Kitchen! Where all the delicious goodies come from! Where also all the icky and gooey stuff sticks on! What? It’s true, isn’t it? You make all this wonderful cuisine but you can’t make it without things getting dirty in the kitchen. Nah-uh! Get that mind out of the gutter because I’m talking about the skillet here. When even the kitchen island isn’t safe then how can we expect our cast-iron skillet to stay clean and shiny and rust-free? But don’t worry. Today we will see How to Restore your Rusty Cast-Iron Skillet in 3 Genius Ways Explained.
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How to Restore your Rusty Cast-Iron Skillet | 3 Genius Ways Explained
Remove The Rust!
Oh, wow genius! Stop rolling your eyes and read further because that’s exactly what you need to do. You gotta scrub it off to get rid of the rust. Because just because your cast-iron skillet is rusty now doesn’t give you the reason to throw it away! And while many of you might believe that how can you let it anywhere near water because it’s a horror, it is most definitely not. In fact, it will save you the trouble to make a trip to the machine shop and get it restored and in turn, it will save you the bucks it would have cost you. So detach that rust just like you can detach that wallpaper with these smart steps.
The first step you have to do is get a fine steel wool and scrub off all the rust from your skillet. Make sure you don’t miss any rusty area and once you are done, wash the skillet with warm water and mild dish soap. Now dry the cast iron thoroughly as soon as you have cleaned it with water. It must be completely dry, like really dry. You got it!
Now, just getting rid of the rust isn’t enough. You have to restore it then a few more steps are needed to be done. Once you have gotten your cast iron rust-free and dried it well, apply a coat of vegetable oil all over it, including the bottom and handle. Place the skillet upside down on the top rack of the oven and an aluminium sheet will go right on the bottom rack. Why? Because you don’t need oil stuck in your oven. That’s why! Now let your cast iron rest in peace in the oven for an hour at 350o F. And while you are at it, make sure you read more about this aluminium foil.
Take it out after an hour, let it cool and enjoy cooking in your new restored cast-iron skillet. You have saved your cast-iron skillet now it’s time for you to save your dying succulents.
It’s a Wonder What Salt Can Do
There are ways to get rid of that rust making your cast-iron looking all nasty and ugly. You can either follow the age-old way to remove it by burning it in fire (Yes! Literally!) for 10 to 15 minutes or you can use the salt. See, things are that easy sometimes. Kosher salt or what we call our kitchen salt will make your job easy. Just pour a tablespoon of it into the pan and scrub it off and remove the rust easily. You can use baking soda too. Here you can see the wonders of baking soda.
Give Your Cast-Iron a Nice Vinegar Soak
You want to get rid of that rust covering all of your cast-iron then you must give it a vinegar soak. What you need to do is prepare a solution of vinegar and water in equal parts and submerge your cast-iron in it. It might take an hour to eight for that rust to dissolve. Make sure you keep an eye on your cast-iron while it’s having the vinegar soak and take it out as soon as you observe the rust flaking away. Because vinegar while might be destroying that rust, for now, it can be a disaster for the raw surface of the cast-iron. Just like you will find vinegar at your home all the time, once you get all these plants in your home you will get all the herbs right there at your home.
Oils You Can Use To Re-season the Cast-Iron Skillet
The above two processes are great but you still can’t use you’re pan unless you have done the re-seasoning. So make sure you stock up on the vegetable oils to re-season the cast-iron after you have gotten rid of the stubborn rust on it. Oils such as olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil or your regular vegetable oil will do the job. However, I would suggest not using the olive oil. Unless you want your kitchen full of smoke, stay away from the idea of seasoning your cast-iron with olive oil. And if you want aroma floating around in your home for like all the time, then bring in these plants. The best oil for seasoning is flaxseed oil because it forms a protective layer on your cast-iron skillet and thereby coating it thoroughly with a hard layer. So rust can be away for a longer time.
Also read: Clever Ways to Organize your Kids Stuff.
There are certain things if you follow then you can protect your cast-iron from getting rusty. Make sure you wash it thoroughly after every use and dry it thoroughly every time. Don’t let the water or vinegar come in touch with your skillet besides the purpose of cleaning it or scrubbing off the rust and your cast-iron skillet will thank you. And while we are talking about rust and stains, get rid of stubborn stains with the help of these easy methods.
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