Copyright 2010 Ozarkhomesteader. Short excerpts with full links are welcome.
Seasoning cast iron can be an unpleasant task. Lodge Manufacturing, the best American cast iron company, recommends re-seasoning using vegetable shortening and a hot oven for an hour. The Lodge method works, but it leaves the house smelling of overcooked vegetable shortening, plus it uses a lot of energy. When my cast iron surface needs a little work, I prefer to either fry in it (something we don’t do very often) or just pop popcorn!Earlier today. my 2-quart cast iron Dutch oven looked disreputable. I know; I should be ashamed for mistreating my cast iron this way, but I swear it just happened because I cooked high-acid tomato sauce in it.Here’s a close up. I know, I know. I may get kicked out of the Cast Iron American Society.The solution? Make popcorn! Start by pouring enough oil in the bottom of your warm Dutch oven to coat the bottom, at a depth of about 1/8 inch. The warmth will help the oil spread. Otherwise, you may end up with too much oil and greasy popcorn. Now pour in just two corn kernels. Heat the pot on high (medium-high for some electric burners!–or use a pyrex wire diffuser (example) to get less direct heat on high) until the two kernels pop. Scoop out the two kernels with a slotted spoon. Now pour in the rest of your kernels, about 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup for a 2-quart Dutch oven, 1/2 to 2/3 cup for a 4-quart Dutch oven, and so forth. Put the lid on the pot immediately, because the kernels will start to pop right away. Position the lid so that it vents steam.
Do you like real butter? Do not use “lite” margarine! If you have real butter and want it in your popcorn, make sure you have it standing by. Cut off a pat and slip it in under the lid, taking care not to let kernels escape. More butter???? Sure, just slip it in on the other side of the pot.
Very quickly, the corn will go from exploding rapid fire like a hundred machine guns to sounding more like an occasional pop. Turn off the heat. If you have an electric stove top, remove the pot from the hot burner, or else you’ll burn the popcorn on the bottom. A few kernels may still pop after you turn off the heat, so don’t open it yet. Instead, get the salt. Okay, now open the lid carefully. Shake on some salt. Taste. Add a little more if you want. Scoop off the luscious popcorn.
Mmmmmmmm. Let’s eat!
Oh, you say I was talking about cast iron? Oh. I remember! Yes, we’re making popcorn to re-season my neglected cast iron. Yes, I ate the popcorn. Then I rinsed the salt out of the Dutch oven and dried it off. Do you want an “after” picture? Here it is, showing the thin layer of hot oil that the popcorn neatly distributed across the surface of the Dutch oven, re-seasoning it all over.I wonder if my 4-quart Dutch oven needs re-seasoning too? Yes, I’m grinning from ear to ear. Oh, I’m so sorry for getting corny! Oops, there goes another pun!
Thanks to Linda Watson at CookforGood, who referred to this post in an article on making turmeric-seasoned popcorn. I do have one little correction to the CookforGood article. Watson said you need to shake the cast iron pan while you’re popping. No, you don’t have to do that! The heavy bottom of the cast iron, the high heat with which you start (after you test pop those two kernels) and the short popping time will allow you to pop without shaking the pan. Just be sure to turn off the heat (and remove the pan from the burner if you use an electric burner) when the popping slows. You’ll have great, burn-free popcorn.
Do you have questions about caring for cast iron or making old-fashioned popcorn on the stove top? Feel free to post here!
I have a cast iron frying pan that I pulled out of the cabinet the other day that has a fair amount of rust on it. Would a proper method be to use steel wool to remove the rust, then make some popcorn in it to re-season? I try to take care of my pans, but I think my wife might have put it away without rubbing it with Crisco (my preferred method). Nice blog, by the way. 🙂
How much is “a fair amount”? I use the popcorn method when the shiny black finish is gone but I still have a dull black finish on most of the pan. I’d try using steel wool with a bit of oil to get the rust off, wash it, dry it, and then see how much silver is exposed. If it’s a lot, I might still try popcorn first–just because it’s tasty–but then I’d be prepared to follow up with a light coat all over of Crisco followed by an hour in the oven if the popcorn does not adequately re-season it. You could also pan fry food in it after you do the steel-wool clean-up before you try the baked-Crisco method. That works well to re-season too, as long as you use enough oil.
Let me know how it turns out!
It’s not completely rusty, but has spots of rust on the bottom of the inside of the pan. I’ll be sure to let you know. Thanks for the help!
This method worked great… a little oil and steel wool did the trick for getting rid of the rust, and making some tasty popcorn reseasoned it nicely. Thanks!
You’re most welcome! I’m so pleased to hear it worked well for you. Mmmmmmm. Popcorn might be good right now. 🙂
Hi, I read your blog and wanted to thank you. I found it very helpful. Looking forward to more. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you!
I have an old cast iron skillet that I cleaned the rust from and re-seasoned. The problem is that it was pitted by the rust. I assume it is a goner, but I’m wondering if there is anything to be done for it?
How bad is the pitting? I have an indoor Dutch oven that got pitted long before I inherited it. I use it all the time. In time, the pits start to wear down and they matter less and less.
Thanks, for your reply and for your site.
It isn’t too badly pitted. I pulled it out and started using it. Smile!
I’m so happy it’s going to work! Lots more popping popcorn will help smooth out those pits.
And thanks for the kind words about the site. 🙂
Do I have to use vegetable oil? I don’t use it anymore. I only use lard or olive oil. And butter of course.
So should I use lard or the olive oil?
You need a higher temperature than olive oil ordinarily likes, so I might try the lard. Hmmmmm. Have you thought of walnut oil?
I was wondering about Cast iron in general, and maybe you have some answers, or could point me to where I could find some.
1. What kind of things make a pot become “unseasoned”
2. How do you know when a cast iron pot needs to be “reseasoned”
3. As long as I only cook things either in oil (like eggs or popcorn) or with oil in them (pancakes or Bacon) will I ever need to “reseason” them?
4. You mentioned above that a “traditional” reseasoning of a pot includes rubbing with oil and putting it in the oven for an hour. Why is this method used versus just popping popcorn, or cooking something else in oil? Is it more reliable or better in some way?
Welcome to the blog, Cornpopper!
1. Long boiling can hurt seasoning on a pot, especially high-acid foods like spaghetti sauce.
2. I re-season my pots when the black finish looks really dull or even a little pitted.
3. If you cook foods like that in your cast iron regularly, you’ll rarely need to re-season. I often do fry something if I need to reseason.
4. Traditionally you rub with Crisco, which will not carry flavors. I don’t do it anymore. Popcorn and frying are more fun. 🙂
Okay, did I get everything?
Thanks for the great idea with popcorn. I love to keep my dutch ovens seasoned up. The method I like to use is to scrub with a green scratchy pad and rub with vegetable oil. Then I take it out to the bar-be-Que. I put it on high and then turn it down on low for about 45 minutes and then turn it off an let cool. Also it you are up camping rub inside with vegetable oil and cook with charcoal.
I like those ideas too! Popcorn is tastier, though. (Big grin!)
A couple of other ways to renew a rusty, or lack-luster dutch oven:
When you go to clean your electric oven, put your dutch oven in the middle rack, and turn it on to the “cleaning” mode. The temperature gets hot enough that it bakes out the rust. It’s amazing – the rust turns to a powder!
Several hours later, once the oven, and dutch oven has cooled down, you can discard the rust powder. Rinse the dutch oven out with water. If there is still signs of a little rust residue, you could fill it half-full with water, put it on your stove – and boil it clean. Then, go through the seasoning process.
Another method, when you’re out on a camp out, is to simply place the dutch oven in your campfire, once it’s good and hot, and let it bake off your rust for 45 minutes to an hour. Take it out, and after it cools completely, perform the seasoning process.
I’ve used both techniques on dutch ovens that some Scouts forgot to clean up after a camp out. Weeks later, the moisture from the ingredients had rusted the ovens pretty badly. Both techniques have worked equally as well. Jay’s technique, using the grill, is a great solution too. The idea is to just get that cast iron real hot, for a while.
One word of caution, and I’ve read this in dutch oven cooking guides, don’t take a hot dutch oven, from fire, or with coals, and immediately pour water in it or over it. Like glass, if you take it from a very hot, to a cold state quickly, it will crack the cast iron.
Have fun with your dutch!
Great advice! Thanks for contributing it.
I don’t have a self-cleaning oven now but have used that trick before when I did have one. What I don’t like as much about it are the fumes in the house. I can deal with elbow grease more easily than those. 🙂
Cooking sprays have come a long way in helping to season my skillets and cast iron pots even after fixing high acidic foods. If washed or soaked to remove/dissolve previous fried foods in just water, one can spray the pan/pot after cleansing and reheat on the stove mopping up water while inclusively spreading the oil with a paper towel. Heating the pan ensures all residual moisture is removed so the heat can dry the whole skillet/pot in just 2 minutes. Cooking spray also helps during cooking fried foods to keep cast iron from sticking. It has become a relief for me to utilize this process for years so that I may enjoy cooking with my cast irons. Is it a reasonable assumption my method could be flawed?
If your method is working, keep doing it. (Grin.) I also heat my pans sometimes to make sure that they dry thoroughly, and I do use cooking spray in the process of cooking. I’ve heard or read that cooking sprays create a coating that will flake off instead of providing a long-term season, but I also season other ways, so I have no way of knowing if the cooking spray really poses a problem. Making popcorn is fun, though!
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I don’t have any deep pans like the one you show in the pictures. I guess I can’t make popcorn in a regular frying pay type cast iron pan, right?
I meant to say frying PAN, not frying PAY, lol.
Yes, you can use this method on frying pans, but you will have to use a bit more oil-to-corn ratio–same oil depth but less corn, because it will fill the pan too quickly. You need to get the oil up a bit on each kernel. Be sure to use a lid that you can vent too. I think I use about 1/4 cup corn per a 10-inch pan. (Isn’t that the most typical size?) You can also try pan frying crab cakes, falafel patties (not balls) or other shallow treats to re-season. Happy popping!
I tried ta leave a comment “the other way” – FAILED – so here I go again. My daddy used ta make the best popcorn in a cast iron skillet – I was a “kid” during the late ’40’s and thru the ’50’s – Gonna try it tonite. I’ll try ta let ya know how it turns out. Snorton’ Morton
Excellent! I hope it’s everything you remember. My favorite way is slipping in that bit of butter as popping slows.
Well, I tried it – and it was GOOD – coulda been better but real good fer my first try in about a half a century. I’ll refine my skills – had over a dozen old maids – gotta fine tune temp control. I’ve read all the instructions on seasoning at the LODGE website and several cast iron cook books – this is the BEST! Not only good ta eat but good for my cast iron. I have more than 22 cast iron pieces – to include a Griswold stove top pancake device.
THANK YOU very much — This IS “GOOD EATS!!!”
I’m so glad it worked for you, Bill.
OOOPS! That shoulda been a stove top Griswold “Waffle Iron”
Snortin’ Morton
So should I address you as “Snortin'” instead of Bill? 🙂 I sooooo want a stovetop waffle iron, but I have my grandparents’ art deco electric one, and it works great, so I’ll be content with it for now.
ALSO – Ya got me goin’ here. – I resurrected a Wagner 8″ skillet that my father in law left me – along with a bunch of other “STUFF” that sat out in the rain – snow -etc. fer several years until I decided ta see if I could put it back into serviceable condition. It’s now one of our best pieces. Just right fer fryin’ eggs.
I spent a couple hours with rough sandpaper, Scotch Brite and a medium-small ballpeen hammer, chippin’ away 3/16 of built up carbon on the outside and sandin’ the inside. I woulda been much better off puttin’ it in the KAMADO – or the insert after all that was left was hot coals. I actually did the KAMADO thing once – by mistake – left it in fer what I thought was way too long. I turned out clean as a whistle. Never rusted agin, either. That one was a 12″ camp dutch oven – with the three “LEGS”.
That’s another good subject for you ta cover! I do pretty well in the kitchen – but – I’ve NEVER had very good luck tryin’ ta successfully fry eggs either sunny side up and/or over easy – and I absolutely despise broken yokes. Got any good tips on that one?
Snortin’ Bill, I got a mini fry pan and lid that are absolutely perfect for eggs sunny side up, or over easy if you have less time. I make mine sunny side up most days now, although this demo (scroll down to the “baby bear” pictures) shows over easy. You can only do one egg at a time, but the little pan works great to cook the top before the bottom gets overdone. Just crack the egg in a lightly greased pan, pop the lid on, and cook on medium. My liquid yolk is done in about three and a half minutes. In a larger pan, it’ll take a bit longer. In a bigger pa, try cracking the egg to the side, so that it gets indirect heat. Good luck!
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i have a cast iron dutch oven that i cooked pinto beans in and they were black when they had cooked why did they turn black and what do i do to keep it fron making them black.
Hmmmmm. Did any of the seasoning on the pan flake off? What else did you cook them with?