I didn't know where to post this, there is no "help for kitchen mishaps" forum! Here's the scenario: put the self cleaning oven on the clean cycle, without checking that my ancient cast iron skillet that was my Dad's, was out of there. The oven cleaned nicely, and so did 30 plus years of crap coated on the skillet, it was smooth as new. Of course there was a lot of debris that baked off it during the cycle. Now, here is the quandary: this skillet was seasoned so perfectly, nothing would ever stick (all those layers of baked in grease, I guess!). I washed and oiled the skillet, and put it in the oven on low heat to soak up the oil, but it got gummy. I rewashed it and scrubbed it hard with no soap, and wiped thoroughly with paper towels. Right now, I am cooking bacon in it on a long and slow cook, so much of that grease will penetrate the pores of the iron. Any hints from you all out there? This skillet is an heirloom, and I hate to lose it. While I am amazed all the crud baked off of it, now it really needs to be seriously reseasoned, and I guess it will just take some time. short of getting lard and greasing it with that and baking it on low heat, what must I do? No way is this stillet going to the landfill, it's precious to me (and really happy it looks so good again, no built up crud!). I guess the built up crud is what makes cast iron magic! Let me know your hints, thanks!

Clean with salt and kitchen towels only.

It will take a long time to build up the layer so eventually it will repair

thank you, I sorta kinda thought that that debris on the oven floor was 30 years of "good stuff" baking off of that cherished skillet. And before, NOTHING would stick on it, though its surface was surely gnarly and deep. Even with the buildup, I always only clean it (and my other cast iron pans, I love them all but this one especially!) with salt and a splash of water, or a scrub of a brush or scrubbie, no soap whatsomeever! drying only with paper or kitchen towels thoroughly, then back to the oven with the lights on to take up any unforseen moisture. But I am SO impressed now, even with the task of reseasoning, that this skillet looks like the day it came from the foundry, it's that perfectly smooth- now I know truly why these things last the test of time and will last forever with good care. These skillets are a treasure, I love the cast iron to cook with as much as possible! The bacon from yesterday helped a great deal, and the cornbread I baked in it to go with the blackeyed peas and collards (Happy New Years, everyone! Jaw Jaw would like that one I think!) did NOT stick, but I did spray it with crisco spray. Will be patient, and use it carefully and dutifully, and know NOW that when I pass it on, it will certainly have the layer of goodness that my father took so many years to develop. I feel really sheepish about forgetting it in the oven, but I am hopeful for a good outcome with the skillet's "rebirth" in this new year. Thanks again, Mountain Ash! And not to mention, cleaning the oven after this misstep was a total nightmare, but now it's spick and span too!

I can't help but laugh at how the skillet got cleaned. What a hoot. Maybe there are a few other things lying around the house that we should store in the oven.

Glad to hear MA knows what to do.

Hope you enjoy building up the grit again. I recall Mom's old skillet and I have no idea what happened to it. How sad. I actually recall her storing it in the oven, but that oven was a self-clean, as in do it yourself.

Maybe we should have a kitchen 'mishaps' forum. Or just one for general mishaps, cleaning, fixing, etc. I don't know what happened to my cast iron skillet, either. I think my partner put it in the dishwasher at some point - big no-no! It may be hiding in a cupboard somewhere. Since I don't cook, it's not a big deal, though I did make cornbread in it at some point.

yonuh, I've read about making corn bread in a skillet but have always used an aluminum or glass pan. Can you use any corn bread recipe in a skillet?

I think so. I have used a scratch recipe and a boxed mix and both came out fine in the skillet in the oven. Haven't made corn bread for a long, long, time. Maybe I need to find my cast iron skillet and my recipe!

Remarkable that I am working on the same thing...seasoning a cast iron skillet. I'm afraid the gunk that cleaned off is what makes the cast iron skillet work. I went on youtube and looked at different videos on how to season a cast iron skillet...even on some articles...they said that it can take decades to get a skillet perfect.
Also the more you use it the better it gets.
I use mine as often as I can and the only problem I have is when cooked-on food sticks...how to clean it. Some say never to use water, some say never to use soap. However, how do I get the stuck-on food off without ruining the thing.
Good luck and I wouldn't throw it in the landfill either. If nothing else you can hang it on your kitchen wall as a decoration.

yeah, this skillet took serious time to get so gunky. Glad to say I am using it often now for anything that needs frying (not so much but still) and generously coating it with cooking spray to make the cornbread. I really feel sheepish about having that in the clean cycle of my oven, but it does serve to remind me that these skillets are meant to last! Every kitchen should have at LEAST one! I have 3- my chicken fryer, my reg size skillet, and my pancake griddle. All the new pots out there, and these ones are so reliable and dependable. Never use soap, always just use a scrubbie or a brush (I have one brush that is for veg. that works perfectly) and just hot water....and dry very well. Put it in a warm oven (after you've cooked something) with a light coat of oil (not heavy as I did trying to rescue it) and let the oven cool with it in there. Just DONT forget to take it out when preheating or cleaning. I am still amazed at how CLEAN it got during my mishap...I am doing my best to salvage my Dad's skillet and having pretty good results! The cooking spray works pretty well in the interim, it keeps the cornbread from sticking. If you like bacon or sausage, be SURE to cook them in there. I think it is all about sealing the pores of the cast iron, and building up the stuff you can't wash off!

I'm with yonuh, a "kitchen mishaps" forum would be really great. There are a lot of hints out there to salvage meals, pans, etc. I have one that is weird, discovered it by accident: scorched rice in a new saucepan, badly (enough to make the kitchen stink!). I put the pan in the sink, scraped out the gunk as best could, put a diswasher pod (the cascade kind) into it and filled with hot water. Left sit overnight. Lo and behold, the gunk all washed out easily with just a cloth, not a brillo pad....I was amazed. My smooth top range has the way of getting ahead of the cooking and WILL burn or scorch, especially soups and stews (crockpot for them from now on) but I don't use a rice cooker (I should get one, we use a LOT of rice). Anyway, ponder about a mishaps in the kitchen site so we can post dilemnas and solutions...that would be so useful!