Have you ever turned away from your eggs while cooking in the morning only to realize that your elegant cast iron pan is burnt? Well, contrary to what you might think, this has happened to a lot of us, including seasoned cooks.
How to clean your burnt cast iron pan becomes the big question during such scenarios. Well, you don’t need to panic because I am here to help. Below is a step by step tutorial on how to clean burnt cast iron pan.
Step 1: Use oil to wipe down your pan
You need to clean your cast iron pan with oil immediately you notice bits of food starting to stick on it. About two tablespoons of oil will work just fine. Introduce the oil into your warm pan and use a towel to wipe down the entire surface. Ensure that you dispose of all the small bits of foods before moving on to step two.
Step 2: Find a brush
There are many options available in the market when it comes to brushes for cleaning your burnt cast iron pan. Note that different manufacturers have specially designed brushes for cleaning pans in the kitchen. You must find a high-quality product that will give you long-lasting services.
Step 3: Soak your burnt pan
You need to soak your pan for a few minutes in regular temperature water. Soaking your burnt cast iron pan will help make the task easier and faster. In case you are dealing with more difficult foods, you can boil the water in your pan for a couple of minutes.
Step 4: Add powder soap or dishwashing soap
About two tablespoons of dishwashing liquid will work fine for the cleaning process. You could also use powder soap for the cleaning process. However, ensure that you let the water cool down in case you decided to boil it first.
Step 5: Brush gently
Use your brush to scrub the entire pan gently and firmly. Note that you need the specially designed skillet cleaning brushes to get the best results. We also don’t want to damage the cast iron pan, which means you need to be careful.
Step 6: Rinse with water
Once you are done scrubbing the entire pan, ensure that you rinse with clean water. However, you may need to repeat the steps above if your pan is sticky or greasy. The number of times you will have to repeat the above steps will depend on the level of damage.
Step 7: Wipe down with oil
It would help if you then wiped the entire pan using a small cloth soaked in oil. You get to choose between mustard oil and vegetable oil during this step. However, note that the best results will be attained using vegetable oil.
Conclusion
If you need to remove rust from your cast iron pan, Coca-Cola is an excellent choice. However, understand that your cast iron pan requires regular cleaning. Ensure that you clean the pan every time you are done cooking to avoid any problems in the future.