For cast iron ovens,
the cleaning process is in two steps. First, you remove all traces of
food and second, you maintain the coating.
To remove stuck-on
food: put 1 to 2 inches of clean water into the oven. Put the oven
on the fire heat it with the lid on until it is almost boiling. Let
the water steam for awhile and loosen everything up for you. It's a lot
less work than scrubbing! (If your coals are too weak to do this, use your
stove).
Pour out all but about 1 inch
of the water. Use a PLASTIC mesh scrubber, scraper or bristle brush to
gently break the food loose (keep your Dutch oven scrubber separate in
your Patrol Box and NEVER use it with soap to clean other pots or dishes).
Pour out the remaining water
and wipe out any loose food
remaining in the oven with a paper towel. If food remains stuck to the
Dutch oven, repeat the steaming process.
Usually, a single
cleaning will do the job! Steaming twice is seldom needed but for really
burned on food. Avoid using any more harsh methods of cleaning your Dutch
oven. However, if food particles remain after steaming the
oven twice, you may need to dry it out and put three Tablespoons
of salt in the Dutch oven. Using a paper towel, scour the food
particles away. BE CAREFUL! The salt acts like sandpaper and
scrubbing too hard will remove the seasoning. When done, YOU MUST REMOVE
ALL TRACES OF SALT FROM THE DUTCH OVEN to prevent rusting!
After all food traces
are removed, rinse with clean water. Let the Dutch oven air dry … it
should still be warm enough that this happens quickly.
Put the Dutch oven back on
the heat
(use the remaining coals or, if they are burned out, use your stove) and
reheat it until it is just hot to the touch. Oil the interior with 1
Tablespoon of vegetable oil, same for the lid. Use another clean paper
towel or two to wipe off any excess oil. You want a thin,
even coat of oil on the interior of the oven. Get the excess oil out so it
won't puddle. Place a folded, clean paper towel inside the Dutch oven.
When the lid and oven
have cooled, put the folded paper towel beween the lid and
rim of the Dutch oven so it sticks out just a little. The paper helps
keep the lid slightly ajar for air movement so condensation doesn't form as
the oven 'breathes' with temperature changes.
The
outside needs little attention other than a good wipe down and an
occasional oiling. If you see ANY sign of rust forming on the Dutch
oven's exterior, lightly oil all of it.
No-No's
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NEVER
allow cast iron to sit in water or allow water to stand in or on it. It
will rust. Period. End of subject. |
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NEVER use soap when regularly cleaning a cast iron Dutch oven. The soap will bond with the seasoning, it will get into the pores of the metal and it is hard to get out. From then on, soap will come out of the oven each time you cook and taint your food. This flavoring won't make you sick, but you probably won't much want to eat the food, either. If someone accidentally uses soap to clean a cast-iron Dutch oven, you will need to physically remove the interior seasoning (sandpaper, wire brush or with chemical cleaning) to get the oven down to bare metal. That's the only way to get the soap out of the seasoning. Once it's bare metal again, follow the instructions in the seasoning section. The only time soap and a cast iron Dutch oven should come together is when you re-condition an old Dutch oven or before seasoning a new one. |
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NEVER use metal objects to scrape the inside of your oven. You'll damage the seasoning and impregnate it with metal that you will eat in your next meal. Excepting iron, we don't recommend metals as part of your regular diet (especially aluminum). |
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NEVER
place an empty cast iron oven over a hot fire. Pre-warm it or have food or
oil in it. Otherwise, unless you are very lucky, your oven will crack or
warp, ruining it.
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NEVER
get in a hurry to heat cast iron, you will end up with burned food or a
damaged oven.
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NEVER put cold liquid into a very hot oven. It WILL crack! |