[jamaica]

Here is how I treat my Dutch Ovens. Whether brand new or well used and seasoned.

Wash it with warm water and a few drops of liquid detergent. Use a Scotch Brite pad to go over the pan and remove any residue of food.

Rinse and dry the pan with a paper towel. Set aside for a few minutes to thoroughly dry, then put a teaspoonful of soy oil in the pan and with a paper towel, spread the oil all over the pan inside and out, the lid too. Just a thin film, don't leave puddles.

It is now ready to use for cooking, or storage. Some of the oil will actually be absorbed into the cast. Soy oil also sets up almost like varnish over time and forms a very good seal on the pan to prevent rust.

There is no need to bake the new kettle. Just go ahead and use it for cooking. After a few uses it will turn a dark color.

Personally I hate rust on a cast iron pan and will never let my pans get rusty for any reason. Rust will turn your food black, and is a sign of an unseasoned pan. Food will stick unmercilessly to a rusty pan.

Do not ever burn out your pan as this removes the seasoning, (which is oil that has soaked into the pan). It doesn't hurt a cast pan one bit to be washed, and even with a bit of detergent. The trick here is to do it quickly to remove food and excess fats, then dry it and oil it. Any long soaking with water and or soap will remove the seasoning, but a quick wash will not.

Also be assured that burned on food is not seasoning. It is quite simply a source of foul odors and flavors in your next meal.

I know there are the "No Water" advocates who religiously refuse to let water touch the cast iron pan. I have seen them burn their pans out, rub them out with dirt or sand, and not wash em at all. What a stinky, rusty and messy looking pan they end up with. Its enough to make one wonder if you could even eat something that had been in "THAT"?

Try my method and see how it treats you and your pan. I think you will be delighted.