We've talked a lot on here about cast iron cookware and how to build up a seasoning and general care. I've got a pan where the seasoning has "chipped" off, and I didn't know what to do about it, so I set it aside for about a year. I remember AlohaShooter saying that he used to throw cast iron pots in the camp fire to reset them. I wanted to verify for myself that this actually works, and I'm happy to report that it worked and did exactly what I needed.

You can see how the seasoning was coming off. I don't know that it made this skillet unusable per say, but looking at it, no one wanted to use it.






Here you can see the seasoning coming right off. It looks pretty similar to the way impurities flake off of iron when blacksmithing.


I took it out when it looked like this.


Immediately out of the fire, it looks pretty gross and I wasn't confident at this point.


Cleaned up with a wire brush. You can see several dark spots on both sides of the pan. In the photos it may look like that is left over seasoning, but everything is very smooth. It is just discoloration that is not noticeable when feeling the surface.



Here it is next to my "antique" skillet. You can tell that it has grayed out quite a bit. I vaguely remember all these cast iron pans looking more gray when I first got them and cleaned them with the wire brush. That deep black color comes back with use.


It took some rinsing, both with water, and rubbing in oil to get the dull red rust out, but eventually it stopped turning the paper towels red. Here it is with a good layer of oil on it, and it already looks a bit darker.


I coated the pan in oil and put it in the oven at 350 for about an hour to restart the seasoning. The virgin run was some Costco hashbrowns and everything worked great. Those dark marks are in color and do not extend above the surface. I've made a few eggs, bacon, and more hashbrowns in the skillet and each time everything slides right out as intended and the pan cleans up very easily. This was a big success. Thanks AlohaShooter for the idea.