How to Restore Rusty Cast Iron
How to restore rusty cast iron without the use of harsh chemicals! When I thrift cast iron that is a little rusty (or neglect the skillets I already have...) this is my go-to method for restoring them for use in my kitchen.
Equipment
- Plastic bin or a very large aluminum pan.
- A stiff brush.
- Dry towel or paper towel.
- Optional: gloves.
Ingredients
- Water
- White vinegar
- Kosher salt
- Avocado oil
Instructions
- Inside of your plastic bin or aluminum pan, create a mix that is 1 part vinegar to 1 part water.
- Fully submerge your rusty cast-iron skillet in the water and vinegar mixture. Allow it to soak for 30 minutes.
- Check to see if any of the rust is flaking off easily when you touch it with your brush. If it is not, soak for another 30 minutes.
- Use coarse salt, your stiff brush, and water to scrub off the rust all over your cast iron pan.
- Rinse your pan off thoroughly to ensure no rust is left on it. Dry with a towel.
- Coat your entire pan with a thin layer of oil of your choosing. Wipe it down again, removing the excess oil, leaving a very light coat behind.
- Dry your pan completely. You can do this by heating it on a burner (while supervising) or by heating your oven to 350°F and placing the pan upside down on an oven rack for 15 minutes.
- Reseason your cast iron with a layer of oil again and then wipe it down with a dry towel.
- Place your cast iron back in the oven again upside down. Set it to 500°F and leave for 1 hour.
- After one hour has passed, turn your oven off. Allow the pan to stay inside as it cools all the way down.
- Repeat steps 8-10 once more. (Optional: do it up to 6 times for a great reseasoning.)
Notes
- Do not soak your cast iron for too long in the water and vinegar mix! Check it over every 30 minutes until you see the rust flaking off a little bit. I personally would not go longer than 2 hours.
- When you preseason your cast iron, coat all sides. Even the outside, bottom, and handle!
- Don't use dish soap or other soaps on your cast iron skillet.
- Don't use steel wool. If you don't have a stiff brush, use the scrubbing side of a sponge instead.
- Avocado oil is my seasoning oil of choice!
- I used a 17 ¼ inch x 12 11/16 inch x 4 inch aluminum foil roasting pan for this project. The smallest cast iron skillet used 7:7 water to vinegar ratio. The large flat pan used an 11:11 water to vinegar ratio. The large skillet used a 16:16 water to vinegar ratio.