives they don’t particularly think about how to get cooked food out of the cast iron (it’s not Teflon!). And in vain. It is the ruthless use of knives and metal spatulas that results in soot.

Cast iron frying pans are coated with non-stick materials.

The key to success is the careful attitude to cast iron from the very first days of its appearance in your kitchen. The longer its original structure is preserved, the longer you will be happy to use this pan.

The easiest way to care for pancake pans made of cast iron, you can not wash them at all, but only wipe them if you cook only pancakes.

How to remove old pollution

There are several ways to clean old dirt from cast iron surfaces.

Method one: make a solution of glue, soda and laundry soap, add water. Pour the composition into a large container and place a dirty cast-iron skillet there. Boil for two hours.

The peculiarity of these options is that they remove dirt without damaging the metal itself.

Method two: acetic acid. Gently wipe the contaminated surface with acid, and then rinse well with water. Be careful, otherwise you can get burned.

Most often, problems with burning and sticking begin when the coating is damaged.

Method three: Coca-Cola. Pour the drink into a container and place the pan there overnight. Believe me, in the morning you will not recognize your kitchen utensils, dirt and grease will simply disappear.

Cleaning a non-stick cast iron skillet after frying is usually a breeze.

How to restore non-stick properties

If your cast iron skillet is starting to burn, try this simple procedure.

First, rinse the pan thoroughly and pat dry.

Do not pour hot dishes with cold water, let it cool.

Secondly, sprinkle rock salt in a thick layer and place in a preheated oven for one hour (no more).

If food is stuck or burnt, do not try to clean with abrasives, metal brushes and washcloths.

Thirdly, after pouring out the salt, wipe the pan with vegetable oil.

If you properly wash and store a cast iron pan, it will last several decades.

If after one "complex" the non-stick properties are not restored, carry out the procedure again.

A cast-iron pan is only at first glance an invulnerable "iron lady", but in fact it really needs careful operation and careful care after cooking. Obviously, cleaning and washing cast iron utensils is a serious process that requires time and effort from housewives. But, believe me, such costs will certainly “pay off”, and the cast-iron frying pan will serve you faithfully for many, many years.

Proper care of your cast iron skillet will greatly extend its life.

VIDEO: How to properly care for cast iron cookware.