at a farm sale yesterday I got a big 16 inch cast iron frying pan  a casserole dish and top and 4 set of corn rolls  with 24 in each pan .. all are in horrible shape

boys had a bond fire  put them in there and DH put the pans in there ..he sprayed with oven cleaner and put it out to heat up in the bag  after that he will clean it with a wire brush then I will re season them again   

I use either lard or Criso .... 

any one else work with cast iron ?

I only have 1 cast iron item and it's a grill/skillet pan, not too large and very heavy which makes it hard for me to work with so I am inexperienced with cast iron but here it's pretty heavy duty! How much did you pay for your new goodies?

I have a lot of cast iron.  most handed down from relatives, but i have bought a few used pieces and one or two new ones.  I usually season things with lard.  heat the pan, put on lard, and reheat, wipe it out, let cool and then do it all over again a couple more times to get a good seasoning.

I have an aunt that seasons her cast iron by making donuts, says you have to make donuts at least 3 times before you can cook anything else in a cast iron pan or pot.  not sure what she does for her griddles, but we all make sure to be around when she is seasoning pots and pans!  I

I have one of the corn bread pans that make corn bread sticks that look like an ear of corn.  Love the thing!  only makes six so not a lot to share, since the first two are MINE. 

Your 16 inch fry pan will be a great chicken fryer!  lucky you.

oh MT Violet  I love the idea of making doughnuts that one is precious  think I try that one ...LOL   

thank for the laugh .

Just found the one I had (hidden LOL) after we moved forgot where it went so I need to clean it and get it usuable as well been sitting for over 12 years.. Plus I have some crochet skillet handle covers :O) as well that I made months ago for just this type of thing :O) keeps your hands safe..Great buy/find Gayla :O) I can just see you in the kitchen cooking away with this new pans and having great food for your family...

love those Skillet handles   I made some fireproof material handles for mine . -

DH burnt mine new pans today  .. we got them in a bag tomorrow am I will clean then and put them to work ..

my Sister in law took the doughnuts serious she makeing doughnuts tonight my favorite she makes old fashioned doughnuts .. BIl is a lucky man .

gayla50:

love those Skillet handles   I made some fireproof material handles for mine . -.

Gayla great idea on the fireproof skillet covers using material and a little sewing?

CI can be resurrected by a lye bath.  You can go over to the good folk on the Wagner and Griswold website for some great tutorials on restoring CI - you might not want to mention putting them in the fire, lol.  It's easy for a piece to warp (you've seen wobbly skillets that won't sit flat) or worse, crack. 

Oven cleaner will remove some of the carbon that builds up on the outside of the pan, but a lye bath will strip it down completely and then you simply rub with Crisco and heat.  You must buy pure lye and not drain cleaner - it has an anti-coagulant added.  Again, I highly recommend the Griswold site for complete instructions on using the lye safely.  It's a bit of effort but you can save even the worst pieces this way.  I bought a wonderful pan at a yard sale over the weekend for .50 that's completely encrusted on the bottom and rusty on the inside - it'll look like a baby's bum when I'm done with it!  Liz.

We have set rusted cast iron in fire before and my husband has taken a pan to work to sandblast it as well. I reseasoned them after and kept on using them