How to Restore Cast Iron
Yesterday at Goodwill I found a tiny cast iron cauldron that unfortunately had become extremely rusted from misuse. That’s probably how it ended up on the shelf of a thrift store, and since it was half price (I’d gotten it for $2.50) I knew it’d been sitting there for awhile. I come across a lot of cast iron for real cheap, and the reason why it’s cheap is the rust. Fortunately I know that rust doesn’t mean an item can’t be used—it simply needs to be restored. Few people realize that this easy process can be done at home in your own oven. Iron is durable, though it requires specific care.
Don’t ever try to cook on or eat off a rusty pot, skillet or cauldron. Instead, take a day to restore it—and learn to handle it properly for the future, too.
~Materials to Restore Cast Iron~
- Steel Wool (shown above on the green towel)
- Cooking oil
- Paper towel (a coffee filter also works in a pinch)
- Oven that can reach at least 450F
- Soap and water
- Dry towel
- Aluminum foil
~Procedure~
- Remove the rust. Using the steel wool and some warmish water, scrub the piece completely. You may wish to wear gloves, and depending on the amount of rust, this process may be labor intensive and take awhile. For an even cure later, it’s best to completely remove black layer, which is the original seasoning. Steel wool will accomplish this, but you may go through two or three pads so purchase accordingly. I’ve gotten away with using the soap pads from SOS (the soap won’t hurt the process) which you can find at the grocery store. If the rust is bad, though, either go get industrial strength steel wool or take the piece to get sandblasted.
- Clean and dry. Wash the piece with warm soapy water to completely remove any remaining residue and steel filings that may come off your pad. Dry it thoroughly! Water is bad for the next process. Also at this point inspect the piece to make sure there aren’t any cracks, exceptionally thin spots or other deficiencies.
- Apply the seasoning. Using a paper towel or coffee filter buff your chosen oil into the iron. I usually do two curing sessions and I apply the oil over the whole piece (do not neglect the bottom!) As far as oils go, my oil was picked for its magickal correspondences since this is a magickal piece—for food purposes, you can use anything from canola oil, vegetable, rapeseed, flax or even animal fat oils. I saw my mum once season one of her skillets with bacon grease in a campfire! Rub it in well, and remember it’s also better to do a thinner coat, and then a second coat later, rather than one thick coat. <3.
- Turn your oven OFF. This step is crucial. Never—NEVER—subject cold iron to hot surfaces, or hot iron to cold surfaces unless you want to see an iron explosion with the potential for iron projectiles. (No, but really you can crack a skillet in half pouring cold water into a hot pan.)
- Set your oven racks towards the center, with one very close underneath the other. On the lower rack put some aluminum to catch anything that will drip from your cast iron.
- Place your piece on the upper rack upside down. This will prevent oil from pooling in the bottom as it melts, thus giving you an uneven seasoning. Rather, excess oil will drip off into your aluminum.
- Turn the oven on to 450-475F. 475 is ideal. I’ve seen people do it at 400, but it will take longer and unless you’ve applied a very thin coat, you’ll end up with sticky pieces. Below 400 will not work, in my experience. A lot of tutorials online seem to call for 200F, even 325F. At those temperatures, you’ll need to leave it in there a day or two and then it still might turn out sticky. Refer to the picture above where the cauldron looks like it has a layer of oil dripping up the side. You’ll get that too if you take it out too soon (as I did). I’ve seen people do it at 500F too, but I’ve never found that heat necessary. Alternatively, you can also do this process in a campfire, just make sure it’s up above the coals and away from direct flame.
- Let it roast for 2-3 hours minimum. It will make your house smell! Depending on the oil you used it may make it smell amazing. It will also make your house hot. I tend to do most of my seasoning in the winter time, then just huddle in the kitchen with tea, a blanket and a book.
- When you think it might be done, turn the oven off. DO NOT REMOVE THE PIECE IMMEDIATELY. Sudden temperature change is bad for iron, remember! Not only can I guarantee you will burn yourself, but I’ve also burnt the hell out of one of my pretty woven hot pads that I use when I bake. It was sad, but the second degree burns and smouldering oven mitts were sadder. :(
- Let the oven and cast iron cool completely. Then remove.
- Repeat the process once or twice more for best results, but you can officially use your stuff after the first seasoning (few people recommend it though). <3.
~How to Prevent Rust~
Here are some quick tips to prevent having to annoy your roommates in the future by burning a 475F oven for 3 hours for multiple days in a row (as I currently am):
- Do not soak cast iron in water ever.
- Do not wash cast iron in water unless absolutely necessary.
- If washing becomes necessary, wash immediately, dry completely and immediately.
- Do not EVER put your cast iron in a dishwasher.
- If you fill up you cauldron with strange black liquids for scrying, dry completely and immediately.
- Regular seasonings will help withstand rust. I usually do one round of seasoning on my skillets any time I need to wash them (about two-three times a year). A good seasoning also helps make sure you don’t need to wash it so often.
- Do not touch your roommate’s cast iron. Ever. It’s not dirty. Seriously. I had a roomie once decide my mum’s handed down skillet was dirty and scrub it so hard she completely took off a five year old seasoning. And then threw it in the dishwasher for good measure. Fucking bitch. I wanted to hit her with it, because that was all it was good for after that.
Otherwise, enjoy, and please ask questions if anything isn’t clear. <3.
@theleftylibrarian cause I love cast iron and you hate it lol
73r:
Report: 95% Of Grandfathers Got Job By Walking Right Up And Just Asking
Fun story my history teacher told us: his grandfather during the industrial revolution walked past a flyer which said “looking for smart strong boys” so he went into the factory, said “i’m strong and smart”, and he had that job from age 13 to 78
and this is why they expect the younger generation to simply “get a job” ahh it’s so much clearer now
#basically everyone aged Baby Boomer and up #still can’t wrap their heads around the fact that there’s no such thing as ‘just walking in’ anymore #like the majority of jobs you’d actually want require online applications and you’re lucky to get a rejection email (via halffizzbin)
Here’s another fun story: My boss decided to slap my work phone number on all the ads we post looking for newspaper carriers. So I receive a bunch of calls from people looking for jobs. Working only part time, I’m not usually there when they call, so they have to leave a message and I take their info to pass on to my boss. Sometimes it can be weeks before my boss calls any of these applicants back, if at all. How the callers respond to not getting a callback varies. Most don’t do anything, but some call again. If the person sounds young, they may leave another message clarifying their qualifications and reaffirming their interest. If the person is old, and I can always hear it in their voice, they respond by getting mad, threatening to cancel their newspaper subscription, and occasionally swearing. The older generation is used to getting a callback, and an immediate one, so they throw a tantrum when they don’t get what they want.
And everyone calls Millennials entitled.
Mind. Blown.
This is great info, but the way the headline is phrased made it sound like they got the job of being a grandfather by walking right up and just asking
Older generations also started out in the shittiest of shit positions, but quickly moved up if they proved themselves and worked HARD.
So when a boomer or older sees a “whiny millennial crying about how they want $15/hour for flipping burgers” it’s because they think it’s still that easy to get recognized for doing a great job, so it must be the millennial’s fault for not trying hard enough to get noticed and move up the ladder.
Older generations don’t realize employers now don’t give a shit about the people working for them, don’t recognize when someone is a valued employee, don’t move them up in the company, and don’t increase pay based on work performance.
Employers now are too focused on keeping the hours per employee down so they don’t have to give them insurance and forcing them to work as hard as possible while also paying them next to nothing.
This is NOT how it used to be, and once a boomer or older really realizes this, they get super pissed at what has happened to the workplace these days. I’ve seen it happen with my parents and grandparents. My uncle didn’t realize it until he got a job at Walmart that lasted for two months because he couldn’t take it anymore and didn’t move up the ladder.
My grandfather was a really good businessman back in the day, and when I laid it all out for him, he was livid and said “that’s NOT how you get good employees. You get good employees by treating them like a human being, paying them what they’re worth, and pushing them to do better by following through on promises you’ve made to reward them for that good behavior and showing that you’re worthy of their respect and hard work by working hard yourself.”
The more the media and capitalism corrupts everyone, the more we take sides, the less we empathize with each other. It’s not as much a baby boomer problem as it is a corruption problem and lies being shoved down everyone’s throats, separating everyone to the point where they hate each other.
Up now on my eBay! Various indie and small press comics from 1991-2000! Citrus Zine by Daisy McGuire, David Chelsea in Love by David Chelsea, Electro Comics by Matt Broersma and Engine by Toby Craig! Also up for grabs: my superheroine comic collection (70’s-80’s stuff), random Radio Comix books and various indie comics! My house is super small, and I am still selling off thirty years’ worth of collectibles to raise money for ongoing back taxes & various upcoming large expenses, so every little bit helps. Thanks for looking & sharing!
Scream Factory has announced the specs for its upcoming Vice Squad Collector’s Edition Blu-ray, which streets on August 13. Joel Robinson designed the new cover art; the original poster will be on the reverse side.
The 1982 action/crime cult classic is directed by Gary Sherman (Poltergeist III). Season Hubley, Gary Swanson, and Wings Hauser star. Martin Scorsese is a noted fan of the movie.
Vice Squad has been newly scanned in 4K from the original negative. Special features are listed below.
