Cleaning and Maintaining Cast Iron

How to keep your cast iron pans looking great.

Nashville, Ark. – Last week, I talked about seasoning your new or used cast iron pans, and this week I will talk about caring for your cast iron.

When cleaning cast iron you must protect the seasoning layer. To do this, just remember these two things. Don’t use soap (it will remove the seasoning), and don’t use anything too abrasive (like steel wool). The easiest way to clean cast iron is with water and a towel as soon as it’s cooled down enough to handle. The longer you wait after using it, the more difficult it will be to clean. If you have developed a good seasoning, it is usually no more difficult than a few quick wipes with a towel. Since we are not using soap, there may be a little cooking oil left in the pan after cleaning. If it is just a thin coat and is not enough to pool up, it is perfectly fine to leave it there, and it will even help develop your seasoning further. The most important thing to remember is to never leave any water in or on your cast iron, and NEVER leave it in a wet sink. It will rust very quickly in the presence of water.

That is pretty much all there is to it! There are special tools you can get to make cleaning cast iron easier, but they are usually not necessary if you have a well-seasoned pan. If you have tough buildup on your pan, you can always boil water in it and scrape with a wooden spoon. That is typically enough for even the dirtiest pans. If the seasoning starts to look a little worn down, you can rub in a thin layer of oil after cleaning and drying the pan. And if the seasoning is in very bad shape, you can always clean it with soap and apply a brand-new seasoning using the method described above.

It may seem like a lot, but once you’ve completed these steps and become familiar with your cast iron, you will start to see why people love it so much! Cast iron can last for generations, and it works so much better than other materials that the maintenance is well worth it. My favorite part of cast iron is that once you have a good seasoning, they are much easier and quicker to clean than other types of pans.

Special thanks to Christa Snider – North Carolina Cooperative Extension for her contributions to this article.

Recipe of the Week

2 cups self-rising flour
1 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream
Plus more whipping cream to brush tops (2 tablespoons) (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°
Important: Measure your flour into dry measuring cups by loosely spooning the flour into the measuring cups, overfilling the cups. Then, take a knife and level it off. This gives the most accurate measure. Pro tip: NEVER scoop the measuring cup into the flour to measure it. This packs in too much flour.
Stir together flour and whipping cream in a medium size bowl just until flour is moistened with whipping cream. Your dough should look "shaggy “and not too dry. Add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream, if needed, to absorb flour if you feel you might have over measured the flour.
Dump mixture onto a lightly floured counter.
Gently press the dough together to form a loose ball then gently, press the dough into a 1-inch thickness. It will not be a pretty circle at this point. Take one side and bring it up and over to the edge of the other side and gently press down.
Turn the dough a quarter of a turn and fold the dough in half again. You are incorporating air into the layers that you are pressing down which gives you the flakiness and fluffy biscuits you want.
Your shape should be a short rectangle at this point. Press the dough down until it is ¾- inch tall. Using a 2 ½-inch circle cookie cutter (or the size of your choice, cut out 4 biscuits and place in a lightly greased 10-inch cast iron skillet.
Press together the scrap dough and gently pat down again and cut 2 more; place in the pan. There should be some scrap dough left. You can just push the scraps together and make one ugly biscuit.
Be sure they are slightly touching each other if you want the softest biscuits. They help each other in the oven to rise to their tallest potential if they are touching!
For golden tops, brush 1 to 2 tablespoons extra whipping cream over the tops (optional).
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

For more information on how to care for your cast iron, call the Howard County Extension Office at 870-845-7517, email Angie Freel at afreel@uada.edu, or visit our office on the second floor of the Howard County Courthouse. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

By Angie Freel
County Extension Agent - FCS
The Cooperative Extension Service
U of A System Division of Agriculture

Media Contact: Angie Freel
County Extension Agent - FCS
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
421 N. Main St, Nashville AR 71852
(870) 845-7517
afreel@uada.edu

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The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is an equal opportunity institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact your County Extension office (or other appropriate office) as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.

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