Cast-iron pan sticks - what to do?

Many housewives appreciated the benefits of cooking in a cast iron pan. But such dishes are not equipped with a non-stick coating that is fashionable today, and troubles happen with it: it happens that instead of a beautiful dish it turns out to be very fried, or even completely burnt, foods. But there are small secrets that will help permanently fix this problem. Today we will talk about why everything sticks to a cast-iron pan, what to do and how to get rid of it. How to make meat, chicken and fried eggs no longer stick?

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Causes

If your kitchen assistant began to burn, it means that mistakes were made in its use:

1. With a new pan, improper preparation of its operation is possible.
2. Mistake in the care of dishes, which has been serving for more than one year. If it was washed or stored incorrectly, it will certainly begin to burn.

The solution in any case is very simple: it is necessary to calcine the cast-iron product and then grease the entire frying surface with oil.

Another thing, if the reason lies in the fact that you bought low-quality dishes. In this situation, most likely, you just have to replace it. And so that this time there are no problems, find out in advance all the nuances of the upcoming purchase - read the post“How to choose a pan?”.

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Why bake a pan?

Cast iron is a solid material with many pores visible to the naked eye. Both the oil necessary for frying and the water causing unpleasant consequences can equally easily get into these pores.

If you just purchased a new cast-iron frying pan, remember that it needs preliminary preparation. The dishes must be washed and set to bask on the stove.

Important! Thus, all unnecessary chemistry that could be used to create the dishes will come out and burn out of it. Also, annealing will help create a kind of film on the dishes, thanks to which the food will not burn.

Calcination Benefits:

• All dirt that gets on it from the store and from production is removed from the dishes.
• Get rid of odors.
• Create a homemade non-stick coating
• Protection against rust and corrosion.

Accordingly - as a completely new dishes, and one that does not need to be used for a long time must be calcined.

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How to burn a pan?

A cast-iron frying pan has been serving the hostess for several decades, it is reliable, retains heat for a long time and it is very convenient to cook on it. But if the cast-iron frying pan sticks, you should do the following:

1. Clean the inside of the dishes from burnt food.
2. If the first time it was not possible to remove all the impurities, you can pour a little water into the dishes, add soda, and boil the solution for 3-5 minutes. After - the water is cooled, drained and the surface is again cleaned.
3. Next, the pan is washed with cold water and left to dry.
4. After drying, salt about 1 cm thick is poured into the pan, and it is calcined over a fire for about half an hour.
5. Then the pan is allowed to cool, the salt is removed and its entire surface is lubricated with vegetable oil. You can choose from sunflower, olive, linseed or any other oil.

Important! Lubrication allows you to create a film on the dishes that penetrates into the porous material, which protects the surface from burning.

But did you know that not all dishes are suitable for the preparation of certain products, but there is one that can be harmful to health? If you are interested and want to make sure that your kitchenware is of high quality, find out useful information aboutwhich pan is the best and safest.

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Recommendations

There are several nuances that should be taken into account by all the housewives who are wondering: what to do so that the cast-iron frying pan does not burn.

First question

The first thing the housewives are interested in is which layer of salt needs to be poured in order to successfully calcine the pan? Salt is needed to extract all dirt and moisture from porous cast iron, so do not skimp. The layer should cover the entire bottom of the dishes, at least half a centimeter.

Important! So that the salt does not burn, it should be mixed after heating. To do this, you can use a wooden spatula.

After you have calcined the pan, the salt is removed. To do this, take a soft, dry cloth or napkin.

Important! Cast iron cools very slowly, but you need to be patient and wait for the utensils to cool completely. Otherwise, you can get burned.

Second question

The next question, which should be discussed in more detail - on what to calcine a cast-iron pan so as not to burn. The most convenient thing is to calcine it in the oven, but this method is not available to most modern housewives. Therefore, you can use the oven or take the dishes with you to nature and ignite it at the stake.

Important! In extreme cases, you can do this on the stove, only in this case, you must definitely well ventilate the kitchen during and after processing the dishes.

Advice:

1. When baking in the oven, oil lubricates not only the inside but also the outside. And then not to wash the entire oven from oil smudges - they cover the bottom with foil or put a baking sheet.
2. If you use dishes for frying pancakes - before cooking, well grease it inside with vegetable oil, then heat it and then proceed to cooking.

Do not forget about the proper care of the dishes. Then it will definitely serve you for a long time and will not make you worry about burnt food.

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Care

If a cast-iron frying pan sticks, it is most likely that the reason is precisely in the wrong operation. Consider the basic recommendations for the care of cast iron. So that food does not burn to the dishes, it is enough to follow a few simple rules.

Rule 1

Do not wash the pan with hard brushes or abrasive powders. This type of handling will inconspicuously cause the products to stick. If fat remains on the surface, you can remove it with a soft cloth or napkin. If there is sticky food, the pan is soaked with soda or detergent for several hours.

Rule 2

Storage of cast iron utensils must be dry. After washing, it can be dried on the stove. If water remains on the dishes, this will lead to the appearance of rust, and cooking in such a pan becomes not only uncomfortable, but also dangerous.

Rule 3

A cast-iron pan obliges you to use it as often as possible. With constant use, it is lubricated with oil, and its surface is less susceptible to corrosion, and food does not stick.

Important! If you have not used the cookware for a long time, wash it and bake it before cooking.

If your dishes are not new, and damaged by soot or rust, you need to clean them. How to do this, we will consider further.

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We clean the pan

The two main problems faced by users of cast iron cookware are soot and rust. Methods for cleaning these contaminants are simple, but differ from each other.

Nagar

There are many ways to clean the pan from soot. Consider the main ones.

Vinegar and salt

Salt and vinegar will help us to clean pig iron from soot:

1. They must be mixed so that a porridge mass is obtained.
2. Homemade cleaner should be applied to the sponge and rub the dirt on the inside of the dishes.
3. The outer part can be treated with special chemistry from soot or vinegar.
4. After the procedure, the pan is washed and dried on the stove.

Important! If the deposit is very strong, cleaning may take several days, while the product is soaked in a cleaning solution.

Soda, glue and soap

Another option if the cast-iron pan burns:

1. Mix 0.5 kg of soda, two bottles of stationery glue, a cut piece of laundry soap.
2. The whole mixture needs to be mixed with water, placed in a large pan so that it covers the entire pan.
3. Next, the pan is set to heat, wait for boiling and separation of soot.
4. After - the pan is taken out and washed, cleaning the non-descended soot mechanically.

Important! The same method can be used without glue and soda, it is enough to prepare a stronger solution of laundry soap.

Calcination

Another option is to bake the pan over an open fire. But if there is no way to get to the site or into the forest - this method can be upgraded to home. For this we need an oven:

1. Cover the baking sheet with foil.
2. Lay the dishes upside down on it.
3. Set to bask for 2 hours at 250 degrees.

Important! With home-baking, heavy smoke is possible in the room, so before starting work, open all windows, and if there is a hood, turn it on.

Next, consider what to do if the dishes are rusted.

How to remove rust?

In order to remove the rust, the hostesses also came up with many options. Let's talk about a few.

Important! If you notice traces of rust on the dishes, do not hesitate, because when it comes into contact with food, it releases substances hazardous to humans, which can result in serious health consequences.

First way

We mix vinegar and water 1: 1, soak the pan in this solution for 2-3 hours. After - we clean it with a mushy mixture of salt and vegetable oil.

If there is old rust, this method may not work. Need more “strong artillery”.

The second way:

1. First, the dishes are well cleaned with Pemolux type powder.
2. Next, use a metal brush.
3. If there are still traces of rust in the pan after such a strong impact, you can use sandpaper.
4. After all work, the pan is thoroughly washed and dried.

Third way

Also, experienced housewives are advised to make a kind of non-stick coating for dishes. To do this, it is well lubricated with vegetable oil and calcined in the oven at 180 degrees for about an hour. After - the dishes are allowed to cool and the remaining fat is spread with a napkin. The coating is created due to the fact that the porous material is clogged with oil, and does not give water and a chance to get inside.

Important! If you decide to take this advice, please note that any detergents that dissolve fat will remove the non-stick coating.

Now that your dish is shiny, it's time to choose the right recipe from those offered in our selection"What is better to cook in a cast-iron frying pan?".

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Stock footage

In skillful hands, the food on cast iron always turns out to be tasty, and so that it does not burn out, use simple rules of care and tips on what to do so that the cast iron pan does not stick. Delight yourself and loved ones with new dishes every day!