Jennifer Dawson asks: “I have camping cast iron but this trip had to take one from the kitchen, how do I get the campfire soot off?”
A Few Comments:
I would say by any means necessary, you can’t really damage the iron…so a scrubbie or brillo pad and strong soap or cleaner. BUT Then you know you must rinse very well and re-season it…oil it and bake it in the oven.
Dawn dish soap, then reseason. Also next time, coat the outside bottom and sides with bar soap-the soot washes off rather easily.
If it’s black like charcoal black, I found SOS pads work the best. (Steel wool with a super soap cleaner in them) just on the outside or you’ll need to reseason
If your oven has a self cleaning mode then you can put it upside down on the top rack and run it through. I did this with My mother’s iron skillets and it worked great. Do forget to reseason!
Before you cook on coals, coat the pot/pan bottom and sides with soap. Dawn will do. leave it on there for the duration- soot wipes right off upon washing. Leaves no trace of soot..
Just wipe it down with some salt and bakingsoda mix and rinse. you should be good. Then, pop it in the oven with a thin cost of crisco until it isn’t shiny any more. I never use dish soap on cast. I have some that are over 100 years old and that’s how they get clean after a camp fire.
On the outside, steel wool and soap, on the inside, I’d suggest not using soap, inside of the pot. instead a rough grain salt, like you would use to clean a cutting board… cutting boards and cast iron trap soap, and it can give you a really bad tummy ache after a while.
Never tried the soap, have to tryit! Tho never really had an issue with soot as i cook over a section of nice hot coals. The flame from 1/2 burnt wood is your problem. Sandy dirt really helps clean up greasy or cooked on foods. Soda & salt are a must have. I keep a mix of that in an old parm shaker @camp side & in a pretty glass Parm shaker @my sink!