Er...have a question. In using cast iron skillets, dutch ovens and the like in camp, how does one clean them? What I'm getting at...at home, after using my cast iron skillet for bacon and eggs...I just rinse it out under the hot water tap (water has to be dang hot, imo..to avoid cracking)then after the water is dumped out..I just use some paper napkins and wipe the interior with oil. Now..when camping...I would think doing that would make one heck of a mess on the ground...especially if one were to stay in one spot for a week or so. Any advice will be helpful..thanking in advance for any replies.
-
This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.
Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades -
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
cleaning cast iron
- Thread starter oomcurt
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
oomcurt, It will be interesting to see how folks answer this one....myself...when camping I usually save an empty can and dump oil in it, or scrape food scraps into garbage... then fill with water and set over stove/fire and let it simmer a bit... then I dump it out in some out of the way place... wipe the pan out and oil it..
Just as with another "function" we do when camping out, I pick a spot far enough from my camp to not present a problem.
I'm surrounded by alot of bear country so I don't like
leaving an old can full of cooking grease lying around
not far from camp. I use the oil from bacon to light the fire
in the evening. I even burn the can to get rid of the smell.
The following morning I pull the cold can from the
fire pit, and start all over with the bacon & eggs for breakfast.
I don't usually dump the whole thing at once. It
makes black smoke. A bit at a time burns bright and clean
without smoke. The bigger problem is the bacon packaging.
It smells and you shouldn't burn it. So, I double bag it
and throw it in the trunk. At the end of the day, I stake
a rope in the ground, pass it over a branch twenty feet high,
attach to both food bag & trash bag, over a second
branch about 50 feet away from the first,then pull the slack out,
raising the load about twenty feet off the ground, and
stake the end of line to the ground. My hunting grounds
being in zone 10, in Quebec, it's the most densely
populated area for black bears. This takes atleast
150 feet of rope, and after a week you got alot of
trash, you may need to make a second. Bring tons of extra
rope, you can never have enough!
eace:
leaving an old can full of cooking grease lying around
not far from camp. I use the oil from bacon to light the fire
in the evening. I even burn the can to get rid of the smell.
The following morning I pull the cold can from the
fire pit, and start all over with the bacon & eggs for breakfast.
I don't usually dump the whole thing at once. It
makes black smoke. A bit at a time burns bright and clean
without smoke. The bigger problem is the bacon packaging.
It smells and you shouldn't burn it. So, I double bag it
and throw it in the trunk. At the end of the day, I stake
a rope in the ground, pass it over a branch twenty feet high,
attach to both food bag & trash bag, over a second
branch about 50 feet away from the first,then pull the slack out,
raising the load about twenty feet off the ground, and
stake the end of line to the ground. My hunting grounds
being in zone 10, in Quebec, it's the most densely
populated area for black bears. This takes atleast
150 feet of rope, and after a week you got alot of
trash, you may need to make a second. Bring tons of extra
rope, you can never have enough!
eace:Tahquamenon
45 Cal.
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2005
- Messages
- 825
- Reaction score
- 1
I've a set of cast iron skillets, dutch ovens and griddles that were my Great Grandmothers and are all over 100 years old. I've been doing this procedure as was taught me by my grandmother.
When cooking bacon or sausage, I dump the left over grease into a coffee can to save.
For cleaning, I add a little water to the iron pan and heat until boiling. Scrape the pan real good with a spatula to remove any residue from cooking from the cooking surface and sides. Then dump the pan and wipe with a towel.
Put the pan back on the heat and add a little dab of the grease and spread it in with the spatula. Heat the pan until it begins to smoke the grease. This re-seasons the iron. Wipe the excess with a paper towel or rag while the pan is still hot on the inside and then on the outside. Set the pan to cool. After the pan cools, wipe any remaining grease with a towel. Don't forget to occassionally wipe the exterior of the pan with oil.
:thumbsup:
When cooking bacon or sausage, I dump the left over grease into a coffee can to save.
For cleaning, I add a little water to the iron pan and heat until boiling. Scrape the pan real good with a spatula to remove any residue from cooking from the cooking surface and sides. Then dump the pan and wipe with a towel.
Put the pan back on the heat and add a little dab of the grease and spread it in with the spatula. Heat the pan until it begins to smoke the grease. This re-seasons the iron. Wipe the excess with a paper towel or rag while the pan is still hot on the inside and then on the outside. Set the pan to cool. After the pan cools, wipe any remaining grease with a towel. Don't forget to occassionally wipe the exterior of the pan with oil.
:thumbsup:
Kenney Moore
40 Cal.
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2004
- Messages
- 103
- Reaction score
- 0
Howdy,
When we use cast iron, we go thru the same routine at home or camping. First scrape any leftovers from the pan, griddle, or dutch over. If the iron is a real mess with gravy or what ever, we will pour hot water into the iron and place it on the fire to simmer, then dump it out. We then pour hot water into the ironware and scrub with a brush to get any stubborn stuck on food loosened up and then dump the water out. Next examine the iron to see if it is clean. Using the hot water helps with the drying process. If it needs some more cleaning, repeat the last step. Once it is dry, we will oil the ironware with olive oil if we will be using the ironware soon, or with mineral oil if it will be a while before we use it again. Mineral oil will not turn rancid or thick and when you next use the ironware just place it on the grate for a little while to burn the mineral oil off.
When we use cast iron, we go thru the same routine at home or camping. First scrape any leftovers from the pan, griddle, or dutch over. If the iron is a real mess with gravy or what ever, we will pour hot water into the iron and place it on the fire to simmer, then dump it out. We then pour hot water into the ironware and scrub with a brush to get any stubborn stuck on food loosened up and then dump the water out. Next examine the iron to see if it is clean. Using the hot water helps with the drying process. If it needs some more cleaning, repeat the last step. Once it is dry, we will oil the ironware with olive oil if we will be using the ironware soon, or with mineral oil if it will be a while before we use it again. Mineral oil will not turn rancid or thick and when you next use the ironware just place it on the grate for a little while to burn the mineral oil off.
I always use water and a dish scrub brush. It comes clean every time! You could dig a small hole to put food waste in, and cover it up when your done!
Similar threads
