Normally, your carbon steel pans just need a light wash and a good dry after using; no heavy scrubbing required. But a few things can really eat away at that natural, non-stick patina you worked so hard to build up, making a mess of the cooking surface. Using highly acidic ingredients (like lemon juice) or throwing your pan in the dishwasher (a big no-no!) can cause it to go patchy and bare in places, and maybe even a little rusty. When this happens you need to clean the surface more seriously, and then restore the patina. Luckily this process is easy and works no matter how bad your pan might look. Here’s how I do it.
I put my pan on the heat with a really good sprinkle of baking soda and enough white vinegar to just cover the surface.
I heat this up, let it boil for a while, then pour the mixture out of the pan.
Next I grab some steel wool, then under running water, I give the damaged surface a really hard scrub. I’ll rub super hard to get rid of all the rust and other gnarly bits.
When it’s cleaned, I rinse off my pan, dry it well, then pop it back on the heat.
I add some high smoke-point oil, rub it all over using kitchen paper, then heat it until it smokes. I keep repeating this process until the surface is looking restored; you can use your pan for cooking at this point if you want. The more you use it, the better your natural patina surface will get.
I hope this helps!
Marion x
What I’m loving this week
- Everything in this Father’s Day Gift Collection! (Free shipping; how good is that?)
- One of my all-time favourite recipes, Super Tender Beef Stir-fry
- These Manning Cartell earrings I rediscovered in my jewellery drawer. An investment I’m always glad I made. They totally make an outfit.
