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Evening Nancy and All...This is for Joyce in Ky who discovered what prices one has to pay for the older iron skillets, Dutch ovens, etc. The way my husband explained it to me once, is that the iron the earlier ones were made from was a more "dense" iron, better quality. They have a smoother finish too. The later iron skillets, etc., are made with a different quality iron and are not as desirable. With care, one can expect to pass iron skillets, etc., down from generation to generation. I know I have some from both my side of the family and my husband's. We treasure them.

Someone was asking how to "clean" iron skillets, I believe. If it is skillets, Dutch oven, etc., that you have been using and is getting a "build up" on the outside, and you have a self-cleaning oven, you can set them on a rack when you set your oven to "clean" and it will reduce the build-up to ashes. When the oven has cooled down and you open the door, simply take them out, wash, season, and you will have a new skillet.

Another way is to put a good bit of sticks and some paper in a large drum, set on fire and when the fire is half-way spent, put the iron skillet, Dutch oven, or whatever you have that needs to be cleaned, deep in the hot ashes. Leave them until the fire has burned down and the skillet has cooled. Again, wash and season.

To season, after you have washed the skillets, Dutch oven, and wiped dry, put a little shortening or cooking oil (do not use anything with salt in it) on a paper towel and wipe good all over the inside and outside. With another paper towel, wipe off any excess, leaving only a light film coating. Set you oven to the lowest temperature and place the skillet, Dutch oven on a rack in the middle of the oven. Let stay about 40 minutes to one hour. Turn oven off and let stay inside until the oven is cold. Take out, wipe off once more and you're ready to go.

I do hope you will use your iron skillets, Dutch ovens, etc., as they are a good source of getting some much needed iron...unless, of course, you have an over abundance of iron already in your system.

My brothers and I still talk about how good Mother's green beans, turnip greens, creamed (fresh) corn, stews, roasts, you name it, tasted cooked in these. I use mine to make spaghetti sauce, just about anything.

Mother used to save her milk cartons (they had a heavy wax coating) and would set a fire in a 50 gallon drum (as above). When the fire was about half-way spent, she placed these milk cartons in them before setting in her iron ware. When you washed them, the wax from the cartons made them so nice and slick. This was the way she seasoned hers. I suppose you could heat your skillet on the burner of your stove (after cleaning) and when it got fairly warm, take a block of wax and rub over the inside and outside and wipe off good. I may try this myself, LOL Oh, yes, be careful about saving something that looks like it has a wax coating. Scrape it with your fingernail to see if you can lift up any wax. If not, it may be a plastic coating, which, unfortunately, I think most things are coated with these days. You DO NOT want this on your ironware, so please be careful.

I did have my husband get a 50 gallon drum a short time back. We live on a small lake and have a burn pile to one side of our property near the lake. I want him to secure the drum in some fashion so that it will not float off with high water and plan to use this drum to clean several iron ware pieces I have bought over the years for my children.

I know this is a little long, it just takes a lot of explaining : ^) Enjoy your iron ware.
Betty in MS

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