How I Re-Seasoned My Cast Iron Pan

A few asked how I restored my cast iron skillet, so this post is about that.

It's been a long time since I had to restore cast iron, but I did some research online.  Never soak your cast iron more than 8 hours (some Youtube videos I found said to soak overnight, do not do that).

I placed the pan in a large tote big enough to fit it.  I had the larger skillet so I used a plastic tote.

I filled the tote 50/50 with water and white (5% acidity) vinegar.  The vinegar helps loosen the rust (if you pan is rusty like the one I was given).  Completely cover the pan with this mix.  I soaked my pan about one hour, then tested it with the scrubber, and soaked about a half hour more.  

You'll have to wash out your tub or sink after soaking. There will be a residue of rust left behind.  I washed my tote outside, using the water hose.

I have read that you can scrub the rust off with a waded up ball of foil, scrubbie, or steel wool.

I had a few of these on hand, and it worked great.  Heavy Duty Scour Pad (found at the Dollar Tree or your local Wal-mart etc).  You can cut these in 4 smaller pieces to make your supply last longer.

Using Mesh Food Bags - Scrap Article (this may work as well, but you'll ruin the yarn portion of the scrubbie).  If you have food mesh bags, I'd just use that to scrub off the rust, but I think the thicker one I used worked better.

Once the rust is removed, I completely dried the pan.  I then oiled the pan with a canola oil (what I had on hand, or use vegetable oil).  If you read the instructions from Lodge company themselves, they say to use the spray type, but I suggest you do not.  That leaves a weird coating.

I placed a piece of foil in the lower rack to catch any oil that may drip off.  I read you can set your oven from 450 to 500°F.  I set mine at 450°F.  I place the cast iron pan on the other rack above it, and upside down.

You may want to do this on a day when you can open your windows.  You will get a (smoke) fog in the house from the oil baking on the pan if you do not.  It may depend on the oil you use, but for me it smoked up the house a bit.

I heated the pan for one hour, turned off the oven, and let it completely cool inside the oven.  I also re-oiled it after it cooled.

I hope this helps.  

Garden ~ Tick Repellent Oil and other ramblings

The rain brought us some garden bounty!  I froze 3 meals of green beans, and brought in cucumbers, zucchini and yellow squash.  So happy for that.

The ticks are bad this year, so I made us some tick repellent oil.

The bathroom is still under construction.  I'm trying to be patient, but....the new vanity light was installed.  There was an issue with the shower base being un-level (fixed), and then there was the issue with studs and where the shower will need to go (getting fixed).  The flooring and/or shower should be going up today or tomorrow.  Then again we thought that last week.

Daughter K called.  She isn't coming over today to clean the upstairs as planned.  Sigh.  One of her co-workers has covid, so she didn't want to take a chance coming here, considering.

The heat is returning, and today may be a very humid day as well.  It's been too wet in the garden to weed, till, etc.  I had to hose my boots off yesterday.  Tomorrow will be worse, and there is a possibility of more rain.

I will be putting the last two sets of sun-blocking curtains in the upstairs this morning.  The one long set I put up has really helped keep the heat out of the upstairs.