Roasting the cauldron is a mandatory action after its purchase. This is due to the peculiarities of the production of such dishes. The fact is that the manufacturing process consists of casting and pressing in a special unit. As a result, machine oil and corrosion protection agents get into the surface structure, which must be removed. If this is not done, the food will burn, be saturated with the taste and smell of engine oil. There are several ways to roast a cast-iron cauldron, while you need to follow a certain scheme of roasting and take into account the properties of the material from which it is made.

How to prepare the cauldron for the first use

Before roasting the cauldron, prepare the container for the procedure. The general scheme of preparation primarily depends on the material from which the dishes are made.

  • cast iron First of all, after purchase, wash the container with water and dishwashing detergent. Carry out the roasting procedure. Wash off the residue with a hot sponge and dishwashing detergent. Wipe the surface with a paper towel. Grease the cauldron with vegetable oil. Rinse under running water without detergents and wipe dry.
  • Aluminum . The method of processing an aluminum cauldron has insignificant differences. A cast-iron cauldron should be fired at high temperatures, and an aluminum one at medium temperatures. This is due to the fact that the metal cannot withstand the influence of temperatures above 150 degrees. Before and after roasting, you can wash aluminum dishes only with household soap. Do not use hard sponges, abrasive substances, or soda.

How to fry a cast iron cauldron at home

Where you can roast a cauldron

You can roast a cauldron at home or outside. At the same time, it is important to know certain subtleties of each method.

  • Roasting on a bonfire

So that it is convenient to roast the cauldron, before lighting the fire, take care of how the container will be above the fire. You can use a tripod or build brick walls where you can place dishes.

  • Roasting on the grill

The brazier is convenient because it does not require the construction of additional devices for holding the cauldron. After lighting the fire, place the container on the walls of the brazier. Do not forget to maintain the desired level of fire during firing.

  • Roasting on the stove

Regardless of whether you plan to roast the cauldron on a gas or electric stove, follow safety precautions. Be sure to ensure the flow of fresh air into the room, otherwise you will be poisoned by the poisonous vapors of factory oils. Processing schemes on both electric and gas stoves are identical.

Rules for firing a new cast-iron cauldron

You can process the container using several firing options.

With kitchen salt

The method is suitable for processing in an apartment. For the procedure, you will need 2-3 kg of coarsely ground table salt. Procedure:

  1. Pour salt into a washed and dried cauldron.
  2. Turn on the stove and put it on the burner.
  3. Burn for 1-2 hours.
  4. Stir the salt with a wooden spatula from time to time.
  5. When all the salt turns evenly brown, turn off the heat.
  6. When the salt cools down a little, rub the bottom and walls with it.
  7. At the last stage, rinse the cauldron and dry it.

Please note that the salt cannot be reused as it has absorbed the engine oil.

Oil treatment

In addition to the main one, the oil also performs a protective function. It covers the porous structure of the cauldron with a thin film that prevents food from burning and the formation of rust.

  1. It is best to use olive, sesame or linseed oil for processing. If they are not at hand, sunflower or any other edible oil will do.
  2. After washing and drying, grease all the inner surfaces of the cauldron with oil and put it on fire.
  3. Pour the oil into the container, and after heating it, from time to time during the entire procedure, water the walls with a slotted spoon. So they will fry faster.
  4. The procedure itself takes 20-30 minutes.
  5. After its completion, wait for the cauldron to cool down and rinse it with water without detergents.

In the oven

The oven is the last option where you can roast the cauldron. The fact is that during such processing, vapors of the factory lubricant are released, which must be removed. To do this, ensure the circulation of fresh air in the room. Be sure to open all the windows and, if possible, the door, turn on the hood.

  1. Place a previously washed and dried cauldron in an oven heated to 200 degrees.
  2. During the procedure, smoke with an unpleasant smell will be released from the oven. These are factory oil vapors.
  3. After a few hours, the smoke will stop coming out. This means that all the oils have moved away.
  4. After that, cool the container, rinse with running water without detergents and thoroughly wipe the surface with a paper towel.

How to fry a cast iron cauldron at home

On an open fire

The procedure is carried out outdoors, because both the inner and outer surfaces come into contact with the fire during burning, which causes more smoke to be released.

  1. Before piercing, wash the cauldron with detergent and dry with a towel.
  2. Place the cauldron over the fire, supporting it constantly.
  3. Firing in this way takes at least 3 hours.
  4. After the procedure, cool the dishes and rinse with running water.

Do not use the campfire on which the cauldron was burned for cooking, as the coals may have been soaked with engine oil.

What to do if oil catches fire in the cauldron

If the heat for frying is too high, the oil may catch fire. In such a case:

  • Immediately turn off the heat or extinguish the fire.
  • Cover the burning container with an appropriately sized lid or sheet to limit oxygen access to the fire.
  • If the flame is small, extinguish it with soda.
  • If you cannot put out the fire, use a fire extinguisher.

Do not do the following under any circumstances:

  • do not cover the flame with a cloth;
  • do not try to wipe the fire with a towel;
  • do not try to cover burning oil with flour or pour water;
  • do not move the cauldron to another place.

If the fire cannot be extinguished within 20-30 seconds, call the fire department.

What to do after roasting

If you used the frying method without the use of oil, after the procedure, repeat the treatment by smearing the walls with the appropriate vegetable oil or chicken fat and sending it to burn on the stove for 20 minutes. This will create a protective film on the surface, thanks to which the food will not burn during cooking.

How to fry a cast iron cauldron at home

How to burn an old cauldron after cleaning

If the food in the cauldron still burned, and you had to wash the dishes with a chemical agent, after washing and drying, you need to restore the oily layer on its surface. This will help to avoid new problems with food burning in the future.

To do this, fry with vegetable oil.

How to fry from rust

Removing rust from the surface of the cauldron is not an easy task.

  1. To begin with, try to clean the surface with a detergent and a metal sponge. If this did not help, the container will have to be boiled.
  2. To do this, dissolve a pack of table salt in 6 liters of water.
  3. Pour the solution into a metal bucket and lower the cauldron into it.
  4. Put the bucket on the stove and cook the dishes over low heat for 7-8 hours.
  5. After that, rinse with running water and detergent.

Any use of chemicals along with corrosion will also clean the protective oil layer. To restore it, repeat the firing procedure.

Further care

First of all, after roasting, check whether the procedure really gave the desired result. To do this, boil water in a container. If it remains clean, the cauldron is ready for use, if it becomes cloudy, the production oils have not been completely removed and you will have to repeat the firing.

  • During use, wash the cauldron only with clean water without detergents. This will help preserve the protective oil layer.
  • After washing, be sure to wipe the dishes with a towel and do not cover them with a lid.
  • Do not allow moisture to remain on the surface, otherwise rust will appear.
  • If you used a detergent for washing, repeat the roasting procedure.

Kazan is a special dish. The main rule of its use is that there should always be a protective oil layer on the surface. To do this, after buying new dishes, the cauldron must be hardened and lubricated with oil. Do not use detergents for subsequent washing. If it was not possible to clean the surface in another way, the firing procedure and oil treatment must be repeated.

How to fry a cast iron cauldron at home