Oven Recovery

[ThunderingWind]

I need some help in recovering an 8-qt dutch overn with lid. It sat unused in it' carrier bag for almost a year and has some rust spots in the inside. I figure I can clean up the outside with out hurting the cooking surfaces.

I just need some guidance so i do not ruin the surface that will be in contact with the food.

Thanks, Ed

[Mrw]

Look for information on "seasoning" cast iron cookware.

Clean up the rust spots and then "season" your pot.

My son could tell you how to do this, but he is hard at work making Big Macs all day today and I can't ask him.

[cballman]

go to the lodge manfacturing page because they have all the info about dutch ovens there. but what to do is use steel wool on all the rust spots then when clean wash it out inside and out to make sure all the rust is gone then cover with crisco and bake it in an oven for about an hour at 350 degrees to reseason the oven then cook away.

[Lynda J]

Once you have reseasoned and cleaned the over, store it in a brown paper bag that is sprayed with Pam. When my mother passed away in 93 I was cleaning out the trailer where all the camping gear was stored. My dad passed in 84 and mother hadn't really used much of it since them.
I found about 10 dutch ovens still in their paper bags. Not one spot of rust on one of them. I took them and donated them to the Scout Council there. Dad always made us scrub them out with a wad of foil them wrap them in an oiled bad.

[Mick Scouter]

i have not done the paper bag thing but I think I will try.

[JazerNorth]

I doesn't need to be paper bag. You basically just need something that will absorb water in and around the dutch oven. If you live a dry environment, this doesn't matter. Basically, you want to keep water from being on the DO. The oils in the oven (if seasoned correctly) will keep the water out.

JazerNorth

[glassnake]

Look here:

http://papadutch.home.comcast.net/dutch-oven-care.htm

[deweylure]

There are manufactures who have Oven cases which protect the oven. I have heard of using dessiccant bags in the case to help with moisture control Deweylure

[Ron S]

go to the lodge manfacturing page because they have all the info about dutch ovens there. but what to do is use steel wool on all the rust spots then when clean wash it out inside and out to make sure all the rust is gone then cover with crisco and bake it in an oven for about an hour at 350 degrees to reseason the oven then cook away.

I checked the Lodge Manufacturing page and while they do recommend scouring rust spots, they do not say to use steel wool pads. I would rather see people scrub with a plastic or nylon scouring pad than steel wool. Tiny pieces of the steel wool could break off in the pours of the pot causing future rust problems.

Best way to season a pot fast, deep fry in it.

Hope these tips help.
Ron

[Lynda J]

This was the reason that my dad always had us use a piece of wadded up foil.