by Texas Homesteader ~
To preserve the coveted finish of cast iron, the method required to clean it is different than other materials. But even so, it’s not hard at all. Just slightly different.
The skillets in my kitchen are comprised of a single stainless steel skillet for making my Homemade Chocolate Pudding and such, & several sizes of cast-iron skillets for cooking virtually everything else.
Now I love my stainless steel skillet but let’s be honest, I love cast iron the best.
And although mine’s virtually non-stick after decades of use, there still comes the time after frying potatoes or cooking scrambled eggs that results in a layer of cooked-on food to remain on the bottom of the skillet.
Now back in ‘the day‘ I’d scrub-scrub-scrub to get it clean again.
That was then, this is now…
Cast Iron Cookware Gets Lots Of Use
My cast iron skillet gets the most action in my kitchen. I make spicy Cornbread and Bake Bread in cast iron.
And I use those skillets on the stove top too for cooking Potato Cakes, frying potatoes or cooking eggs. (or anything savory really!)
It rocks my world whether I’m using it stove top or in the oven. It does it all.
It’s true that Caring For Cast Iron is a little different than cleaning typical cookware. You can’t just plunk a cast iron skillet in the dishwasher like you could other cookware materials.
And although some use soap on their cast iron when cleaning, I never have. I really want to preserve that long-term seasoning of the metal that only years of use can give.
And finally, since cast iron will rust it’s helpful to preserve the finish by applying a light coating of oil after it’s clean and dry.
But how do you clean your cast iron when you actually have a bit of food stuck on the surface?
Well I’ve discovered an oh-so-easy way to clean stuck-on food such as scrambled eggs or fried potatoes from my cast-iron skillets.
Of course I’d think this would work with any skillet, not just cast iron. But oh man, you’re not gonna believe how easy this is…
Some people swear they make cleaning stuck-on food on cast iron easier by scrubbing using elbow grease & coarse salt. Others use a metal cast-iron cleaning pad.
I don’t even have to go that far, my way is by far easiest for me.
Easy Cleaning For Cooked-On Food
First I place just enough water to cover the surface of the skillet. I don’t need much, just barely enough to cover the bottom surface of the skillet.
Then I place it on the burner and turn on the heat. Since there’s so little water in the skillet it takes less than a minute to get things simmering.
Then I simply turn off the heat & place a lid on the skillet. I’ll let it all cool down on it’s own as I go about my other kitchen-cleaning tasks.
This basically steams loose the stuck-on food. By the time I finish cleaning the kitchen, the water in the skillet has cooled.
So I remove the lid and use my spatula to effortlessly scrape away the previously stuck-on food.
I’m not kidding – it’s THAT easy! It all scrapes away easily without sticking to the bottom or sides of the skillet.
So I scoop out the food I’ve scraped away & throw it in the trash.
Then I take my cast-iron skillet to my sink where I use my dish scrubber and hot water to finish cleaning it and BOOM! Cast-Iron Perfection.
If needed I’ll run a thin layer of grease along the inside surface to keep it seasoned beautifully.
Then back into the storage drawer where it’s ready and waiting for next time.
Cast Iron Cookware Lasts Decades
Cast iron is my favored cooking material. It’s easy to maintain and it lasts for decades.
I have several cast-iron skillets of various sizes, but my favorite is my grandmother’s skillet.
Isn’t she a beauty? This square cast-iron skillet was presented as a wedding gift to my grandmother back in 1934 when she and my grandfather were married.
Then she gifted it to me back in the 1990’s and I’ve been using it ever since. Of course I’ll be passing it on to my children as well.
I daresay that modern cookware doesn’t have THAT kind of longevity!
Other Cast-Iron Articles
- Caring For Cast Iron
- Baking Cornbread In Cast Iron
- Easy No-Knead Rosemary Skillet Bread
- Homemade Corn Tortillas
- Quick & Easy Tortilla Pizza
- How To Make Dehydrated Veggies For FREE
- Easy Homemade Breadcrumbs
- All Cast-Iron Posts
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I call that, “the ghost of the house” when no one wants to own up to something.
Too bad about your Dutch oven. Years ago my kids made a pan of mac and cheese, took the pan outside to eat it. I couldn’t find it and they, of course had no idea what I was talking about. A year or so later it was winter time and the leaves were all off the shrubs. I looked outside and thought “What the heck is that shining out there in the back of beyond?” Upon investigating it was my pan. The handles were in bad shape but I was able to replace them by contacting the company. The boys didn’t know what the heck I was talking about and had no idea how a sauce pan would have made it’s way to the back yard.
I love my old cast iron skillets. I’ve never put a lid on them at cleaning time but I do put them on the stove with water to loosen some stuck on stuff. My 3 are all Griswold brand, made in the USA, I can’t remember now where I came by them. I have a “modern” set of cookware that I bought when I graduated from high school (1965). They are stainless steel layered with cast iron. They are one of the early “waterless” sets. The birdman didn’t believe me when I said that I could steam vegetables with about an 8th of an inch of water in the pans. Over the years I have had to replace some of the knobs, but I can still get them. While I love them to pieces I almost never use the fry pans, just the dutch oven and the sauce pans. The cast iron is for frying!
I have stainless steel revereware pots (old not the lighter new ones), and a cast iron skillet as well as an enamel covered cast iron skillet and matching Dutch oven. I had a smaller enamel covered Dutch oven but I think my daughter took it someplace for a pot luck and it never made it home. I use me enamel covered for probably much the same as you use your stainless. I started out with those and have since moved on the one regular cast iron. I actually have four different sizes of the enamel covered skillet, then I asked Miss S to look for cast iron for me. She didn’t find one but I found one at a second hand store in Washington for half price and it was a good well known brand so I snatched it up. Can’t beat it for $7.50.
Great find Nancy! That cast-iron skillet will probably outlast us and our children (and grandchildren too!) ~TxH~