**SIFO* Cleaning Cast Iron Cookware

 Since I don't have a large budget, it took me a while to collect some really decent cookware. At this point, I have 2 really good cast-iron skillets, a cast-iron Dutch oven with a skillet/lid, and one non-stick pan.

Dutch oven bottom not shown here

I love these items for my kitchen and they are going to have to last me the rest of my life. So... how to care for them was always the question. My non-stick pan is easy. I only use utensils that don't scratch the cooking surface; I never use it without pre-warming and at least lightly oiling; and I wash it out with very hot water, a bit of Dawn, and a soft rag. Done. (I've only had it since my birthday but, so far so good.) Now my cast-iron pans are a lot more dear to me but I have had slow progress getting them to into a well-seasoned state. As a matter of fact, I have even scratched the seasoning in the skillet to the Dutch oven...

It can be re-seasoned!

Up until recently, I had been doing what I observed my mother and other elders doing with their cast-iron items: keeping them seasoned with oil and cleaning with a lard and salt scrub. Simple enough. But where my mother's pans were almost mirror-shiny from what I remember, my pans are only very slowly getting to a well-seasoned point of slickness. I've had the skillets for 4 years and the oven for 2 years. I gave the older ones from my mom to her grandkids.

I had to wonder what I was doing wrong. I thought of guilt-tripping the grandkids into sending me back a couple of Mama's pans! Instead, I tried to find out how other people are for their cast-iron. And I found this dude (and he's a really Dude) - Cowboy Kent - who I believe has "The Method".

If you didn't watch the video, my man here basically heats the pan and runs hot water into it while rubbing out the mess with a soft rag. He steam cleans his cast iron, folks. And you should see his beautifully seasoned pans. If they were big enough, you could ice-skate across them.

The other thing he does (which my mother did) is to regularly season the pans. And by "regularly" I mean after every single use. He steams them and re-seasons them. Every time.

I've been wiping mine out after using and only cleaning and re-seasoning when I couldn't wipe out any messes. So I guess I've been unintentionally neglectful.

No skating across this pan!

Here's the other thing: my mother might have been steaming her pans. I don't know, when she was around, I didn't pay attention to how she made the magic that was her cooking. I just ate and burped and rubbed my belly with satisfaction. 

Anyway.

Of course, I immediately pulled out all my cast-iron and used The Method. My pans already look better than they had before. Thank you, Cowboy Kent!

In the comments, some people noted that they have different methods that work. I don't know about those. I do know that I have tried other methods and I think The Method is the one for me.

Right now, the pans I have are enough. I would like another non-stick pan in a slightly larger size. And Lord knows, I need some bakeware. My one cookie sheet is so cheap and rusted that I never use it without lining with parchment. I have a pie pan that is like a friend I once had: very cute but too shallow to be useful for much. I do have a couple of loaf pans. In short, I should not be complaining. I have way more than a lot of people do.

Cooking is the one thing I still enjoy and can do well. I might have to write down even my old recipes because I can't seem to remember but... Being in the kitchen, baking, cooking - even fixing a salad, calms me. It's like medicine for stress, depression, anger - it helps with everything. 

Now that I have The Method, I can't wait to maybe update the way my pans look in a year or so.

By the way, just for giggles, I went over to see the current price of my Dutch oven. I am so incredibly blessed to have caught it at the price I did!

This is what I paid
(with birthday money!)

And, oh my word! This is the price I just saw (July 18, 2021, as I am typing this!)

I got the oven/skillet set but I didn't get the assist handle holder. Since I saved $76.84 on the set, I am quite happy to live without a handle assist or get one for cheap.

Here's the thing: I did go back and study the transaction. The actual price at the time that I got it was $39.90 and I used the remainder of a birthday gift card for $26.42. The $16.12 I paid included a tax of a couple of dollars. Still, $92.96 is $53.06 more than the $39.90 price tag when I got mine.  I paid less for the set than just the oven costs now. When I was checking this old transaction, I noticed that my support for the product just ran out on the 7th of this month. It's a Lodge. My mother had her cast-iron (Lodge or otherwise) from before I was born. Some were from my grandma. I doubt I will break a cast-iron pan.

Peace

--Free

P.S.: I just remembered that I was using harsh things on my cast iron. I actually have one of those chain-mail things attached to silicone that I was using to get baked on stuff out of the pan. Ugh.