Clean Your Rusty Cast Iron Pan With One Unexpected Condiment

It's no secret that cast iron pans are the superheroes of the cookware world. Despite being less costly than many other types of cookware, cast iron can fry, bake, sear, and sauté to perfection, transitions from the stovetop in the oven with ease, is the best in retaining heat, and can last for generations. Of course, it can do all of these things as long as it is cared for, and the maintenance process is generally more demanding than other types of cookware. When it's not tended to, even the newest cast iron pan can develop rust, which many people assume is the end of its life. However, even the worst rust damage can be cleaned away with ketchup, of all things. To be clear, the tangy condiment is not the best way to wash a cast iron pan with, but just to clean the rust from it.

When acid and rust get together, major chemistry happens. Most ketchup contains tomatoes and vinegar, both of which contain natural acids. When these acids make contact with iron oxide, also known as rust, they begin to break it down. Because ketchup is rather thick and gloppy (as opposed to watery and runny), it tends to coat whatever it's applied to, whether that's a hot dog or a rusty pan. So, when you apply ketchup to a cast iron pan, it coats it nicely, allowing the acids to do their thing until the condiment is wiped away.

It shouldn't matter if the ketchup you use is the worst or the best tasting; so long as it's made with tomatoes and vinegar, and a brand you don't mind sacrificing a bit of for the integrity of your cookware.

To breathe new life into your rusty cast iron pan, coat any and all rusty areas with plenty of ketchup. You can use your hand, a brush, or the back of a spoon to spread the condiment around the surface of the pan. Now, you wait. It may take a couple of hours or all night for the acids to completely eat away the rust. Test the results by scrubbing some of the ketchup-coated rust off the pan with a sponge or brush. If it comes off, keep scrubbing away until the pan is rust-free. If it still stubbornly clings, leave the ketchup in place for a while longer. Now, if you have only a small amount of rust to scrub away, there's an easy, aluminum foil hack you can use to, essentially, spot-clean your pan.

When you're able to scrub the rust away, rinse the ketchup and rust away with warm water. At this point, you should have a rust-free pan, but that doesn't mean it's ready to fry an egg or a batch of pancakes on. Any non-stick seasoning that may have been on the pan once upon a time was stripped away with the rust. So, you'll need to re-season the pan before you cook in or on it.

While the concept of seasoning cast iron can be intimidating to some, it really just takes a bit of oil, some heat, and some patience. Simply rub the entire pan with cooking oil, bake it upside down in a hot oven, and let it cool. Repeat the process a few times for excellent, non-stick results. Store it someplace dry and don't ever let it soak in water, or you'll be on your way to cleaning the rust off again.