(Q) Is My Cast Iron Ruined if it Has Rusted?

(A) No. Here are photographs of a neglected TDO-20. After smoke cooking a turkey the pot was left outside for a couple weeks during the winter months in indirect weather. The rust you see inside is a flash rust coupled with left over turkey drippings.

The pot was turned over to our resident cast iron seasoning guru. First he scraped as much junk as possible out of the pot. Adding low heat and using leather gloves and a metal spoon he was able to remove the next layer. The pot was then left on a medium heat to burn the rest to ash. This removed any seasoning left in the pot. Now at raw cast he allowed the pot to cool and applied Camp Chef conditioner. Moral of the story....most cast iron can be saved. Some iron may crack if left exposed to direct heat. This method carries no warranty or liability responsibility.

Cast Iron Before	Cast Iron After