# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Cooking, Food Storage, & Preserving >  A couple cast iron cookware questions

## sofasurfer

When I clean a CI pan down to bare metal I notice a very distinct smell, like it must be the smell of bare iron. Does iron have a smell? I also notice that when I wash a bare iron pan it has a constant black "discharge". Is iron so soft that washing removes enough iron that it makes the water black?
When I oil a pan and heat it and then wipe it out I also get a black residue on the paper towel. Is this soot? Is it from the cooked oil? Am I not getting my pans properly clean?

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## Rick

Cast iron is a very porous material. When you initially treat cast iron you are heating it to open the pores in the metal so the oil you wipe it down with can penetrate. Once the metal cools it traps the oil in the microscopic pores and that prevents food from sticking. The only smell I've noticed on new or retreated cast iron is the metal but only when it has been heated. 

I have to ask why you are cleaning the cast iron to bare metal? That removes all the seasoning that you want to have build up in the pan. Simply rinse it out and wipe dry. If you have any residual food that adheres then use a nylon/plastic scraper to lightly work the food loose. Then wipe the pan down with oil before putting it away. The black residue that you are wiping out is the seasoning. That's what is making your water and your paper towels black. You WANT that to remain in the pan. That's what makes cast iron work.

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## sofasurfer

I only take them down to bare metal when I first acquire them. And one of them then got left in a damp area and started to rust a little so I had to start from scratch again.

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## Wise Old Owl

Nobody dies of rust.  Stop the worry.

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## sofasurfer

> Nobody dies of rust.  Stop the worry.


I agree, but I figured that rust would not allow for a smooth no-stick surface, right? I was wondering, though, if repeated seasonings wouldn't actually remove rust, but I didn't really think so.

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## Rick

If they are new then you are probably seeing manufacturing dust on the metal. Clean it, season it and it should be fine. If the rust is very light you can use vinegar and a scotch bright pad to remove it. If it's heave then use a brillo pad. Reseason and enjoy.

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## natertot

If rust is super bad on cast iron, I will actually place a wire bit into a drill and go to town. I then follow up with a sanding disk bit in the drill and work from 180 grit up to 400 grit. After that, I will place it in the oven using the "self cleaning mode" to get all the other stuff out. Next, I pour boiling water over it to "flush" any remaining crud out. Finally I rub shortening all over the cast iron, place a small "heap" to the inside, and bake it in the oven at 250-300 for 2-3 hours. 

Once all that is done, you are ready to go. The first few times, I will cook something like sausage or bacon in it because that will speed up the process of "packing" the pours with grease and create the basis of fantastic non-stick. I have a round 7" cast iron griddle that eggs will literally slide off that was brought about using this method. Takes a lot of time, but really isn't a lot of work. Most of it is waiting while it is in the oven. I usually do them while doing other stuff around the house. I find that doing these projects in the winter help heat the house while not being so hot for myself.

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## sofasurfer

I tried the wire wheel in the drill motor once. I could not believe the damage. I though cast iron was really hard. Those wire brissles ruined that pan.

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## natertot

> I tried the wire wheel in the drill motor once. I could not believe the damage. I though cast iron was really hard. Those wire brissles ruined that pan.


Don't use the course wire, look for the finer wire. Also, don't use the wheels, use the brush like this one. http://www.amazon.com/Century-Drill-...QWFZV0GKGMHAY5 Finally, don't press down and just let the brush do the work. It will still leave scratches, but that is why you follow up with the sanding of 180-400 grit. After that, nice surface.

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## crashdive123

Use a brass brush in your drill, not a steel one.

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## Adventure Wolf

A few years ago, I found some rusted cast iron skillets out in an old barn on a property I was working at. I ended up buying them from the owner for a dollar each (owner didn't know they existed) and I sand blasted the rust and corrosion off of them. Then I washed them by hand in the sink, and seasoned them in the oven with canola oil for about two hours. All in all, it was a great find.

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## Rick

Good to see you back AW. You've been gone a few months.

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## Adventure Wolf

> Good to see you back AW. You've been gone a few months.


Been busy. I've been working on a lot of projects.

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## DuncanKunz

First off, folks, be gentle; this is my first post on this forum!

I can't argue with any of the information about seasoning a cast iron pan, the methods suggested, avoiding any heavy scrubbing or use of soaps/detergents, etc. are great. 

I didn't notice any discussion here about dutch ovens.  To me, this is where cast iron shines.  If you haven't tried them -- especially the "camp" dutch ovens with the rimmed lid and the little tripod legs for charcoal -- you should really do so.  When you combine the dutch oven with a good charcoal b riquette, you can, using a basic formula adjust your temperature up or down from 360 deg F to within ten degrees, simply by adjusting the number of briquettes above or below the dutch oven.

And by using a Volcano or similar stove, you can cook for a family for almost a month on a single bag of charcoal (which you can store indefinitely).

You're not going to put a dutch oven (or any other cast iron utensil) in your bug-out bag; but for home or homestead use, I consider it one of the best tools for families going through Hard Times.

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## crashdive123

Lots of people here use Dutch Ovens.  The thread was not about the type of CI to use, but rather cleaning and preserving.  Hope that was gentle enough. :2:

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## hunter63

DuncanK
Hunter63 saying Hey and Welcome.......
There is an intro section at....., 
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...-Introductions

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## natertot

yep, I use all kinds of cast iron. Skillets, pots, dutch ovens, some are round, some are square. Even got one for corn bread that makes it into triangles and the wife has one that is enamel covered for use in her oven. Makes a pretty good roast if you ask me.

Kyrat and Hunter have done a lot of reenactment type of stuff so they could provide a historical aspect of cast iron themselves. Those two have probably forgotten more about cast iron than I have learned.

By the way, welcome Duncan. I hope to see you around the forum.

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## hunter63

Cast iron is heavy......to bring out and use..... need pack mules....(or F250 PU)
Bring a shovel
You can get two apple pies and a pan of corn bread out of a load of coals on /under DO.

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## Rick

> Those two have probably forgotten more about cast iron than I have learned.




Most folks have forgotten more than you have learned but that's for another thread.   :Tt2:

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## minitruck83

You can remove rust from cast arn over an open flame. For some reason rust hates fire. 
(Do not overheat CI)

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## kyratshooter

I don't think you can overheat in a normal campfire type situation.  You can't get a regular campfire much over 1000f.

We had a cast iron rust removal party at one rondy I attended and we lined the big bonfire with rusty skillets and dutch ovens.  Must have been a dozen or two big pieces of metal in there.  We had every piece of cast iron in that fire glowing yellow hot.   The next morning we pulled them out and I do not remember a single one of them cracking or showing damage.

I would say you should cool them slowly or just let them cool as the fire dies.  They will still be too hot to touch long after the ashes are cold.

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## Wild man

This time of year brings an almost Teflon season to my cast iron. After each use I boil a cup of water in the pan to remove any stuck particles of food. I then wipe it dry and put it on the wood stove to heat adding a thin layer of Olive oil. The minute it starts to almost smoke I pull it off and it's ready for the next use. Also it seems that after initial seasoning of a new pan that fried potatos do more smooth a pan out than anything. Cooking temperature also has a major effect on the pan. Too high of a temp cooking can make food stick even in a highly seasoned pan. The same goes for seasoning, don't get in a hurry and burn the oil or your next meal will taste accordingly. It's cast iron, slow down treat it right and enjoy its flavor and traditions

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## anozira

> I also notice that when I wash a bare iron pan it has a constant black "discharge".


Is it some brand we know? As a Christmas present, a boss of yesterwhen gave us gifts of meats, cheeses, crackers, dried fruit. It was in an 8" cast iron fry pan, wrapped in some colorful cellophane. Food items were tasty but I never did make that pan usable. No matter how much I cleaned and seasoned, at each use it exuded something very much like motor oil. Used motor oil. It made the food uneatable. That was my first experience with cast iron and it turned me off for years. Then I bought a Lodge pan and I've become a real lover of CI. If yours is brand X, I'd suggest trying one of the known brands.

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## WalkingTree

This thread reminds me of another question bouncing around in my head - Is there an oil that is better than another? I've been using olive oil. Hate Crisco for anything. Might use sesame seed oil someday, who knows. But just been using plain olive oil. Any different experiences?

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## Wise Old Owl

I love it when folks attempt to wash cast iron in water... scrubby and all. - just scour - toss in fat back and heat past 160° and life is fine... nobody has died from e-coli from cast iron.

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## Wise Old Owl

Oh wait... As I walk around farmers markets looking at various junk and goodies... what the hell was that odd piece of cast iron for a mold that had what looked like ten cigars. Its not the Corn bread one, I got that..... What is the almost hot dog mold? I have no idea... Just asking.

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## hunter63

We mostly use corn oil...but DW watches Rachel Ray so Easy O O, is in the picture......
List of smoke point and fat factors

https://jonbarron.org/diet-and-nutri...s#.Vy7AKS_2Zjp

Don't wash cast iron with soap.......

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## hunter63

> Oh wait... As I walk around farmers markets looking at various junk and goodies... what the hell was that odd piece of cast iron for a mold that had what looked like ten cigars. Its not the Corn bread one, I got that..... What is the almost hot dog mold? I have no idea... Just asking.


Hush Puppies.....(corn bread)
or 
Bread stick pan....
http://thepan-handler.com/product-ca...rn-bread-pans/

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## Wise Old Owl

Yup that's it bread stick... I had no idea is that for German pretzel?

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## pete lynch

> This thread reminds me of another question bouncing around in my head - Is there an oil that is better than another? I've been using olive oil. Hate Crisco for anything. Might use sesame seed oil someday, who knows. But just been using plain olive oil. Any different experiences?


I use corn oil, too.

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## Wise Old Owl

> This thread reminds me of another question bouncing around in my head - Is there an oil that is better than another? I've been using olive oil. Hate Crisco for anything. Might use sesame seed oil someday, who knows. But just been using plain olive oil. Any different experiences?


Olive oil is not really supposed to be cooked with its delicate light flavors disappear when heated. mixed with balsamic its wonderful on a salad... Simply put oils that solidify at room temp are not as healthy as those that do not. As some fats solidify in your arteries. - Crisco - well the short version is hydrogenated lard to allow it to be shelf stable for long periods of time. Your parents and grandparents did not use this unhealthy product - it was fat back or pork fat that was rendered and stored for cooking and its short shelf life (might be weeks).  Hense butter appears to be an exception. It still solidify's in the arteries and they remain pliable - where margarine... the crap that came later makes hard UN-pliable build up in your heart. Sesame Oil in many cultures is used for cooking as the flavor is imparted into the food.

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## WalkingTree

^ I meant for seasoning a cast iron pan.

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## hunter63

> ^ I meant for seasoning a cast iron pan.


So was I .......although I do use a bit for frying.....

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## Wise Old Owl

Uh no - use corn oil, canola, or rendered fat back.... or bacon drippings.

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## Wise Old Owl

Cast Iron is not worthy of 2700 views. Practice - Practice - Practice - It doesn't require a large fire. It works very well on 1/2 inch stick once it goes to coals. Small twig fires contained and on top and bottom create a bread oven. If you really want to learn this you need to set up a good working area in the back yard and go for it... Yea you are going to burn things a few times... So what, from fails come appreciation for time and diligence.

here is where you can find basics

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## WalkingTree

> ^ I meant for seasoning a cast iron pan.





> So was I .......although I do use a bit for frying.....


I meant Wise Old Owl.  :Lol:

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## Wise Old Owl

This is clearly a different view that stands apart. I appreciate going to the re-enactments as they are wonderfully entertaining and very positive. Not the best video - but has merit and understanding.

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## Tony uk

> This thread reminds me of another question bouncing around in my head - Is there an oil that is better than another? I've been using olive oil. Hate Crisco for anything. Might use sesame seed oil someday, who knows. But just been using plain olive oil. Any different experiences?


I like to use coconut oil and find it leaves the pans well seasoned, it can get nice and hot before starting to smoke too so i find it works well for searing meat.

Tonyuk

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## Rick

Hey, Tony. Good to see you back!!

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