cast iron pot

Hi Muzbry,
If you know any engine reconditioners then get them to dump your pot into their caustic degreaser bath. It will come out clean as. You then hose it down with high pressure water (the engine guys should do that for you). Next, you will need to 'season' the pot again, heat the pot and coat it with cooking oil.

KK

Murray,

I can recall as a youngster soaking rusty nails in Vinegar to bring them back to tip-top condition. It's an acid, as opposed to an alkaline (caustic). No real idea on the chemistry but Vinegar is cheaper than bottled water, got to be worth a go.

Cheers,

Jim.

What about sand blasting. Nice and clean and no chemicals

If you have time immerse the pot into a 50/50 brew of molassis and water. Pull it out every week and give it a brush. It will come up like new in a month. If you are in more of a hurry you can mix a solution of plain washing soda and water and immerse it. Use a battery charger and hook the positive to a bit of scrap steel in the bucket and the negative to the pot.Make sure the two don't touch, The rust will come off the pot and stick to the anode. You can google electroulisis (sp) rust removal and find out all about it. We old engine and machinery restorers use both methods a lot.

I collect old camp ovens, ( yeah I know but it's harmless) and I cook in them too.
The best way of cleaning them is by electrolysis which removes even the worst rust without damaging the pot which sand blasting and molasses will do.
Put the pot in a large plastic container like a fish box, cover with water and hook it up to a battery charger, black lead to the pot, red lead to a sacrificial anode also in the water eg a piece of steel rod being careful not to let the two touch. Depending on how many amps your charger puts out but in a couple of days the pot will be like new. Don't let the alligator clips on your leads touch the water as they will corrode.
To keep the pot good you should then season with olive oil it but that is a whole new process.
Rob.

Muzbry,

You have advice on cleaning the pot that I will not argue with.

Nearly 30 Years ago I found an old cast iron pot just like you did. I applied heaps of elbow grease and steel wool off and on over about a month and it looked beautiful but it was hard work. I like the sound of electrolysis.

Seasoning will help prevent ever having to do that cleaning thing again.

My Gran, bless her, said I should fill it with oil and put it on the lowest heat I can for as long as I can. I put it on the smallest burner on our gas cook top turned down as low as I could get. I left it there all day. Could not bring myself to leave it on overnight but it the morning it went back on, same oil. It became the most non-stick cooking pot I have ever had.

To keep it that way I always wipe it out while it is hot and never ever use soap of any description. If something does stick I put oil in the pot to cover the offending stuff and heat it slowly, it always comes off.

Happy cleaning and even happier cooking

Duncs