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I wanted to cook breakfast, but thought I could do double duty. Ended up being triple duty. I have been reviewing information about how to remove stains from porcelain. The mildest was first. Vinegar. I let that soak while thinking about breakfast. I wanted to mildly season my cast pan and placket, so I started that process too. After the vinegar had soaked, I rinsed it. No luck on the base of the toilet, but it cleaned the bathtub a bit. One layer of stuff anyway. Next I've put Lime-Away on the stain. I'll check that in a bit. If that doesn't work, I'll try ammonia, cut to some percent if I think 10 to 1 is a bit steep as was recommended, more like 3 to 5 water to ammonia. If those don't work, I'm not quite sure where to go.
I did get my cast back up to speed. The skillet didn't really need it, but it's how I clean it anyway. Peanut oil, lard, whatever. The fat doesn't even have to be fresh, though it smells better if it is. Heating, slowly, first a lower medium, than a lower high, then I let them cool. I then scrape them, and redo as necessary. Three different heat cycles, as I saw things, this time. Then on to breakfast. Eggs, ham, and potato crisps. Nice. I'll clean the pans out, again, shortly. I use these often enough that I don't need to salt them. I ought to work on my dutch oven though, and salt that and put it up. Some other morning, when I have the right conditions.
I'll be tinkering on the bathroom throughout the day. I'd like to get those spic and span. It just feels better. If I can remove the stain from the toilet base, keeping the bathroom clean, to my expectations, will be easier. It just bugs me, having a stain. Getting the bathtub cleaned will also be good for the mind. It's just... something I like. And, doing better as I am, I have time for it, and energy. Heck, I'm working at a time of my day were usually I am just spending hours waking up. Yeah, I like it.
It looks like I have a problem spot in the living room I had forgotten. It has to be tended first. I spilled maple syrup, and it has dried in. I researched how to clean that, and think I can do it without too much trouble. It's mostly just moistening the spot, but with care so as not to flood the carpet and backing, then, over a day, rubbing, scrubbing, and rinsing. I figure I can prep the rest of the room for the steam vacuuming, while treating the spot, then have it ready to go tomorrow. The steam vac will pick up any extra moisture that might have accumulated as well. Sort of a back up plan to cover the corners.
I just need a bit of time to digest breakfast. I ate a bit too much. Next time, just two eggs and two potato patties. I am having to relearn to cook for daily daily, and then some. Proportions are drastically different when you only eat a few times a week versus eating once or twice a day even. Yeah, I'm working on it. Whatever else, life is really improving. I still have to negotiate, cover for weak points, mess with sleep or just put up with it as it is. Life is returning to these bones, though. That is certain. Back to digesting breakfast. Later.
Oh, cool .. I needed a refresher on how to reseason a cast iron skillet. I came across an old skillet that had at one time belonged to my mother. It was stored in a box in the basement. It's not in bad shape, just needs to be reseasoned. I might do that tonight.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried scrubbing the stain with baking soda?
Okay, my seasoning was of the light variety. If that doesn't work, the long method is to grease the item in lard and then bake it in the oven for... I do it for two to three hours, at 350. I usually use animal fats, they work better, but I was out of lard this time. *scribbles on shopping list* Doing this several times, over a week, might be useful if the cast item has problems.
ReplyDeleteTo clean it, I never use soap. Some idiots recommend it, but I don't. Modernists! Soap, even a little, will strip the fat right off the iron, leaving it to rust again. The fat IS the nonstick surface. It merges with the iron, into the pours of the metal. Just use steel wool, or such, and luke warm water. Really hot water strips the fat almost as badly as soap. While this will grease your hand and steel wool, it is easier to wash those than to have to reseason the cast over and over and over and never get to that non-stick surface it is loved for.
Once you get it conditioned, if you only use it once in a while, salt the base and the basin in the cover... lid. It'll help keep rust from forming, at least on the bottom. And cook with plenty of fat.
Oh, and in use, don't heat the cast to temp immediately. I heat my items to a low medium (4 on my 1 to 10 dial) for four minutes, then heat it to a low high (7 on my 1 to 10 dial) for another four minutes, adding fats as I turn it up to 7. Then I cook in it after that last change. For the oven, a slow start, or warming the dutch oven on a burner at the low medium, is the way I go too. Since I often fry the foods first, on the stove, then place the dutch oven (or sometimes skillet) and food in the oven, that isn't a problem.
Yes, thank you so much for all the good tips. I do have one cast-iron skillet that is perfectly see you soon. I have have that skillet for years. I never did get around to the other one. It is in my to do list though and I will keep all your recommendations in mind. My mother used to be able to keep a cast-iron skillet in good shape. But, when Alzheimer's set in, she lost it.
ReplyDeleteUsing cast iron is a skill in itself. I learned recently how to use a cast iron pizza pan on the stovetop, heating slowly from beneath, to save total time in the oven. After getting the pan up to temp, it is just a matter of five minutes or so in the broiler to finish the top of the pizza.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I miss getting over here as often as I used to. No chance of you switching to the Facebook platform, I suppose?
I don't trust the other formats, especially security-wise. Hell, I'm probably going to quit cellphones after my contract is up, more so knowing Verizon is using tracking of it's own, on top of being a .gov stooge, and insecure in other ways. I've gone through hell with blogger, because of my political beliefs. For the most part, finally, they are leaving me the hell alone. Still messing up posts, but not trying to end my usage through backroom lib controlthink policies. I would, beside having to learn facebook, have to fuck around with a whole other set of libtards on top of it. No thank you.
ReplyDeleteBut! I might figure out the cast pizza stone, if that counts? :p