How clean for old cast iron?

[goatilocks]

I just got 2 cast iron skillets today at an estate sale. Both very heavily covered in rust and crud. Ive got one pretty clean but the other still has some light rust in places, no matter how long I scrub. Should I go ahead and season it? I dont have a self cleaning oven and we are under a burn ban, so cant take it outside and burn it. What should I do with it now?

 

[Neko-chan]

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[Sunny]

Here is another thread you may be interested in reading. Its about cleaning rusty cast iron

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=377&p=1

 

[freemotion]

I used to use veg oil to season my cast iron. When I switched to lard, wow, what a difference! Tallow would work, too, or bacon grease. It gives the pan a better finish and doesn't leave a sticky coating. Sometimes the greasing of the pan removes the last of the rust.

 

[goatilocks]

Im thinking I may go ahead and lard it up and put it in the oven. Its pretty smooth in most places, I can just still see some rust here and there. It was pretty bad when I got it.

 

[Marianne]

Paul has a video posted on his richsoil.com site. It shows how to clean rusty cast iron. Excellent page, the video is on the left

http://www.richsoil.com/cast-iron.jsp

 

[THEFAN]

I use my cast irn almost everyday. I use bacon fat. What a big diff from veg oil. I don't know the science why but it is. YUM!!!!! bacon and eggs........ Homer need food now GAAAHHH!! Drool!!