Cast iron cookware question

[pinkmint]

This is for non-enamel-coated regular old fashioned cast iron pans...

 

So can someone explain to me why the following is not unsanitary?

 

The official recommendation to care for a cast iron pan is to basically never wash it with soap and make sure there's always a layer of fat/ grease/ oil on it. Oils from things you cook in it are not to be removed or washed out, only bits of food are to be scraped/ exfoliated out. 

 

So you're cooking with a pan that has residue from everything you ever cooked in it. It's hard for me to get past this but I want to because cast iron is so good a cooking method. 

 

[Spy Car]

I don't know what makes that care routine "official," but I think it is nonsense.

 

Cast iron with a good seasoning can be washed, even with soap, it just needs to be dried thoroughly afterwards. And oiled when necessary.

 

The best oil for seasoning is flax seed oil, as it forms a polymerized bond with the cast iron. Use very lightly and build up coats during initial seasoning. I find flax seed oil smoke particularly noxious, so I advise doing the initial seasoning outdoors.

 

A cast-iron skillet/pan with a hard seasoning of flax seed oil can be washed (including with soap) without fear. If one scrubbed too hard the worst thing that would happen is the pan would require some re-seasoning. But a flax seed oil based coating is very resilient.

 

File the "official" advice under "rubbish."

 

Bill

 

 

[Lawana]

 

I agree with Bill. I regularly wash out my cast iron pans, though I don't generally use soap, just hot water and a stiff bristled brush to get the food particles out.

 

Oil is not a good environment for bacterial growth. Hence storing oils at room temperature without spoiling. (Rancidity is another story)

[maize]

I don't know what makes that care routine "official," but I think it is nonsense.

 

Cast iron with a good seasoning can be washed, even with soap, it just needs to be dried thoroughly afterwards. And oiled when necessary.

 

The best oil for seasoning is flax seed oil, as it forms a polymerized bond with the cast iron. Use very lightly and build up coats during initial seasoning. I find flax seed oil smoke particularly noxious, so I advise doing the initial seasoning outdoors.

 

A cast-iron skillet/pan with a hard seasoning of flax seed oil can be washed (including with soap) without fear. If one scrubbed too hard the worst thing that would happen is the pan would require some re-seasoning. But a flax seed oil based coating is very resilient.

 

File the "official" advice under "rubbish."

 

Bill

How do you season outdoors--on a grill?

 

I agree with you about the obnoxiousness of the smoke. I do mine in the oven with a window fan to blow smoke out the window.

 

OP, from a sanitation standpoint, I figure the heat of cooking kills anything that could make me sick.

 

I lovelovelove cast iron.

[maize]

If the pan isn't really dirty (as this morning after cooking pancakes) I just wipe off with a paper towel and put away. If it needs washing I use hot water and sometimes a chain mail pot cleaner.

[Guest]

My grandma never washed her cast iron in anything but hot water for 50+ years.  I don't wash mine either.  I appreciate the fact that you can wash them in soap, but really, re-seasoning them is just a pain in the butt to have to remember to do before you want to use them again.

[fairfarmhand]

I don't know what makes that care routine "official," but I think it is nonsense.

 

Cast iron with a good seasoning can be washed, even with soap, it just needs to be dried thoroughly afterwards. And oiled when necessary.

 

The best oil for seasoning is flax seed oil, as it forms a polymerized bond with the cast iron. Use very lightly and build up coats during initial seasoning. I find flax seed oil smoke particularly noxious, so I advise doing the initial seasoning outdoors.

 

A cast-iron skillet/pan with a hard seasoning of flax seed oil can be washed (including with soap) without fear. If one scrubbed too hard the worst thing that would happen is the pan would require some re-seasoning. But a flax seed oil based coating is very resilient.

 

File the "official" advice under "rubbish."

 

Bill

 

I don't use flaxseed oil. Initially, use shortening, but over time it just absorbs the oils that I've cooked with, I guess.

 

Anyway, I use soapy water, but the main thing is not to soak it and to dry it well.

 

And I don't have to reseason it every time.

 

[Forget-Me-Not]

I usually just scrub mine out with water and ScrubDaddy or a chain mail scrubber, dry it off by heating it on the stove, and rub a thin layer of oil into it while it's still hot. Its clean, the heat from drying kills anything possibly hanging around, and the oil keeps the seasoning up and keeps it from rusting.

[Spy Car]

How do you season outdoors--on a grill?

 

I agree with you about the obnoxiousness of the smoke. I do mine in the oven with a window fan to blow smoke out the window.

 

OP, from a sanitation standpoint, I figure the heat of cooking kills anything that could make me sick.

 

I lovelovelove cast iron.

 

I personally use a Camp Chef propane double-burner set up to do this outdoors. A gas grill or a Weber or similar would work as well.

 

I find flax seed oil smoke particularly nasty but is makes a far superior seal than alternatives like shortening or vegetable oil. It is important to do very light coats.

 

Bill

[MEmama]

If mine gets food stuck on it, I just soak it awhile and it will usually rinse right off. Sometimes we scrub it, occasionally we use soap. I've never officially seasoned it, but it becomes naturally seasoned with regular use.

 

We don't use much grease or oil, not enough to build up anyway. My parents used to pour the grease into a coffee can (for what purpose I don't recall, but I think they later cooked with it) and wiped their meat grease out with a paper towel. I don't cook meat, so don't have to deal with that.

 

When I first started using cast iron I found all the "rules" kind of confusing. Not following them hasn't hurt my pans any. ;)

[zoobie]

The chain mail scrubber is the bomb. I sometimes use soap. Sometimes just hot water, I set it dry it on a flame while I'm finishing the rest of the dishes.

 

We don't wash grills between uses, right?

[pinkmint]

I ask because we bought a cast iron pan about 8 years ago and kept trying and failing to use it and clean it without major difficulty.

 

It never properly developed the non stick surface. I almost gave it to the thrift store after making eggs in it and then having to almost sand blast it with power tools to get the gunk off. We bought it "pre-seasoned" and followed all the care instructions.

 

Some people said soap was ok some not. This is a 12 inch skillet and weighs a ton. It's not fun to scrub and dry and then massage with oil. Especially when it's not working like everyone says it should.

 

So I brought it out from storage recently to try again with it. And I'm finding that not using soap to clean it is the only way it seems to work the way folks claim it should so I'm trying to wrap my 2017 mindset around this being ok - cooking with a pan that's got greasy residue from everything you've ever used it for. Know what I mean?

Edited June 19, 2017 by pinkmint

[zoobie]

Try making bacon in it for a really simple seasoning method. If you want to cook eggs, get the pan screaming hot before adding the eggs. That's the secret to any non-Teflon pan with eggs. 

[Farrar]

I would only cook things that are heavy in grease (so not eggs) for a little while. Never scour it afterward. Never use that rough side of the sponge. Always just do a gentle wash. I use soap. Sometimes I even soak it. Once you've done that for a little while, it should eventually build up the non-stick style surface. But I've had to explain to dh over and over and over (he's not allowed to touch them anymore, but he still forgets) that the mildly greasy feel of the pan does not mean it's not clean.

[Word Nerd]

If the pan isn't really dirty (as this morning after cooking pancakes) I just wipe off with a paper towel and put away. If it needs washing I use hot water and sometimes a chain mail pot cleaner.

 

Me too, and I echo the recommendations for using chain mail scrubber as well as flax seed oil to season. I occasionally use sea salt when cleaning my skillet and don't usually use soap, as it isn't necessary. I don't ever make eggs in my cast iron.

Edited June 19, 2017 by Word Nerd

[Robin M]

My hubby taught me the method to clean is water and sea salt. Scrub the pan, then dry, swipe a little olive oil around the pan and done. Never let it air dry because rust forms quickly. 

[Ravin]

Hot water, and high cooking temperatures, are going to kill any germs soap might get off. So that's why you don't need soap, just "elbow grease" and the occasional post-cooking oiling.

[Spy Car]

I ask because we bought a cast iron pan about 8 years ago and kept trying and failing to use it and clean it without major difficulty.

 

It never properly developed the non stick surface. I almost gave it to the thrift store after making eggs in it and then having to almost sand blast it with power tools to get the gunk off. We bought it "pre-seasoned" and followed all the care instructions.

 

Some people said soap was ok some not. This is a 12 inch skillet and weighs a ton. It's not fun to scrub and dry and then massage with oil. Especially when it's not working like everyone says it should.

 

So I brought it out from storage recently to try again with it. And I'm finding that not using soap to clean it is the only way it seems to work the way folks claim it should so I'm trying to wrap my 2017 mindset around this being ok - cooking with a pan that's got greasy residue from everything you've ever used it for. Know what I mean?

 

It is necessary to properly season a cast-iron pan to avoid the problems you describe. Once you get a pan properly seasoned it will be easy to clean. Otherwise, not.

 

Flax seed oil will polymerize more effectively than any other food grade oil I know of, which makes for the most effective coating. Once several light layers are bonded to the metal you can wash with soap if necessary. However, you would find most food just wipes off a successfully seasoned pan.

 

An unseasoned cast iron pan will not bring you joy.

 

Bill

[fairfarmhand]

And preseasoned pans aren't REALLY well seasoned. I always have to do some work to get them good and slick.

 

I do make eggs in my favorite pan almost every day and it is a wonder what a properly seasoned pan is like. This one belonged to my grandmother and it is amazing. Slick as glass.

[Spy Car]

And preseasoned pans aren't REALLY well seasoned. I always have to do some work to get them good and slick.

 

I do make eggs in my favorite pan almost every day and it is a wonder what a properly seasoned pan is like. This one belonged to my grandmother and it is amazing. Slick as glass.

 

The castings of the old cast iron pans were smoother than today's stuff. I'm not sure if that involved hand work on the pans at the factory, or not.

 

I've used a metal brush-head on a drill followed by fine grade sand paper to improve modern pans (it works, but is labor intensive).

 

I think most people would be happier with 3mm carbon steel pans instead of cast iron. They are lighter, heat more quickly, have a smoother texture to start, and retain all the benefits of cast-iron. Like cast-iron, carbon-steel pans require seasoning.

 

These should be more popular than they are (understatement of the year). 

 

Bill

[vonfirmath]

If mine gets food stuck on it, I just soak it awhile and it will usually rinse right off. Sometimes we scrub it, occasionally we use soap. I've never officially seasoned it, but it becomes naturally seasoned with regular use.

 

We don't use much grease or oil, not enough to build up anyway. My parents used to pour the grease into a coffee can (for what purpose I don't recall, but I think they later cooked with it) and wiped their meat grease out with a paper towel. I don't cook meat, so don't have to deal with that.

 

When I first started using cast iron I found all the "rules" kind of confusing. Not following them hasn't hurt my pans any. ;)

 

We pour our grease into a spare jar and throw it away when it is full.  Prevents the grease going down the pipes and clogging them up.

[MEmama]

We pour our grease into a spare jar and throw it away when it is full. Prevents the grease going down the pipes and clogging them up.

That makes sense.

 

The composting service we use also collects those jars of grease. A local business makes soap from it, and the soap is used to clean the compost buckets! How cool is that?! ðŸ‘

[Spy Car]

That makes sense.

 

The composting service we use also collects those jars of grease. A local business makes soap from it, and the soap is used to clean the compost buckets! How cool is that?! ðŸ‘

 

Some of us older folks may remember the stories of our parents or grandparents about how they saved grease to help support the war effort (in WWII). 

 

Bill

[maize]

I agree that flax oil is best for seasoning.

 

I wouldn't do scrambled eggs in a cast iron skillet but I love to cook fried eggs on cast iron. If it is seasoned right there is no sticking at all.

[maize]

Here's a good how-to for seasoning:

 

http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/

 

I just used flax oil from the little capsules you buy in the vitamin aisle. It doesn't take much.

Edited June 19, 2017 by maize

[MEmama]

I find that soaking the pan with stuck on scrambled eggs in a bit of hot water usually does the trick.

 

I do prefer to make omelettes or fried eggs, though, neither of which stick at all.

[UmMusa]

Here's a good how-to for seasoning:

 

http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/

 

I just used flax oil from the little capsules you but in the vitamin aisle. It doesn't take much.

Great link! I learned something

[Lady Florida.]

It's just ds 19 and me tonight so we'll probably forage in the refrigerator (most likely salad for me and leftover Indian butter chicken for him) but this thread is making me want to get my cast iron pan out and make something. Anything. Cornbread. Pan pizza. Seared meat. Anything. Well, not eggs, but almost anything else. ;)

[gardenmom5]

cast iron is porous - the oil will absorb into the metal.  this is what will make it non-stick.  that's also why the initial seasoning instructions have heating the pan and allowing oil to soak in.

 

soap will also absorb into the metal - it will flavor your food, and you don't want to eat it.   it can break down the oil - and the non stick properties.

 

the heat of cooking kills any bacteria that might be on the absorbed oil.  it is sterile.

 

we clean our cast iron with very hot water (another use for my silicon oven mit - holding the pans under scalding water) - dh will deglaze the pan he make a hamburger in with hot water . . .

I only occasionally add a minimum of oil to the griddle when I make pancakes/french toast.

 

 

[gardenmom5]

The castings of the old cast iron pans were smoother than today's stuff. I'm not sure if that involved hand work on the pans at the factory, or not.

 

I've used a metal brush-head on a drill followed by fine grade sand paper to improve modern pans (it works, but is labor intensive).

 

I think most people would be happier with 3mm carbon steel pans instead of cast iron. They are lighter, heat more quickly, have a smoother texture to start, and retain all the benefits of cast-iron. Like cast-iron, carbon-steel pans require seasoning.

 

These should be more popular than they are (understatement of the year). 

 

Bill

 

what was interesting is - one of my "grainy" cast iron pans- I put through an oven clean cycle, then I reseasoned it.  it was smoother when I was done.

I don't know if it has anything to do with how they preseason it. I have noticed on other pans, as they've been used and absorbing more oil, the cooking surface itself is getting smoother.

[Spy Car]

I find that soaking the pan with stuck on scrambled eggs in a bit of hot water usually does the trick.

 

I do prefer to make omelettes or fried eggs, though, neither of which stick at all.

 

I must admit being amused when this 2010 web-post went viral as a "revelation," given I'd been using flax oil to season cast iron since my University days (over 35 years ago), but whatever. She's correct...except on one small (but important point).

 

Sheryl Canter says to apply the flax seed oil with a cotton cloth or with paper towel. Wrong. Always use a clean cotton rag, like a piece of t-shirt or bedsheet.

 

Paper towel is too likely to release fibers when rubbed onto naked cast iron. These fibers will be left in the pans and will form embedded bumps when the oil polymerizes. the key to an optimal finish is creating a smooth surface. Using a clean lint-free cloth on new cast-iron is best. 

 

Post-seasoning the avoidance of paper towel is less critical.

 

Bill (one obsessive dude :D)

Edited June 20, 2017 by Spy Car

[Spy Car]

what was interesting is - one of my "grainy" cast iron pans- I put through an oven clean cycle, then I reseasoned it.  it was smoother when I was done.

I don't know if it has anything to do with how they preseason it. I have noticed on other pans, as they've been used and absorbing more oil, the cooking surface itself is getting smoother.

 

It makes sense to me that polymerized oil would fill in some of the pitting in cast-iron.

 

If you follow my advice on your pot thread—or would you prefer "pan" thread?—you will see how much smoother carbon steel pans are vs cast-iron ones.

 

Flax seed oil is best for carbon steel as well.

 

The commercial grade stuff (non-edible due to the use of solvents—DO NOT USE ON PANS) is called Linseed Oil and is a wonderful product to use on wood tool handles and wood lacrosse shafts. It is slow to dry and best applied in hot weather.

 

Be careful with rags soaked in Linseed oil as they have been known to self-combust.

 

Bill

[Liz CA]

This is for non-enamel-coated regular old fashioned cast iron pans...

 

So can someone explain to me why the following is not unsanitary?

 

The official recommendation to care for a cast iron pan is to basically never wash it with soap and make sure there's always a layer of fat/ grease/ oil on it. Oils from things you cook in it are not to be removed or washed out, only bits of food are to be scraped/ exfoliated out. 

 

So you're cooking with a pan that has residue from everything you ever cooked in it. It's hard for me to get past this but I want to because cast iron is so good a cooking method. 

 

I boil water in mine (no soap though), then rinse water out, wipe pan clean and dry and reseason with a little coconut oil. I have done this for years now and we have never become sick - maybe we have iron stomachs. :)

 

[Sneezyone]

I usually just scrub mine out with water and ScrubDaddy or a chain mail scrubber, dry it off by heating it on the stove, and rub a thin layer of oil into it while it's still hot. Its clean, the heat from drying kills anything possibly hanging around, and the oil keeps the seasoning up and keeps it from rusting.

 

This is my foolproof routine too.

[foxbridgeacademy]

I wash mine with soap about 50% of the time or do a salt scrub the rest of the time.  I re-season every time I wash them.  It's either wash or NEVER use again because just the idea of last nights garlic chicken (requires soap) in today's oatmeal pancakes (hot water and salt) is enough to make me gag. 

[KungFuPanda]

This is for non-enamel-coated regular old fashioned cast iron pans...

 

So can someone explain to me why the following is not unsanitary?

 

The official recommendation to care for a cast iron pan is to basically never wash it with soap and make sure there's always a layer of fat/ grease/ oil on it. Oils from things you cook in it are not to be removed or washed out, only bits of food are to be scraped/ exfoliated out. 

 

So you're cooking with a pan that has residue from everything you ever cooked in it. It's hard for me to get past this but I want to because cast iron is so good a cooking method. 

 

I've washed mine out because it's fast and I'm lazy, but I don't scrub off the seasoning.  If it's well-seasoned, stuff will slide off anyway.  What sort of cooties do you think can possibly live on the surface of a gazillion degree pan? You're pretty much dealing with a smooth pan with a thin layer of oil on top of a lot of fused layers of oil.  Nobody is suggesting by "not washing" that you're leaving chunks of steak in it; just that you never scrub down to dull iron and ruin your lovely sleek finish.

[MEmama]

I must admit being amused when this 2010 web-post went vital as a "revelation," given I'd been using flax oil to season cast iron since my University days (over 35 years ago), but whatever. She's correct...except on one small (bit important point).

 

Sheryl Canter says to apply the flax seed oil with a cotton cloth or with paper towel. Wrong. Always use a clean cotton rag, like a piece of t-shirt or bedsheet.

 

Paper towel is too likely to release fibers when rubbed onto naked cast iron. These fibers will be left in the pans and will form embedded bumps when the oil polymerizes. the key to an optimal finish is creating a smooth surface. Using a clean lint-free cloth on new cast-iron is best.

 

Post-seasoning the avoidance of paper towel is less critical.

 

Bill (one obsessive dude :D)

??

 

I've never bothered to season my pans. They became non stick just from regular use.

[Tanaqui]

Okay, let's back up.

 

First of all, the idea that you can't use soap is silly. If your pan has been properly seasoned, the oils have polymerized. They're not coming off unless there's rust.

 

However, if you choose not to use soap, then you can kill off all the germs simply by heating the pan on the stove after washing. (This also will evaporate the water so the pan won't rust.) This will be much more sanitary, really, because you can get temperatures that you can't manage in water.

 

As for saving grease, I save it and use it to make suet for squirrels. I do like squirrels.

[solascriptura]

You know... the newer pans are different from ones long ago. I recently bought a 50 year old pan from FB and it's about 30 percent lighter than my newer Lodge pan. It's also slick as glass! My Lodge Surface is pretty pebbly. My point saying this is that a lot of frustration comes in that they don't make them like they used to.

[Tanaqui]

Yes, if you can get vintage - go for it!

[Tree Frog]

I must admit being amused when this 2010 web-post went vital as a "revelation," given I'd been using flax oil to season cast iron since my University days (over 35 years ago), but whatever. She's correct...except on one small (bit important point).

 

Sheryl Canter says to apply the flax seed oil with a cotton cloth or with paper towel. Wrong. Always use a clean cotton rag, like a piece of t-shirt or bedsheet.

 

Paper towel is too likely to release fibers when rubbed onto naked cast iron. These fibers will be left in the pans and will form embedded bumps when the oil polymerizes. the key to an optimal finish is creating a smooth surface. Using a clean lint-free cloth on new cast-iron is best. 

 

Post-seasoning the avoidance of paper towel is less critical.

 

Bill (one obsessive dude :D)

 

 

 

I wonder if this is where I went wrong. I used flaxseed oil to season 3 pans, none of them new, following the directions to use a very thin layer of oil and baking it under high heat. Once they were all seasoned, I began using the pans again, but ds's popcorn pan began flaking. Interestingly enough, the lid for the pan didn't flake. All of the seasoning flaked off about one third of the rim of the pan and it began to rust in those places. I eventually just scrubbed with a metal brush to get rid of the rest of all the flakes and reseasoned those spots again. It seems to have worked, but it was frustrating when I took all that time and one pan had lots of flakes. Now I use spray oil and haven't had a problem.

 

When I first began using the cast iron pans, any seasoning from the previous meal would season the next meal. So if I made tacos for dinner and eggs for breakfast, I would have taco flavored eggs. I didn't much care for that, so I began using kosher salt to scrub my pans any time I made something with a strong flavor in it. I've never used soap on the pans.

[happypamama]

I only use soap if it's extra greasy. And I adore my chain mail scrubber.

 

To season a cast iron pan initially, I smear coconut oil on it and let it sit in a hot oven for a while. I always use butter, olive oil, or coconut oil, and it's totally worth the time to build up the seasoning. We have one skillet that we use 2-3 times every day, mostly for eggs, and after a few years of that, it's beautiful. It makes great omelets.

[Spy Car]

I wonder if this is where I went wrong. I used flaxseed oil to season 3 pans, none of them new, following the directions to use a very thin layer of oil and baking it under high heat. Once they were all seasoned, I began using the pans again, but ds's popcorn pan began flaking. Interestingly enough, the lid for the pan didn't flake. All of the seasoning flaked off about one third of the rim of the pan and it began to rust in those places. I eventually just scrubbed with a metal brush to get rid of the rest of all the flakes and reseasoned those spots again. It seems to have worked, but it was frustrating when I took all that time and one pan had lots of flakes. Now I use spray oil and haven't had a problem.

 

When I first began using the cast iron pans, any seasoning from the previous meal would season the next meal. So if I made tacos for dinner and eggs for breakfast, I would have taco flavored eggs. I didn't much care for that, so I began using kosher salt to scrub my pans any time I made something with a strong flavor in it. I've never used soap on the pans.

 

I doubt the paper towel applicator would have been the culprit for this problem. Paper lint tends to form very small bumps where oil-soaked paper gets trapped in the polymer. It makes the surface less smooth.

 

Odd that it would flake.

 

Bill