Avoid Soap with Cast Iron
The conventional wisdom for cleaning Cast Iron is to never ever use soap. This is because soap (or any detergent) will remove some of the oil and grease that makes of the seasoning layer. There is some debate about this amongst those on the internet: Some say that there is no proof that the detergents will hurt the seasoning layers, and that it makes cleaning easier.
There is no debate however that soap is not needed to get the Cast Iron clean and safe to use. Rinse with water and use a cloth or plastic scouring pad (not steel wool) to remove any visible food particles. Dry it well. The entire process of cleaning should only take a few minutes: Do not soak Cast Iron or hours! To sterilize the Cast Iron, simply put it back into a hot stove for a few minutes and let cool before putting away.
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October 21st, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Avoid Soap with Cast Iron…
I have some cast iron pans, but they are so damn heavy. They seem only good if you are not on the move. “The conventional wisdom for cleaning Cast Iron is to never ever use soap. This is because soap (or any detergent) will remove some of the oil and …
October 21st, 2008 at 3:21 pm
I have some cast iron pans, but they are so damn heavy. They seem only good if you are not on the move. “The conventional wisdom for cleaning Cast Iron is to never ever use soap. This is because soap (or any detergent) will remove some of the oil and grease that makes of the seasoning layer.”
October 21st, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Correct, Cast Iron is not so good when “bugging out” unless one has the ability to transport it. But when “Sheltering in Place” Cast Iron is very useful.
October 23rd, 2008 at 4:46 am
The main issue with using soap on a cast iron pan is that cast iron is porous.
Because the cast iron is porous, the soap will gather in the crevices. This will contribute a soap taste to the next thing you cook in the pan.
Cast iron is excellent material to use in cooking pans (i tried my hand at selling specialized cookware way back when, it only cost me $100!).
Something that could help is to shroud your cast iron in surgical stainless steel. That’s what I was offering all those years ago.
Pam Hoffman
http://seminarlist.blogspot.com
October 23rd, 2008 at 4:35 pm
I have never seen Cast Iron shrouded in stainless steel, that idea facinates me. However, it may be easier to clean, but it seems like it may loose some of it’s special properties that makes it so useful to survivalism movement.