How to calcine a cast-iron frying pan to make it durable?

It is good for a good housewife to know how to burn a cast-iron frying pan. This dishes can be found in almost every home, it is very convenient for cooking. However, it must be prepared for use.

Why not do without calcination?

Calcination is necessary in order to:

• clean the pan from industrial oil;
• a non-stick layer formed;
• appeared rust protection.

Cast iron is a porous material, so it must be properly treated with oil. It will create a film that protects the pores from getting pieces of food in them. Thus, the dishes during cooking will not burn. This measure will also save from corrosion, so the pan will serve for many years.

The main methods of calcination

The procedure must begin with washing dishes with warm water and a soft sponge. Then you need to wipe it dry, for convenience, you can take paper towels. Oil and salt are used for calcination, and an oven will be needed. The bottom line is that oil or fat must enter the pores to seal them. Methods can be combined for best results.

The easiest way: heat the pan and oil. To do this correctly, they put it on a stove and hold it until white smoke stops flowing. It is recommended to open a window at this time, sometimes the smell from the procedure can be very strong. After that, pour oil so that it covers the bottom completely, and leave on the stove for half an hour. After this time, the entire surface is wiped with a soft cloth, and the oil is poured.

On many cast iron objects, manufacturers indicate that it is enough to simply warm up with oil. But it often happens that after manufacture they are lubricated with low-quality means, up to machine solid oil. They do this in order to protect the product from corrosion, but, of course, it is not worth cooking food in such dishes. Before use, it is better to spend time and calcine a new pan with salt.

This is done correctly in this way. The vessel is put on fire and a thick layer of salt is poured - the bottom should be completely covered. When the product becomes hot, it will absorb all the excess that could be on the surface. In the process, the salt will turn yellow. The procedure should last at least 10 minutes, roasting is carried out on medium heat.

Next, let the pan stand for a while, so that it cools slightly, then discard the salt, pour a small amount of oil, and grease it properly. Put it on fire again to form a non-stick film.

Tip

The oil should be vegetable, refined. You can take olive.

You can also use the oven. Clean the dishes with oil, without missing a single area on the surface. Gently pat the excess with a paper towel. It is advisable to let the dishes stand for a while, then wipe off the excess again. Then put the pan in the oven upside down so that the oil drains freely. In the lower part of the oven, it is useful to lay a sheet of foil to make it easier to wash. It is necessary to calcine for two to three hours at a temperature of 180 degrees.

Universal calcination using different methods

All of these methods are quite effective. But if you combine them, you get a universal method that will give a really high-quality result. With its help, foreign substances will be removed, and the pores of the cast-iron surface will be well filled with oil, so that a protective film is formed. Such dishes are durable.

They do the calcination in this way:

• If possible, remove the handles so as not to interfere.
• Wash and wipe the pan.
• Calcined on fire until it ceases to smoke.
• Washed with cold water. It will not hurt a hot vessel. If it was deformed, then it was of poor quality.
• Put on fire, expect the surface to dry out a bit, and calcine with salt.
• Wash, put on the burner to slightly warm up, in the process the pan should dry.
• After being removed from the fire, grease with oil, the dishes should be warm enough.
• Put inverted in the oven for 3 hours.

The result is a pan to which nothing will stick. Moreover, without any impurities. In this way, you can clean it from rust, if before that it was not properly looked after. Of course, this method does not make sense if you have confidence in the quality of the products and the conditions of their storage. In such cases, it is enough to calcine, for example, with salt and grease. The cookware manufacturer also matters. For example, American and European cast iron pans are usually sold prepared, they are treated with rapeseed oil.

What to do with an aluminum frying pan?

It is also worth knowing how to calcine an aluminum pan. After all, dishes from this metal are often used in the kitchen.

A new thing needs to be prepared for cooking on it. To do this, wash it well with laundry soap or dishwashing detergent. So it will be cleaned of grease and degreased. After that, completely dry, put on fire and pour so much vegetable oil so that it covers the entire bottom. Add a large spoonful of salt. The result is a film that stops the oxidation of the metal and does not allow harmful chemical compounds to enter the food.

If everything is done correctly, you will get safe and convenient dishes. You can start cooking. But you should remember about proper care. When using abrasive, caustic detergents, hard brushes, the protective film will be damaged. Also, some products can destroy it if you do not wash the pan immediately after cooking, and leave it the next day. This effect gives tomato paste. In this case, you have to re-calcine.

We advise you to read the article: what to do if a cast-iron frying pan rusts