6 Ways to Remove Cooked Food from Cast Iron Cookware

How do you remove that burnt, crusty food baked into your cast iron? The first answer I always give is “Proper seasoning will eliminate food sticking to your cast iron Dutch oven or skillet”, which is not the topic of this article. Assuming your Dutch oven or skillet is seasoned as most are, lightly, we will look at the best methods for cleaning that junk from the bottom of your cast iron. There may be other technique fror cleaning cast iron Dutch ovens and Skillets but these “6 ways to clean cast iron cookware” have always worked for me and it is rare that I even need to tackle steps 5 and 6 to get the cleaning job done.

Step #1. Simply wipe out with a paper towel

This may be an over simplified method but it works most of the time. Simply wipe the excess food residue out with a paper towel until clean.

Step #2. Use a plastic scraper and/or a stiff scrub brush

When paper towels don't work, the next step up in my game is a scrubber/scrub brush. I like the ones with a scrapper edge on the opposite side of the scrub brush. Tackling the food with the scrub brush first then hitting it with the scrapper edge if needed. Then I follow-up with step #1

Step #3. Add hot water to soften

Some burnt food can be stubborn to remove with just basic wiping and scraping or there is to much to remove with this method, then I will add some hot water to soften the food particles. Once softened you can easily apply step #2 and then step #1 to finish up cleaning.

Step #4. Boil water to soften

Next on my list of gettin' it done is filling the Cast Iron Dutch oven or skillet with water and bring it to a rapid boil. This almost always works!

Step #5. Vinegar-water solution to soften

Bringing water to boil in a Dutch oven or Skillet is a challenge with charcoal only. If you don't have a burner handy to do the job , then I would highly recommend using a solution of Apple Cider Vinegar and water to spray on the food. Use a 4 to 1 ratio of water to vinegar, which also makes a great cleaning wash for fruits and vegetables! Spray on the Dutch oven or Skillet and let sit for several minutes with the lid on if you have one and this will almost always soften the food up enough to remove.

Step #6. Course salt and a paper towel

Salt or sand makes for a great natural scouring material. I like to use a couple of tablespoons of coarse salt and a paper towel to clean my really stubborn food particles from my cast iron when some of the easier solutions above don't get the job done.

I hope this helps all of you newbies out there!

If your a seasoned pro – What do you use to clean your Cast Iron Dutch ovens and Skillets with?

Leave your comments below, I would love to hear them!