How to Salt Scour a Cast Iron Skillet

Introduction

This guide documents the method of salt-scouring a cast iron pan to remove rust and hard-to-get surface particles. This guide will also include the necessary reseasoning process to return your cast iron skillet to cooking-worthy quality. Using a dirty or rusty cast iron pan is a health hazard that can lead to ingesting rust and other harmful materials. This method allows users to scour surface grime and impurities that may be left on the pan’s surface without steel wool.

Terms to Know:

Seasoning: A method of baking-in oil into a pan to protect the surface of the pan from rust.
Scouring: The act of stripping the surface of impurities and rough particles.

What you need

Step 1 How to Salt Scour a Cast Iron Skillet

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Wet the pan in hot water.

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Step 2

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Apply coarse salt and scrub the pan with a damp dish towel until the pan is stripped of rust and surface particles.

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Step 3

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Rinse off the pan in cool water and wipe dry with a new towel.

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Step 4

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Evenly apply the cooking oil spray coat to the pan and wipe away excess oil.

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Step 5

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Bake-in coating at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour.

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Step 6

Allow to cool for 20 minutes.

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Conclusion

The steps provided in this guide have walked you through the process of salt-scouring and re-seasoning a cast iron pan. Now you are ready to cook using a fresh and clean cast-iron pan.

Repeat steps 4-6 if needed to fill in any gaps in the pan that are still bare.