How to Restore Cast Iron _ 3 Ways to Restore and Season Cast Iron _ Quick Tips

**Seasoning Your Cast Iron Skillet: A Step-by-Step Guide**

If you have just gotten through bringing your cast iron skillet out of the self-cleaning oven yesterday and let it set, now is the time to give it another good scrubbing with a soft-bristle brush over in some hot water. Make sure to clean it really well, then set it back up on the burner about medium-high heat and let's drive that water out. As you wait for your cast iron to change colors as it gets drunk, get a lint-free rag ready, preferably a bandana that has been washed. You'll use this rag to wipe down the skillet and make sure it's hot enough to season.

**The First Three Layers of Seasoning**

To start seasoning your cast iron skillet, you'll need to create three foundation layers on the surface. For the first layer, flaxseed is a great choice because it becomes a great bond with the cast iron. You can apply a spot as big as a 50-cent piece and rub that all the way around the bottom and sides of the skillet. Don't worry about making a puddle in there - you just want to cover everything evenly, including the top and bottom. Once you've applied the flaxseed layer, let it run for one hour before turning off the burner and letting it come to room temperature on its own.

**The Importance of Repeating the Process**

This process may seem like a hassle, but trust us - it's necessary. You'll need to repeat this process at least three times to build up the seasoning on your cast iron skillet. After each layer, you can use different oils to help create the perfect blend of flavors and textures. We recommend starting with flaxseed, then switching to avocado oil or grape seed oil for the next two layers.

**Deep Frying: A Great Way to Get Started**

One of the best ways to get started with your new cast iron skillet is by deep-frying something delicious. Try putting some fried taters in there at 350 degrees - it's a great way to test out the seasoning and get used to cooking with your new skillet. Don't worry if you can't use your skillet right off the bat - deep-frying is an excellent way to start off, especially for something as delicate as fried potatoes.

**Common Problems and Solutions**

While seasoning your cast iron skillet may seem intimidating, there are a few common problems that arise along the way. If you find yourself dealing with rust, make sure to clean it thoroughly before applying any new layers of seasoning. If you're struggling with stickiness, try using a different oil or adjusting the heat on your stove.

**A Word from Our Hosts**

At this point in the article, our hosts want to express their gratitude to all the servicemen and women who have kept our country safe and given us the freedom to do what we love every day. They also want to thank our wonderful team for helping to make this podcast possible.

As a special treat for our listeners, we've included a link to our "Cast Iron Playlist," which features a collection of recipes and tips that will help you get started with cooking in your new skillet. From simple meals like fried potatoes and scrambled eggs, to more complex dishes like stir-fries and roasted vegetables, our playlist has something for everyone.

We're also excited to announce that we have some great products available, including WD-40 and spray oil for protecting the joints on your workbench or workshop. These are perfect tools for any DIY enthusiast or homeowner who wants to keep their tools running smoothly.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enyou got that old piece of cast iron that's got so much crud in it you don't know if it's round or square all built up found it at the junkyard garage sale estate sale you don't even know what's in it hey we got some tips and tricks to you and we're gonna walk you through there to make that cast iron usable again and safe and be the best thing you ever cooked with welcome to this video our little quick tips and tricks to help you along with anything that might be going wrong in the kitchen or outside now if you're a brand-new viewer and this is the first time you're seeing us hey we welcome you with open arms don't forget to hit that little subscribe button upper ringy-dingy down bill you don't want to miss out on these quick tips and tutorials but also we have our regular cooking videos that come out every Wednesday at 2:30 central and you sure don't want to miss them either so the first method we're going to talk about and this is probably the safest method but it also is probably going to take care of 80% of the problem that most people got we got this skillet it ain't got no crack put it on that burner medium heat we're going to get it hot now when it begins to smoke now this old cred that's on the outside and the inside and any rust that might be in there hey when that thing gets hot it's gonna come clean quicker that's why we got to heat it take that wire brush to it on that grill or maybe you've got one you can run by hand or maybe you ain't got none of this and you've got to use some salt to scrub this wrestle with take it off that burner and get after it but folks it did not get rusty in one day you ain't gonna fix this in one trip so you may have to rinse it out heat it back up start all over again it may take three times four times but let's get some elbow grease in there and let's get to working now remember when we're talking about this salt scrub I don't like to use that just fine table salt I like to use that good coarse sea salt something that's got some grit to it that's gonna work now I have known people to use sixty and eighty grit sandpaper but really I like to force salt best because it's going to get down in them cracks a little more now this build up that's all on the outside one that's getting hot hey get you something you can hang on to that handle with hold it over the trashcan the sink something work but let's scrape that stuff off with a putty knife because it will peel off there pretty easy when it's good and hot and the number two thing folks guess what it is and I didn't know they had them for years self-cleaning oven that's what birthday is all the time you drop something on her she's gonna self-cleaning but all the ovens today nearly every one of them got a self-cleaning cycle now before we go any further I need to tell you this I do not recommend that you put old thin pieces in there pieces that are antiques or maybe you're even new to cast iron you think well I heard him say this I'm gonna throw it in there don't do it folks because a lot of times you're gonna crack one or this ain't going to live through it or one that's warped is gonna get worse so make sure that this is a good piece of cast iron we're gonna run that self-cleaning cycle get you a baking sheet put it on the bottom rack take that skillet turn it over to where it's above that rack lock get door it'll lock when you turn are self-cleaning and let it run now this is gonna reach temperatures from 450 to 525 degrees and let it run the cycle you can't rush it you can't even open the door when it gets through give it a little time to cool just a little drag it out of there take that wire brush to it and all that stuff that hadn't fell out there it's gonna flake right off you are back to bare purified cast iron that's all there is left there's nothing living in there there's nothing growing in there it is been baptized now folks there is the last method and I know a bunch of them old timers and a bunch of you people that watch on YouTube said hey this is how my grandma done it what was that throw it in a fire you know I'd still don't recommend this for old cast iron fan cast iron now when I was out there cooking for wrenches so many years hey a lot of times that's all I had I just open that door no Bertha and I'd put a 20 inch skillet in there and have to let it ruined 30 minutes I'd drag it out there they wasn't nothing living nothing no work that fire will do that and a lot of them old timers used to tell me that when you would cook that down in a fire outside that Ash helped to build that seasoning back up later now that I don't know but if y'all know leave me a comment on that because I've heard it a lot of times now sometimes and I have found them them skillet sets just got a little spot on one side maybe it's a little build up that's got a little hump Oh crud on it or maybe it's just a little dab of rust it ain't much bigger than a dime I don't want to waste all that seasoning that I've been building up on there all I think that is pretty good seasoning by running it through the self-cleaning oven and getting everything going I'm gonna spot treated so take you a little bit salt get it ready to go put this skillet on that burner get it hot pour it right on the spot that you need to work on go to scrubbing or take that wire brush and do it right there on that spot let's see can we get that build up going get that rust out of there then we can go back and read season all right so that oven is preheated to 350 degrees now clean this rascal really well if you have just got through bringing this out of the self-cleaning oven yesterday and you've let it set and you've scraped it I want you to give it one more good scrubbing with just a soft bristle brush over in some hot water okay clean it really well then I want you to set it back up throwing that burner about medium-high heat and let's drive that water out your cast will change colors as it gets drunk and get you a lint-free rag up sometimes I like to use a bandana that has been washed wipe this out get it really good and dry I want it to where it's hot now when you get that thing to where you can't even lay your finger on the top of that rim of that skillet it is hot enough to season I promise so turn that burner out what are we gonna start with we're laying the base remember I like to start with flax seed flax seed it becomes a great bond to cast iron so poor you nothing there that you make a spot say big as a 50 cent piece and let's rub that all the way around the bottom all the way around the sides we got things greased I don't want you to have a puddle in there I want you to wipe out that excess oh but I want you to have it old everywhere top bottom sides all of it let's get it where it's ready to go in that oven slip her in there we're going to let it run for one hour and then guess what we're just going to turn that knob off and let it come to room temperature all on its own but folks this is not a one-time process we're building that foundation so if you ain't got time that day tomorrow let's do this again sure you ain't got to worship no more you ain't got to do that set it back on that burner get it hot get you some more of that flax seed and let's build that layer up again slip it back up in that up let it run one more hour Tiger out of there after it gets good and cool do it again the next day but you gotta build that foundation up now as you're doing this and I recommend you do this method at least three times and then you're going to drag it out of there and you say well mine's not glossy black well folks it ain't gonna happen like that you're gonna start seeing some bronze colors take maybe a little blacker over here on this side and maybe sort of a goldish color here but it's gonna fill in now after I run three times with flaxseed at my house anyway what do I switch to I have really become a great fan of avocado oil got a great high smoke point but I also use a lot of grape seed and you can do this after you've got them three base layers on there remember we have got to build this back up now as we go along using this and it's not turning solid black all the way through but so we've got three foundation layers on there and we're wondering what we can do now it is something you can't use folks this is something that I love to start right now doing what you know what that is deep fried hey I'm talkin puttin me some grease in there like this heat it up to about 350 degrees throw me some fried taters in there I don't care what you'd beat fry but deep frying is so good for brand-new cast iron something I will tell you don't think you can use that skillet right off the bat and you're going to make a cobbler or something that's tomato-based or barbecue paste in there you'll eat up what we just got put on there for three times be sure you deep-fry it at first because that is the best thing you can do to start it off with so folks I want to tell you and Shanna's made it available for you and so easy and that is our cast iron playlist it's got so many things that it can help you with if you've got problems with hey I need help with my seasoning mine's a little rusty what's the best way to clean it why is my cast iron sticky hey we've got you covered and Shan will have you a link to where you can watch it all day is there to help you now as always I tip my hat to all our servicemen and women and all the veterans who have kept this country safe and give us so many of the opportunities and the freedoms that we have to do what we do every day it's all about creating some eat and bring in family and friends in insurance god bless y'all each and everyone thank you so much for stopping by the barn and we'll see you down this darn tree he's just some wd-40 and spray on your joints in their work man you like popcornyou got that old piece of cast iron that's got so much crud in it you don't know if it's round or square all built up found it at the junkyard garage sale estate sale you don't even know what's in it hey we got some tips and tricks to you and we're gonna walk you through there to make that cast iron usable again and safe and be the best thing you ever cooked with welcome to this video our little quick tips and tricks to help you along with anything that might be going wrong in the kitchen or outside now if you're a brand-new viewer and this is the first time you're seeing us hey we welcome you with open arms don't forget to hit that little subscribe button upper ringy-dingy down bill you don't want to miss out on these quick tips and tutorials but also we have our regular cooking videos that come out every Wednesday at 2:30 central and you sure don't want to miss them either so the first method we're going to talk about and this is probably the safest method but it also is probably going to take care of 80% of the problem that most people got we got this skillet it ain't got no crack put it on that burner medium heat we're going to get it hot now when it begins to smoke now this old cred that's on the outside and the inside and any rust that might be in there hey when that thing gets hot it's gonna come clean quicker that's why we got to heat it take that wire brush to it on that grill or maybe you've got one you can run by hand or maybe you ain't got none of this and you've got to use some salt to scrub this wrestle with take it off that burner and get after it but folks it did not get rusty in one day you ain't gonna fix this in one trip so you may have to rinse it out heat it back up start all over again it may take three times four times but let's get some elbow grease in there and let's get to working now remember when we're talking about this salt scrub I don't like to use that just fine table salt I like to use that good coarse sea salt something that's got some grit to it that's gonna work now I have known people to use sixty and eighty grit sandpaper but really I like to force salt best because it's going to get down in them cracks a little more now this build up that's all on the outside one that's getting hot hey get you something you can hang on to that handle with hold it over the trashcan the sink something work but let's scrape that stuff off with a putty knife because it will peel off there pretty easy when it's good and hot and the number two thing folks guess what it is and I didn't know they had them for years self-cleaning oven that's what birthday is all the time you drop something on her she's gonna self-cleaning but all the ovens today nearly every one of them got a self-cleaning cycle now before we go any further I need to tell you this I do not recommend that you put old thin pieces in there pieces that are antiques or maybe you're even new to cast iron you think well I heard him say this I'm gonna throw it in there don't do it folks because a lot of times you're gonna crack one or this ain't going to live through it or one that's warped is gonna get worse so make sure that this is a good piece of cast iron we're gonna run that self-cleaning cycle get you a baking sheet put it on the bottom rack take that skillet turn it over to where it's above that rack lock get door it'll lock when you turn are self-cleaning and let it run now this is gonna reach temperatures from 450 to 525 degrees and let it run the cycle you can't rush it you can't even open the door when it gets through give it a little time to cool just a little drag it out of there take that wire brush to it and all that stuff that hadn't fell out there it's gonna flake right off you are back to bare purified cast iron that's all there is left there's nothing living in there there's nothing growing in there it is been baptized now folks there is the last method and I know a bunch of them old timers and a bunch of you people that watch on YouTube said hey this is how my grandma done it what was that throw it in a fire you know I'd still don't recommend this for old cast iron fan cast iron now when I was out there cooking for wrenches so many years hey a lot of times that's all I had I just open that door no Bertha and I'd put a 20 inch skillet in there and have to let it ruined 30 minutes I'd drag it out there they wasn't nothing living nothing no work that fire will do that and a lot of them old timers used to tell me that when you would cook that down in a fire outside that Ash helped to build that seasoning back up later now that I don't know but if y'all know leave me a comment on that because I've heard it a lot of times now sometimes and I have found them them skillet sets just got a little spot on one side maybe it's a little build up that's got a little hump Oh crud on it or maybe it's just a little dab of rust it ain't much bigger than a dime I don't want to waste all that seasoning that I've been building up on there all I think that is pretty good seasoning by running it through the self-cleaning oven and getting everything going I'm gonna spot treated so take you a little bit salt get it ready to go put this skillet on that burner get it hot pour it right on the spot that you need to work on go to scrubbing or take that wire brush and do it right there on that spot let's see can we get that build up going get that rust out of there then we can go back and read season all right so that oven is preheated to 350 degrees now clean this rascal really well if you have just got through bringing this out of the self-cleaning oven yesterday and you've let it set and you've scraped it I want you to give it one more good scrubbing with just a soft bristle brush over in some hot water okay clean it really well then I want you to set it back up throwing that burner about medium-high heat and let's drive that water out your cast will change colors as it gets drunk and get you a lint-free rag up sometimes I like to use a bandana that has been washed wipe this out get it really good and dry I want it to where it's hot now when you get that thing to where you can't even lay your finger on the top of that rim of that skillet it is hot enough to season I promise so turn that burner out what are we gonna start with we're laying the base remember I like to start with flax seed flax seed it becomes a great bond to cast iron so poor you nothing there that you make a spot say big as a 50 cent piece and let's rub that all the way around the bottom all the way around the sides we got things greased I don't want you to have a puddle in there I want you to wipe out that excess oh but I want you to have it old everywhere top bottom sides all of it let's get it where it's ready to go in that oven slip her in there we're going to let it run for one hour and then guess what we're just going to turn that knob off and let it come to room temperature all on its own but folks this is not a one-time process we're building that foundation so if you ain't got time that day tomorrow let's do this again sure you ain't got to worship no more you ain't got to do that set it back on that burner get it hot get you some more of that flax seed and let's build that layer up again slip it back up in that up let it run one more hour Tiger out of there after it gets good and cool do it again the next day but you gotta build that foundation up now as you're doing this and I recommend you do this method at least three times and then you're going to drag it out of there and you say well mine's not glossy black well folks it ain't gonna happen like that you're gonna start seeing some bronze colors take maybe a little blacker over here on this side and maybe sort of a goldish color here but it's gonna fill in now after I run three times with flaxseed at my house anyway what do I switch to I have really become a great fan of avocado oil got a great high smoke point but I also use a lot of grape seed and you can do this after you've got them three base layers on there remember we have got to build this back up now as we go along using this and it's not turning solid black all the way through but so we've got three foundation layers on there and we're wondering what we can do now it is something you can't use folks this is something that I love to start right now doing what you know what that is deep fried hey I'm talkin puttin me some grease in there like this heat it up to about 350 degrees throw me some fried taters in there I don't care what you'd beat fry but deep frying is so good for brand-new cast iron something I will tell you don't think you can use that skillet right off the bat and you're going to make a cobbler or something that's tomato-based or barbecue paste in there you'll eat up what we just got put on there for three times be sure you deep-fry it at first because that is the best thing you can do to start it off with so folks I want to tell you and Shanna's made it available for you and so easy and that is our cast iron playlist it's got so many things that it can help you with if you've got problems with hey I need help with my seasoning mine's a little rusty what's the best way to clean it why is my cast iron sticky hey we've got you covered and Shan will have you a link to where you can watch it all day is there to help you now as always I tip my hat to all our servicemen and women and all the veterans who have kept this country safe and give us so many of the opportunities and the freedoms that we have to do what we do every day it's all about creating some eat and bring in family and friends in insurance god bless y'all each and everyone thank you so much for stopping by the barn and we'll see you down this darn tree he's just some wd-40 and spray on your joints in their work man you like popcorn\n"