| The process of restoring rusted cast iron | | | | Start by using steel wool or a wire brush to |
| cookware can bring a family heirloom back to | | | | remove as much surface rust from the pan as |
| life and make it a fully functional asset in | | | | possible. You can then soak the pan in a |
| your kitchen. You can even salvage a garage | | | | solution of 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water |
| sale or flea market find that looks too far | | | | for a day or so. This will help to finish |
| gone. The beauty of cast iron cookware lies | | | | dissolving any rust that remains on the |
| in it's rugged durability and versatility. | | | | surface of the pan. If you run into a pan |
| Cast irons durability results from the | | | | with severe rusting, then you may have to use |
| quality and thickness of the material from | | | | a product like spray on oven cleaner to |
| which the pan was made. Older cast iron is | | | | remove a heavy layer of rust. Be careful |
| especially tough since it was made before the | | | | when using caustic chemicals like oven |
| time of cheap imports that do suffer some | | | | cleaner. Wear personal protection such as |
| quality issues. But, nonetheless any piece | | | | gloves and a mask to prevent personal injury. |
| of cast iron that is structurally sound can | | | | Also, avoid using any other highly caustic |
| be restored and put to use in your | | | | chemicals on your cast iron. Solvents and |
| kitchen.Before beginning the restoration | | | | similar chemicals can soak into the loose |
| process, you must carefully inspect the pot | | | | pores of the iron and then leach into your |
| or pan and make sure it is truly structurally | | | | food at a later time.After you are |
| sound. Look for cracking or pitting in the | | | | sufficiently satisfied with the initial phase |
| surface of the pan. If the pan is cracked or | | | | of restoration of your cast iron, then you |
| severely pitted then it would be best to set | | | | can proceed to the seasoning step. seasoning |
| that pan aside and not proceed with | | | | is a simple process whereby the clean pan is |
| restoration. a cracked cast iron pan is very | | | | coated with either lard or bacon grease and |
| hard to repair and requires a process called | | | | repeatedly heated in an oven. This process |
| brazing to fix the pan. This is usually an | | | | creates a durable non-stick finish for the |
| expensive process and even with repair the | | | | cast iron and makes it easy to clean after |
| possibility of contamination of your food | | | | use. For a more detailed look at the |
| from the repair process makes the pan pretty | | | | seasoning of cast iron cookware, please |
| much useless for use in the kitchen. If you | | | | review my other article at |
| would like you can restore the damaged pan | | | | Recipe-Rack.comLarry Honz is the chief talent |
| and use it as a decorative reminder of days | | | | at One of the web's most popular cooking |
| gone by in your kitchen.Once you have | | | | sites. Visit his website: Online Cookbook | |
| established the soundness of the cast iron, | | | | Easy Recipes | Recipe-Rack. |
| you can begin the process of restoration. | | | | |