If you've burnt food in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven, keep water, soap and acidic items such as vinegar or lemon juice away from your pan as they can create rust and destroy the pan's seasoning. Baking soda, however, is still your friend when it comes to cleaning up a burnt food mess from your cast iron pan.
Can I use baking soda on my cast iron? Baking soda can be used on cast iron to restore an old or rusty pan. However, it will strip away any well seasoned layer so you will need to season it again. Avoid using baking soda to clean your cast iron on a regular basis. How often should I season my cast iron skillet?
All you need is hot water and a scrubbing brush, steel wool or a copper cleaning cloth to do this. You can use kosher salt, a scrubber and neutral oil to scrub it. Important- do NOT use any soap. If you find it difficult to remove, you can leave water in the pan overnight to soften the debris.
Vinegar might help with removing surface rust spots if you have a cast iron that's been neglected but it's not a good idea for regular cleaning. If it is well seasoned you might dissolve the non stick layer with the acidity of the vinegar.
In a study of nine healthy people, sodium bicarbonate administered with 10 mg of iron led to lower iron levels compared to iron administered alone. This interaction may be avoided by taking sodium bicarbonate-containing products two hours before or after iron-containing supplements.
Cover the bottom of the pan with baking soda. Then add 2-3 tablespoons of water until it is moist but not a liquid. You want the consistency of a sandy paste. Scrub the pan with a stiff-bristle brush or scouring pad.
It's important to not use anything too aggressive such as steel wool, sponges or other abrasive cleaning methods as these will strip your seasoning. For particularly difficult to clean messes, fill your pan halfway full with water and heat over the stove.
They are most likely carbon deposits. This happens due to overheating of fats and oils. Using an oil with a low smoke point will carbonize at high temperatures and cause residue from the pores of your pan to rub off onto your food. While unappealing, they won't hurt you in such a small amount.
Will Soap Ruin Cast Iron? Using soap will not ruin your pan. It is totally fine on enameled cast iron, and on plain cast iron, too. It's not going to destroy your seasoning.
To clean, just use mild dish soap (that's right, it's okay to use a little soap!) and a scouring pad or a cast iron pan cleaning brush. Wash it, scrub it, rinse it, then wipe it out well and season it with a few drops of oil and store with a paper towel covering the cooking surface.
For harder surfaces like wood, metal, and concrete, the iron stains need to be treated with baking soda or a rust remover and scrubbed out to make the surface look as good as new.
If burn marks and grime remain on the plate after a deep clean, try Micetich's alternative cleaning process: Mix equal parts baking soda and water together until it creates what resembles a toothpaste,” she says. “You can then use a soft bristled brush or cloth to scrub it onto the plate and steam vents.
Common cooking oils like olive oil will gradually produce seasoning, but won't be as effective as grapeseed oil. Canola, other vegetable oils, and shortening are a little better.
Keep baking soda away from any wood surface, including wood floors, wooden coffee or dining tables, and cutting boards. "Baking soda is slightly abrasive, and if used to clean wood furniture, especially with a polished finish, it can leave scratches," explains Brown.
Recommended cleaning products for enameled cast iron
For stubborn stains or stuck-on food, a paste made from baking soda and water can be applied with a soft sponge in a circular motion, acting as a mild abrasive without damaging the enamel.
Turns out cooking food with baking soda (a.k.a. sodium bicarbonate) can indeed damage a number of nutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin D, riboflavin, thiamin, and one essential amino acid. Yet it doesn't hurt others, including vitamin A, vitamin B12, niacin, and folic acid.
CLEAN CAST-IRON SKILLET AFTER EVERY USE
(Use small amount of soap if you like; rinse well.) Need to remove stubborn stuck-on food and grime? See our more intensive cleaning tips for tackling them.
If cast iron is left in the sink to soak, put in the dishwasher, or allowed to air dry, it will rust. It can also happen when you store your cookware in moisture-prone environments, such as a cabinet near a dishwasher, an open cabinet in a humid location, or stored outside.
Cut a fresh lemon in two pieces and dip the cut end in kosher salt. Rub vigorously over the rusted spot, adding salt as needed, until the rust is lifted from the surface. Wash the entire surface of the pan with a little mild dish soap and warm water, rinse thoroughly and dry the pan well.