Help! Did I ruin my cast iron dutch oven??

[cooking novice]

I am a complete cooking novice. I bought an Emeril cast iron dutch oven and didn't read the directions for cleaning. After using it, I let it soak overnight and throughout the next day in soapy water. Have I completely ruined it?? I am afraid if I try to use it again the food will taste like palmolive!

Any advice is much appreciated!!

 

[Andy M.]

Wash and rinse it thoroughly. If there is any rust, scrub it off. Dry it completely and apply a thin coating of shortening all over the entire pot, inside and out including the lid. Place it upside down into a 350 F oven and let it bake for an hour. Put a sheet of foil or a cookie sheet under the pot to catch any drips.

After the hour, shut off the oven and leave the pot in there to cool down.

 

[sparrowgrass]

Is the Emeril pan enameled? If so, you didn't do anything wrong.

If not, it is really, really difficult to seriously damage cast iron. If you see rust, scrub it off with a scouring pad, and then re-season.

I just got back from vacation to find that I had left my cast iron pan soaking for a week. The sink suffered worse than the pan--took me a while to scrub the rust ring off the bottom.

 

[alexk]

its nearly impossible to destroy cast iron just google: how to reseason cast iron

 

[oldrustycars]

If you didn't leave it on the railroad tracks you can still fix it.
Here at the house we don't use the word "soap" and "cast iron" in the same sentence. You'll get yours fixed, re-seasoned, and learn as you go the best ways to keep it great.

 

[Andy M.]

...Here at the house we don't use the word "soap" and "cast iron" in the same sentence...

Gotcha!