My Cast Iron Skillet: Am I Commiting A Cardinal Sin?

[TheWizardOfMudd]

I've seen the FoodNetwork shows on how to care for a cast iron skillet. They say to wipe it out with salt after each use. Uh huh. Don't like it. Not clean.

Well, I give mine a quick wash with a little dishwashing soap, hot water and a rough sponge. Then, I rinse it well, dry it thoroughly with a paper towel, and then coat it liberally with peanut oil before storing it with the lid on.

Am I going to kitchen hell for this sin?

[Tyler Durden]

1. Go buy some Caphalon

Once the skillet hits cooking temp, it is as lifeless as the surface of the moon.

AND, if you have to scrub it, you're using it wrong.

Sorry.

[TheWizardOfMudd]

6. Fuck Caphalon

[dudeness]

9. i would fuck it..

if i knew what caphalon was..

[Don_G]

2. I Wouldn't Use Detergent

You season any cast iron by making sure oil gets into and stays in the pores.

A hot water wash with the sponge followed by a hot water rinse should be sufficient. The peanut oil dosen't hurt.

[Thor_MN]

3. nope.

Better if you leave out the soap and heat it a bit after coating with oil, but the salt thing is not necessary. Basically if it isn't rusting, you aren't really hurting it any.

[murielm99]

4. Salt, no way!

I clean mine with a little dishwashing soap and water, and then put more cooking oil in it after it is clean.

I can't imagine using salt.

[flamingyouth]

5. I do both

I wash it with a good soap, dry it well, then rub it with a mixture of salt and a nice oil occasionally. It's over 30 years old and makes the best omelette you've ever had.:hi:

[northofdenali]

7. Nah. The "only salt" or "just wipe it out" thing is a myth.

As long as your skillet is well seasoned, washing it - and drying it immediately - are fine.

From http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/4688/cast-iron_skillet.htm

"Cast-iron will rust if not maintained properly. By following a few rules, your skillet should remain rust-free and ready for use for a very long time. Here's a few things you can do to keep your cast-iron skillet in tip-top shape:

Cast-iron should never be wet when not in use. NEVER put your cast-iron skillet in the dish washer.

Foods cooked in a cast-iron skillet could contain twice as much iron than they would cooked by other, non-stick skillets.

Rusted cast-iron CAN be saved!!! Scour the pan with steel wool and then scrub the pan with hot, soapy water then scour with steel wool again before drying. Don't forget to reseason as described above!
When finished cooking with pan, scrub the pan under hot water. Place on a warm burner for a few minutes to dry. When drying is done, drizzle some vegetable oil in it. Rub the oil over the inside ok skillet with a paper towel - make that skillet shine! Let skillet cool.

Cast-iron corrodes when acidic foods are added. If the skillet is well-seasoned, corrosion is not likely. Be sure to remove acidic foods from the skillet immediately when cooking is finished."

I've got some cast-iron skillets and pots, as well as a huge bean pot, that are more than 25 years old. I've always "washed" them.

[TheWizardOfMudd]

8. Killer post

Gracias.