Cleaning and Seasoning your cast iron treasure!

Dont throw away that carbon ladened/rusted cast iron pan that was given to you or you happened to find. You actually have a diamond in the rough. I happened to gee into alot of cast iron pans which were well loved. (in other words filthy lol) Iwent tothe two women who I knew could help me fixmy cast ironto almost looking brand new, my fiancee's mom and aunt.
So I am writing this guide with all the techniques that they told me to use. First check the pan, to see if thereare anycracks in it, it can be repaired but I haven't learned that technique yet. If it does have cracks just put it away until I learn how to fix a crack which i will write a review for that in the future. if no cracks, here are a couple of methods to remove the carbon build up. The first one is way to easy, just put the pan in your self cleaning oven and clean the oven and the pan at the same time. The heat will burn the carbon off and all you need to do is just brush it away. The next method is using easy off oven cleaner. Spray the pan down with easy off, place in a plastic bag and let it sit for a couple of days. The plastic keeps the easy off wet so it can keep working on that build up. Afterwards, use a brass brush and scrub the carbon away. After both of these processes your pans will show rust.
Methods to remove rust. The first one is my fiancee'sMom's technique. Using a little olive oil and salt and a steel wool pad scrub til the rust is gone.Her Aunts method, make a solution of 50% water and 50% white vinegar and soak pans for a couple of hours, after soaking use a steel wool pad to remove rust. (word of caution NEVER leave pan in this solution overnight). Here are a couple methods myfiancee saidher Granny used. Take a towel and soak with ammonia. Wrap the towel around the pan and place outside for a couple of days. The next one is, take a potato cut it in half,shake an abrasive scrub inside pan and scour with the potato.
Seasoning pan. Whew after all of your hard work you want to season the pan right away. After scouring and rinsing place cast iron on your stove and dry any excess water that remains in the pan. preheat oven to 225. when pan is dry, cover pan gepletely with a neutral oil, such as vegetable, canola, sunflower etc. Place pan in oven and bake for 30 mins, after 30 mins wipe excess oil out of pan and place back in oven for another 30 mins. Voila you are done.
Remember never clean your pan with soap and water. After cooking just either wipe pan clean, or just soak in water then wipe out.
Heres an awesome recipe:
My Aunts make your tongue wanna slap the inside of your mouth cause itsjust togoodcornbread. (her name not mine lol)
1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup yellow cornmeal1/2 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons baking powder2 egg 1 cup milk 1/3 cup vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray or lightly grease your cast iron pan In a large bowl,gebine your cornmeal and milk and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Then gebine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, and vegetable oil until well gebined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf gees out clean.
if its not browned enough on top, just place under broiler and turn untilit the color you like.