oil drops in steamer?

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bostock

Member
Oct 27, 2010
136
Sharpsburg Maryland
any ideas on keeping a cast iron steamer in good shape? I cook with cast iron all the time, and i spend time cleaning/seasoning properly... but something just seems...wrong...about steaming water in the cast iron all the time. I am wondering about a couple drops of vegetable oil in the water, to help keep the inside surface 'healthy'. I have hard water (well water) and i use a softener, but i still see rust and mineral deposits on the bottom of the steamer. Any tricks?
 
That's the nature of the beastie. They don't benefit from the oil, but they don benefit from an occasional addition of a little vinegar to work on the deposits. Heat for awhile and then pour the water off. Best thing is to not let them boil dry and bake the mineral cake on the inside.

BTW, cast iron has no feelings, so you needn't worry about doing something bad. :roll:
 
I recall years ago of people putting a piece of cheesecloth in their water. I recall trying this to reduce the lime but it never seemed to work for me.
 
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