Website design By BotEap.comHave you ever wondered how you could restore that old jambalaya pot your grandfather gave you? How about an old Dutch oven or cast iron skillet you found at hunting camp or Grandma’s kitchen? Have you ever wondered why you should restore any of these classic pieces of history? If you’ve ever wondered how to “recover” any cast iron cookware piece from an old, rusty state, you’ve come to the right place.

Website design By BotEap.comLet’s first tackle the question, why should you restore an old jambalaya pot? The fact is, an old jambalaya pot or Dutch oven is a priceless heirloom that could be passed down from generation to generation. Cast iron products like jambalaya pots and Dutch ovens are made of, well, cast iron, which is practically indestructible. If properly maintained, they will last a long time, making them perfect gifts to pass on to your children or grandchildren. A gift like this will help them appreciate their heritage and a little history.

Website design By BotEap.comSo what do you do when you find this old gem and it’s in less than desirable condition? Do not throw it away! As a good friend of mine from the Cajun country says: “Let’s bring the black pot.” What he means is, let’s restore this rusty jambalaya pot. There is a process to get it back. The process is the following:

1. First, take care of the interior using a piece of fine steel wool to remove rust. After loosening the rust from the surface, dust the pot of jambalaya and repeat the process until there is no more loose rust.
2. After you’ve removed as much surface rust as possible with the fine steel wool, the pot may still have a red tint. There is still rust in the pores. To remove this rust, you need to place the pot of jambalaya in your pot or over an open flame and fill it with water. As the water begins to heat up, use a thicker piece of steel wool to scrub the interior. Warm water helps loosen embedded rust and the steel wool of course will remove it. When the water is so contaminated that you can’t see the bottom of the pot, dump the water out and start over. You may have to repeat this step several times. Be careful not to boil the water, it should only be very warm, as warm as you can bear.
3. When you are satisfied that you have removed all the rust from the inside of the jambalaya pot, it’s time to season it. There are several ways to achieve this, but we will concentrate on the easiest way for large pots. Place the pot of jambalaya in the pot or flame again and begin heating it. Once hot, take three to four pounds of bacon and place it in the pot. Cook the bacon for as long as possible without burning it. While cooking, take a large paddle or spoon and move the bacon so that it covers all internal areas of the pot.
4. Just before the bacon is burned, remove the heat from the pot and remove the bacon. Take clean WHITE paper towels (not designer) and wipe all excess grease out of the jambalaya pot. Take this opportunity to smear the grease back on all internal surfaces. Place the pot back in the pot and lower the heat to very low. What you want to achieve here is to maintain a consistent, even heat in the pot for about an hour. This allows the pores to open up and soak up the oil.
5. Steps three and four must be repeated at least two more times with one exception. Instead of using bacon, you can use lard or fat, but don’t use vegetable oil or shortening. When you see your jambalaya pot begin to take on a nice shine on the inside surface, you will have successfully seasoned the cooking surface.
6. Now you only need to touch up the exterior. Unlike the interior surface, you don’t need to remove rust if you don’t want to. Some people think that rust adds character. However, whether you remove the rust or not, you should take a little grease from the last round and clean the outside of the pot of jambalaya.

Website design By BotEap.comI hope you enjoy your jambalaya pot and can successfully restore it to the proper cooking order.