For meat lovers everywhere, cast iron cookware is a blessing, thanks to the materials ability to stay hot and conduct heat evenly. But cast iron skillets and other pans made from this material require extra special care to prevent rust, and this care flies in the face of normal washing procedures in the kitchen.

Seasoning Your Cast Iron Cookware

When you first get your pan, the first thing you need to do is season it. The reason for this is to create a surface that resists rust and is non-stick. Seasoning takes time and repeated use of the pan will only build up its excellent surface.

Start by washing the pan in hot, soapy water. This is the only time you will use soap on your pan, unless you need to re-season it. Rinse and dry, then apply a thin coat of shortening using a paper towel to the inside and outside of the pan. Next, get your oven hot and put the pan inside it, upside down, with foil underneath to catch in spillage. Leave it in the over for one hour, then turn the oven off and leave the pan in there until it cools down.

Caring For Cast Iron Cookware

First of all, you should wash the pan in hot water (but not with soap), as it is more effective at removing grease from your pan and will also dry more quickly, preventing rust.  Wash it straight after use, while it's still hot.

Make sure that you don't scrub the pan too hard. This will actually remove the coating that makes your cast iron cookware so effective and leave it vulnerable to rust. Another step you can take to prevent rust is to dry your cookware over heat. Afterwards, it's a good idea to very lightly coat the inside of the pan with oil. And make sure you don't seal it with a lid on, as cast iron needs to breathe.

If a bad case of rust sets in despite your best efforts, you'll need to re-season the pan.  To do this, wash the pan in hot, soapy water and scrub hard to get rid of the rust. Then repeat the steps outlined above.

Acidic foods can damage your pan. Furthermore, because the acidic elements dissolve the pan's surface, if you cook these types of foods in a cast iron pan you'll probably have a meal that tastes slightly metallic.