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gus030

Assistant Cook
Joined
Apr 2, 2009
Messages
12
Hi

I just started cooking with a preseasoned cast iron pan i bought from Lodge. I put EVOO in it and cooked in oven for about 1 hour at 350 degrees. I then cooked pork chops in it and cleaned with hot water and salt.

Then tonight I cooked 2 burgers and a hot dog in it. I put hot water in it again to clean and then I saw these spots on it wasn't sure what it was. I washed and washed didnt go away. I then washed with dish soap and put more EVOO on it and baked in oven for 1 hour at 450. Now it looks browner. Could this be rust? I didnt let it sit in water for more then 5 minutes? Did I ruin the pan already? Please help on what I can do to fix this and how I should properly season the pan.

See the pic of the pan below...it doesnt actually look that brown that is just from the flash on the cam but it is brown


IMG_0503.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi

I just started cooking with a preseasoned cast iron pan i bought from Lodge. I put EVOO in it and cooked in oven for about 1 hour at 350 degrees. I then cooked pork chops in it and cleaned with hot water and salt.

Then tonight I cooked 2 burgers and a hot dog in it. I put hot water in it again to clean and then I saw these spots on it wasn't sure what it was. I washed and washed didnt go away. I then washed with dish soap and put more EVOO on it and baked in oven for 1 hour at 450. Now it looks browner. Could this be rust? I didnt let it sit in water for more then 5 minutes? Did I ruin the pan already? Please help on what I can do to fix this and how I should properly season the pan.

See the pic of the pan below...it doesnt actually look that brown that is just from the flash on the cam but it is brown

Since I am a new memeber I can't post a URL so copy and past the link below after http:// to view the pic of the pot

picasaweb.google.com/ed.guss/Random#5320679316435316386

Gus, you didn't ruin the pan but the red parts are rust. Scrub the rust off the pan with something abrasive and then rinse it and DRY it and oil it and then heat it to season it. It will be fine.~Bliss
 
How much time lapsed between cooking the pork chops, and the burgers/hotdog? One day? A week??? After cooking the pork chops and washing...you did dry it right?
 
I cooked the burgers/hot dogs the following day after cooking pork chops

After cleaning following pork chops I did dry it and also put it on the stove for about 5 mins to make sure it was dry
 
It's hard to tell from the picture, but if it was only one day later, and you dried the pan as described then my guess is it's not rust...It may be burned on/baked on food residue due to improper/incomplete cleaning...At this point it really doesn't matter...Be as aggressive as it takes to clean the pan... using SOS pads, or whatever to really get it clean....Then re-season...A light coating of Crisco or oil... Then upside down In a 350*375* oven for an hour or more...Turn the oven off...Let it cool...Do this three times!!! Then use your pan for whatever...After each use the pan must be cleaned....be as aggressive as you need to be to clean it properly...Up to and including a plastic scrubby thingy..an SOS pad and even a little soapy water..Rinse well......Sometimes soaking in plain water will help lift stuck on foods off...In time your pan will become non-stick and easier to clean....HTH

Enjoy...Have Fun!
 
It's hard to tell from the picture, but if it was only one day later, and you dried the pan as described then my guess is it's not rust...It may be burned on/baked on food residue due to improper/incomplete cleaning...At this point it really doesn't matter...Be as aggressive as it takes to clean the pan... using SOS pads, or whatever to really get it clean....Then re-season...A light coating of Crisco or oil... Then upside down In a 350*375* oven for an hour or more...Turn the oven off...Let it cool...Do this three times!!! Then use your pan for whatever...After each use the pan must be cleaned....be as aggressive as you need to be to clean it properly...Up to and including a plastic scrubby thingy..an SOS pad and even a little soapy water..Rinse well......Sometimes soaking in plain water will help lift stuck on foods off...In time your pan will become non-stick and easier to clean....HTH

Enjoy...Have Fun!

Thanks for the advice...do I need to reseason it again following your steps after each time i use it and clean it? i heard scrubbing and dishwasher soap takes the seasoning off...
 
ok i throughly scrubbed the pan with brillo pad, a doubie pad, soupy water, for a long time....still the copper shaded spots are there still...

i am frustrated and clueless at this point
 
Thanks for the advice...do I need to reseason it again following your steps after each time i use it and clean it? i heard scrubbing and dishwasher soap takes the seasoning off...

No... the steps I gave you..are just for the initial seasoning after the heavy cleaning process to remove the discoloration in the picture... After each use the pan needs to be cleaned thoroughly...and dried well...You can rub on a thin coat of oil if ya wanna...especially if the pan will not be used in the near future...Seasoning on cast iron builds up over time...months...years... decades... In the beginning early stages of seasoning ( this is where you are) hard scrubbing and harsh soaps will degrade the very thin seasoning layer somewhat...Later when the seasoning has built up more, then scrubbing (when needed) and a swish around the inside with a soapy (Dawn) wash cloth will not hurt the pan. Just rinse and dry well....
 
ok i throughly scrubbed the pan with brillo pad, a doubie pad, soupy water, for a long time....still the copper shaded spots are there still...

i am frustrated and clueless at this point

Sorry to hear of your problem...I must admit...I am somewhat clueless myself..If it was "flash" rust the Brillo pad should have taken care of it...If it was cooked/baked on foods etc...Maybe -- Maybe not...Continue to scrub...concentrate on the stubborn spots a couple more times....If the discoloration still persist...then call Lodge Customer Service on Monday Morning...describe to them exactly what you did...They are a customer service oriented company and will solve your problem to your satisfaction...
HTH
 
When re-seasoning after the pan is cleaned I wouldn't use Olive Oil -
I would go for Peanut or Canola.
Americas test Kitchen cleaned a badly neglected cast iron pan by
heating an inch of oil in the pan and then adding a lot of coarse salt till a paste was formed and then (off heat) scrubbing away.
 
Olive oil is no good for seasoning. I restore antique skillets, I only season with Crisco.
If you scrub a pan down to bare iron it will flash rust right away. I dry them thoroughly then put them in a pre heated oven to really get all the pores dry.
 
Also don't take "non stick" too literally. You still need a little oil for most foods. It takes years for cast iron to get really seasoned. Eventually you wont see or feel the grain of the iron inside the skillet. Cooking high fat foods helps the process.
 
thanks everyone for the help...i just seasoned it a few times and kept cooking with it, it looks good now
 
The best way to season a cast iron pan is to bake bacon in it three or four times before using it for anything else. Put six strips in, bake it at 350 until the bacon is done. If your stove sits level you may not even need to turn the bacon.

This seasons the pan without developing the burned hot spot in the middle of the pan where the range burner will invariably dry it out - especially if you fry lean meats in it and put said lean proteins in the middle of the pan - they suck the seasoning right out of it.

Always start with a low flame when sauteeing/frying on the range. Don't nuke the middle of the pan and keep very lean proteins off the middle of the pan and you will be able to avoid the dry/rusted looking spot that you most certainly will get if you do otherwise.
 
Good for you, gus. Just keep using it and it will turn into your "go to" pan for many things. Over time, it will turn into an almost Teflon-like pan. You'll love it.
Katie, thirty years ago I'd have laughed at that statement. I rememeber the years of abuse my dear mom gave that poor black skillet. Caked and burned spots. SOS, Brillo, and wire brushes scoured and etched it for life. I didn't really know the greatness of my skillet until about ten years ago. I bake many things in it and simply wipe it clean. A little oil on wax paper and back in the cupboard. When I bake beans in it at 400, for an hour and half, I simply soak it for thirty minutes and use dishwashing liquid, warm water, and a nylon Tuffy. No steel scrubbing in my pans. For me, you have to have an iron skillet to be complete. An iron skillet is the American wok.
 
I love my cast iron. I've got three kettles, a 14 inch, two 12's, a 9, and am on the lookout for a Dutch oven.

I season it the old fashioned way - small bonfire in the back, heavy coat of Crisco (about the only thing I use Crisco for) and right into the fire it goes.

By the time that fire burns down and the pan has cooled enough to handle with a cheap kitchen mitt, she's done.

And no, no harsh detergents in my cast iron, and no scrubbing, either. Scrape out as much food as possible, then a quick once-over with a sponge and some Palmolive, then back into the oven to dry.
 
I have castiron in use for thirty years ,plus antique deep chicken frier ( along with very many other pots & pans ) and de buyer heavy cardon steel . If you are doing your clean up properly , think about this, when you heat your pan and add oil ( peanut oil for searing ) you have a sterile surface,so unless it will hurt you don't worry over it . the best cast iron has built up a nonstick surface because oils have bit by bit left black polymers behind , filling in the surface pours. if you have braised in it and the suface looks dull grey you may want to reseason ,but otherwise you are just going to get sore arms from scrubbing. If I have something stuck after cooking I add water and boil it just like deglasing , if you have to at this time grab a stainless scrubby with you tongs and scrub it out. extra virgin olive oil shouldn't be overheated as it has a low smoke point . Regards Gage
 
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