What Happened to the Frying Pans?

M

munk

Joined
Mar 22, 2002
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The guy was just explaining how to clean with salt. He didin't really explain it though. I figure he must go through bags of rock salt or something, because these little cannisters couldn't possibly last.

So, pour salt into your iron skillet, chase the mess around with what? A clothe?


Because 'water is the natural enemy" ... I wonder how he feels about precious bodily fluids?


munk
 
The posts referred to regarding the use of salt have vanished before I ever saw them.

I can only tell you what I do.

a) wipe/pour out out all excess oil (with newspapers, brown paper bags, or whatever, or if not old or fishy, put in a jar for later use).

2) if undesirable bits are stuck on, apply a bit of salt as abrasive and scrub again with disposable items.

3)Last resort, scrub with water and abrasive pad in sink.

4) reheat on stovetop, and add some oil to keep the cure.

When I was a little kid, when we went camping we used sand instead of salt.

A thing about the old frying pans, the well-seasoned ones, with the smooth interiors, there is a layer that looks like glass. Not as hard, a metal fork will scratch it, but not all the way down. Put in a bit of fat, after it it is gentlly cleaned and it will heal.

Organic, living nonstick. Just like a oil finish on wood. That is the magic. Fry eggs in such a pan and you will understand.
 
I usually heat mine in the oven to 200 degrees after cleaning to drive the moisture out, then oil and let cool slowly. It's similar to seasoning a muzzleloader barrel.
 
I usually clean mine by adding a little hot water while the pan is still hot and gently scrub it with a nylon kitchen brush with no soap. I usually set it on the still-warm burner until it is dry, then re-oil. Seems to work well for me. I'll have to try the salt thing though.
--Josh
 
Josh Feltman said:
Seems to work well for me. I'll have to try the salt thing though.

--Josh
Click to expand...
Why change what works for you? I sure wouldn't as long as it's working.:)

I used to do the same thing as you are, but I don't do the dishes or the pots and pans anymore, Barb does.:p ;) :D
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We have an 18" cast iron skillet I bought in SoCal for truck camping 30 years ago. I tried every way in the world, including the salt method, to season the damned thing and nothing I did worked.:rolleyes: :grumpy:
Then Barb came along, used it once and, viola, it was seasoned, another good reason for me not to mess with'em.:D

You can put a dab of butter, we don't use that plastic margarine shlt, in Barb's small cast iron egg skillet, drop a couple of eggs in it and let 'em cook a bit, flip 'em over and cook a little more and then simply turn the pan on its edge and the eggs just slide out.:D
It's verbotten to use Barb's egg skillet for anything except eggs!!!!:eek: :D
 
Yvsa--in my house, it's the exact opposite. My wife has the touch of death for cast iron:D . she's got the cooking part down, but not the cleaning/maintenance :rolleyes:
--Josh
 
My wife grew up with a disposable world. Use it, abuse it, throw it away. Why waste time understanding? She goes through pots like the plague. My cast iron is too tough for her to destroy, but she ruins the finish.

She also likes to use about 6 pots and pans when 2 will do. There is no sense talking to her about it- she doesn't get it- wasn't raised by someone growing up in the Great Depression. She was a child during the fat part of the economic boom of the 60's. I've seen sets of pots with miracle finishes come and go in this house. She buys them by the boxful. It'd be funny if we weren't making China rich in the process.
When I cook everything is clean afterwards. When she's done the kitchen is a disaster area.
My old man would have paddled her. But truly, she can't see it. It just isn't in her.

The other side of the coin- beside me being a slob, I mean- is that she's remarkably generous with some things- like gasoline.
My old Ramcharger went through a small fortune in Khuks and guns just driving over the West.

My Old Man never would have allowed that either.
Recently I mentioned Lodge Cast iron to her- she's interested. She wouldn't bat an eye if I ordered some. She maintains I'm a secret great Cook if I'd only care enough to do it more often.

I try and let my son's know there are other ways to do things. The oldest gets it- the middle is heading for the Federal Pen, and the last I don't know about yet. He owes me though. We had a four person truck and things were bought and decisions made until he came along. Now I gotta get a bigger vehicle! He doesn't realize the world was not made to suit him. He likes it just fine.

I could start a entire thread about him. He's our littlest, really, not as big, tall or strong as the other two. I keep having to remind myself he was the sperm that won the race. (and made it past enemy lines and chemical warfare to boot) My wife thinks he's funny because he walks with this little swagger.

munk
 
"Mr. Handy Person"?

me?

nah?

I'm:

too cheap to use bought'n paper when something lying around will work, besides, paper towels leave little fuzzy things in the pan sometimes

too lazy to re-season pans all the time

a slob that doesn't wash the dishes until the sink is full--if it rusts, then it gets cleaned now

too cheap and lazy to go out and buy something if something already in the house will work

easily amused by finding a substitute for some spendy stuff in the store

newspaper and junk mail works fine for a lot of stuff people buy paper towels for

the dish-soap on sale works fine as shampoo --just use some anti-dandruff stuff once in a while if needed

soap is good enough to shave the part of my beard that gets shaved, occasionally

use of a bit of bleach makes up for long neglection of cleaning chores

non-pathogenic germs are my friends--without anything to do, the immune system gets confused and turns on the body and they also tell me when to throw stuff out of the fridge

the only things fun to shop for are knives, guns, tools, books, music, food, and beer



yes, I'm single...don't really wonder why either


interesting article BTW
 
too chicken to try salt....I scrub like mad, oil and bake at low temp....like Mike...:D
 
I use standard table salt for cleaning. Don't see why rocksalt, seasalt or even saltpetre wouldn't work :D First off I wipe out the pan with a paper towel after using it. Then I pour about a tablespoon or perhaps two into the bottom of the pan. Then rub the salt around in the bottom until it turns all shades of black, brown, gray etc, etc. For the rubbing you should use an old dishcloth(that's been retired) or just a paper towel or two. Using this method really puts an almost mirror like finish to the pan and really cuts down on the times one must reseason the pan during the course of the year.
Hope this clarifies. If not let me know and I'll tell you to use SOS pads. Okay, just kidding on that one!
 
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