Day Fifty: Don't Wash Your Cast Iron Pots

This morning I was loading my dishwasher and I found something shocking.  Someone had put my cast iron skillet....in. the. dishwasher.


:pause for dramatic effect:


Some of you may be wondering why I am so terribly concerned about my skillet being in the dishwasher. I am distraught because my cast iron skillet was almost washed.  One does not wash cast iron pots.  One cleans cast iron pots, but never ever with soap and never ever ever put it in your dishwasher.  It will rust.

I learned this lesson before I had ever even heard of Martha.  A little old Southern lady who taught finishing school imparted this wisdom on me:  "Nevah wash your cast iron, honey. You clean it, with sah-llt."

She was a wise lady.  Not everyone can turn "salt" into a two syllable word.

I didn't understand this wisdom at the time, mainly because I did not actually own any cast iron pots at the age of sixteen.  However, when my mother gave me a cast iron pot (about the same time she taught me to cook a chicken), she too imparted this same wisdom.  Never mind that two very wise women had given me the same tip, I had to double-check with Martha.

Martha says to clean a cast iron pot you should wipe with only hot water and never use detergent. If food is still stuck to the pan, scrub it with coarse salt, and wipe immediately with a clean cloth.  To read her complete instructions and all about seasoning a cast iron pot in the first place, see Housekeeping p. 68.

Dirty skillet with cleaning salt:

Scrubbing with salt:

Clean as a whistle:

....and nary a lick of soap was used.  Skillet saved.