Cast Iron Dutch Ovens: Does anyone know how I can remove the rust and how I can re-season it?
647561
Scrub of the rust with steel wool or a brillo pad or something. Don't use soap!!! Don't ever trust a "pre-seasoned" skillet. It's just not adequate. So, to re-season (or to season a new pan), melt a fat in the dutch over. You can either use a high smoke point oil (ie canola, safflower, peanut, etc) or use an animal fat. The ideal would be to cook some bacon in the pan. After the bacon is removed, spread the bacon grease all over the inside of the dutch oven. Heat your oven to about 500 degrees (F) and put a cookie sheet on the bottom rack. Then turn your dutch oven upside down on the top rack. Let it hang out in there for about an hour, then turn off the heat. Leave it in there until it's relatively cool. Wipe any excess grease with a towel, but don't wash it. Seasoned!
1546663
I have done it. I rub it good and rub with a paper towel to season it , stick in a oven and heat it up to season it. I If it gets a spot of rust take the oil and sea salt and rub it good, will remove the rust.
1685523
I got rid of it due to rusting. I've heard that correctly seasoning it with oil can help, but I was unable to do so.
455008
No rust problems here. After cooking I use very mild liquid detergent with little bit of water. Use paper towel to loosen anything stuck. Rinse immediately and dry thoroughly. Re-oil with cooking oil. (Seasoned)
2224519
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-restore-a-rusty-cast-iron-skillet-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-203086This method works well, so I hope this helps you out.
402826
There might be an easier way, but this is what I did and it definitely worked. First I warmed the wok over low heat, then (away from flame) I poured in a half cup of lacquer thinner and scrubbed thoroughly with coarse steel wool. Dump out the liquid and repeat. I also scrubbed the outside just to make it look more even when seasoned. For the actual seasoning, just hold over high heat until all the metal turns black, then wipe it down with cooking oil soaked rag(s) until they remain clean and no longer pick up any discoloration.
1201472
I always season new cast iron cookware again before I use it, even if it says preseasoned. The shinier and blacker it looks, the better.Use only a very thin coating of oil or melted shortening. If you re-season it and it feels sticky, bake it longer and/or at a higher temperature.
2199745
Season them? I've only seasoned cast iron cookware. I washed them before using them but other than that I didn't do anything to them. I've used them now for two years with zero problems. I love this set
289614
You're totally good. Follow the re seasoning instructions everyone is mentioning. These things wouldn't last 100 if they couldn't fight a little rust.
832820
I've left mine outside for the past 6 years - sometimes with lodge's awful leaky coverthe polymerized oils from "seasoning" will burn off from the intense heat that charcoal puts out. no way around it. also, heat accelerates the rate at which rust forms. also no way around this. don't worry about it not being seasoned.just cook on it. charred food bits cover the rust very very quickly.
1566412
Sorry cannot help about the rust i would try the steel wool like was suggested though. I find with mine food still tends to stick no matter how many times i try to seal the pan with oil.
334672
After you cook, rinse and scrub till all food particles are gone, then apply a light coating of crisco or bacon drippings which I prefer. Then place on stove top on medium heat for 4-5 minutes to set the seasoning and insure all moisture is gone. Then store with a folded paper towel between other cast iron pans. The more you use it, the slicker the surface will get. You can use a bit of soap occasionally, but then for sure you must apply the Crisco or bacon drippings to seal the surface to prevent rust.
1957020
rinse with hot water heat dry on the stove then wipe it down with oil or also available on Amazon is {Camp Chef} cast iron conditioner, all natural ingredients, it protects from rust.
1382276
I hope you haven't done anything drastic to clean your cast iron, such as has been suggested in the previous responses. If the pan is something you'd regret damaging, the safest way to clean off burnt-on cooking residue as well as remove rust would be to place it in an electrolysis bath. The instructions are easy to find online, or just contact any group of cast iron aficionados, they'll be eager to guide you...and maybe even attempt to persuade you to part with your antique pan. Best of luck.
289611
They made special scrapers for cast iron. I would clean with warm water and the scraper, then re-season in the oven and make sure to apply extra oil to seep in afterwards.
237892
I suspect that is a treatment of some sort. After firing mine and leaving it outside, the grates rusted, removing the material. A steel brush took it down to the base material, which is a cast iron, at least to my eye.
1740940
Sorry...I found them too tiny to use and returning was more money after bad so my 2 yr old grandson uses them to cook with...he goes thru quite a performance and I respond when I taste his pretend entree! YouTube has several people who demo how to season very old rusted pitted cast iron...sorry can't be more help