I recently acquired a brand new, never been seasonsed Lodge cast iron 4 qt. kettle with lid. It was still in the original box (only about 5 years old) but looked like the box got wet and the pot and underside of the lid rusted bad. Does anyone know if this pot can be salvaged? How would I get the rust off? It's a shame 'cause it's never even been used.

-- Lisa (tepeeclan@nidlink.com), April 10, 2001

Answers

Lisa,

Use some steel wool to get the rust off, then coat it good with crisco or somthing similar and leave it in a low oven for a couple of hours.

-- Mona in OK (jascamp@ipa.net), April 10, 2001.

If you don't want to leave it in your stove you can use fine steel wool to get the rust off, then set it in a campfire right in the embers until it gets really, really hot. take it out and use a wire bush to clean any more needed, coat it with oil (peanut works great) and put back in fire to get warm again, take out and let cool. I bought a wood cookstove last fall and bought all my cast iron at sales so most of it was old and rusted. This method worked great. YOu will love your pot. Joanie

-- Joanie (ber-gust@prodigy.net), April 10, 2001.

After you have it seasoned as suggesed above, remember to never use soap on it. Cast iron only needs really hot water and a stiff scrub brush to get it clean; soap dries it out and damages the seasoning. It will need re-seasoning from time to time; I sometimes lightly rub oil into mine before I put it away when it starts to lose its seasoning. The next time I use it the heat bakes it in good, and its almost non-stick again.

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), April 10, 2001.

How about some remedies for a rusty wok???

I can't get it all off with steel wool.

-- kelly (kellytree@hotmail.com), April 11, 2001.

Is your wok cast iron?

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), April 11, 2001.

Kelly if you cain't scrub it off [I use lofa spunge on mine ocassioanly] Put in plastic pail that has a mixture of 8 oz of lye and 2 gal of water beeing very careful not to splash on you or let any one near it or very slowly heat in out side fire put crisco on heat scrub off repeated it will come off fine it takes time and is well worth it. coaltrain

-- coaltrain (prairierose91@hotmail.com), April 11, 2001.

I had a copy a few yrs ago of the wonders of Coke. It removed rust i remembered and also the grungy film on the windshields of your car, just toss it on and wipe it off. I forgot the rest of the uses, oh.... cleans the toilet bowl good too.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), April 11, 2001.

The reason the Coka-Cola syrup will remove rust (to a degree) is the level of phosphoric acid contained within. I've used a product called "Naval Jelly" which is comprised mostly of phosphoric acid to clean badly rusted items including cast iron cookware. If you do this however, you must be careful to wash the item carefully in several changes of hot soapy water to remove all traces of the product. Then dry the item well by heating it on the stove to drive off all the water, then season as usual. Naval Jelly can also be used, after degreasing, to "Parkerize" firearms and other steel and iron parts...but that's another story.

-- Karl Keller (portlypaddler@yahoo.com), April 13, 2001.

If the rust is really bad, an easier way than using steel wool, and still doesn't hurt the iron pot, is to use a wire brush on an electric drill. Be sure to use safety glasses as it will sometimes throw small pieces. After gettting the pot clean of rust, rub solid shortening all over it, including handles, inside, outside and put it in the oven on about 250 degrees for an hour or so.

-- Phyllis (psaucer@ccrtc.com), October 20, 2001.