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