How To Clean Cast Iron While Camping
Here s what you do.
How to clean cast iron while camping. If you aren t by a lake then carefully pour water into the skillet again up to the brim. Give it a good scrub with a paper towel and toss the paper towel in the fire. While the cookware is still warm not hot rinse with hot water. Once the pan is dry and still warm wipe the pan both the cooking surface and outside with a high temperature oil such as grapeseed oil to maintain the finish. Both lodge and camp chef the two companies who dominate the cast iron market today agree it s fine to wash cast iron quickly with a little dish soap as long as you rinse and dry thoroughly and apply the oil between uses.
Rinse with warm water before drying completely moisture is the enemy of cast iron and can easily cause rust. Get the pan as clean as possible with the spatula. Be careful here as you ll get a lot of steam escape here. If the pan is particularly dirty use salt mixed with oil or water to remove the grime with a kitchen towel. Following any cleaning where you use water place the pan over low heat to dry it out.
In general soap can be avoided and your cast iron can be cleaned in other ways. Be careful here and make sure to wrap something around your hand as the skillet will be very hot. Heat it up and throw a generous amount of course sea salt in with some oil. To prevent build up and dried on food always make sure to wash your pan immediately after use. To aid drying place on the stove top over low heat then use a cloth to rub with oil once cool.
Following any cleaning where you use water place the pan over low heat to dry it out. Taking care of your cast iron doesn t have to be a chore. Once the pan is dry and still warm wipe the pan both the cooking surface and outside with a high temperature oil such as grapeseed oil to maintain the finish. Cleaning your cast iron skillet properly is crucial to keeping your cookware in excellent condition. If you have burned on food use a mild non abrasive sponge and coarse sea salt and water mixture to break up the food.
Try to fill the skillet to the brim with water.