My grandmother's cast iron skillet looked wrecked until I tried this one thing

I pulled my grandma's 1940s Wagner skillet out of storage last year and it was covered in rust and crusty old seasoning. Tried scrubbing with steel wool and soap, which just made it worse. Then a guy at the farmers market told me to soak it in a 50/50 vinegar and water bath for 30 minutes, then scrub with coarse salt and oil. It took off all the rust without damaging the iron. After three rounds of reseasoning with Crisco in the oven at 400 degrees, it's back to cooking eggs without sticking. Anyone else got a trick for reviving old cast iron that actually worked?

2 comments

2 Comments

felixb2510d ago

Actually vinegar can damage the iron if you leave it on too long, so keep it under an hour.

pat_perry10d ago

Oh man, that reminds me of my buddy Dave. He left a cast iron skillet soaking in vinegar overnight trying to get rust off, and the next morning the thing looked like it had been chewed on by a angry beaver. Little pits all over the surface, totally ruined. He was so mad at himself, said he could hear the skillet hissing at him from the sink. So yeah, definitely set a timer, haha.