I had to do it a couple of days ago; I sauteed some cut okra in a cast iron pan and it stuck pretty badly. I had to soak the pan and scrub it, then re-season. I won't be using that pan for okra again.
New Lodge pieces are still so affordable that I can see why they wouldn't recast. I really don't like that the new Lodge comes pre-seasoned; it's quite a gritty surface. There are countless videos on Youtube of people grinding or sanding that finish and the pre-seasoning off to get a smoother finish on the pan, then seasoning the raw cast iron themselves. Some people use a lye bath but I'm not fixin' to go there. There are also some VERY pricey brands such as Lancaster or Finex, but I'd rather have the old Griswold or Wagner. I like to hold an old piece of cookware and imagine who owned it before and what they cooked in it.
Some of the acid stuff can be done in a real well-seasoned pan, but you always run the risk if darkening. I was told by a Pennsylvania Dutch relative that you NEVER make apple butter in cast iron, as it comes out black. They use copper kettles, but the copper dissolved in the apple butter may not be good for your health but it is prettier. Rob Lowe is a distant cousin, by the way. I met his uncle at a family reunion.
I hope it’s not been mentioned because I didn’t read all 27 pages. A trash bowl with a grocery bag in it beside your cooking space.
My vintage Griswold cast iron pan came today; it was restored really well and barely looks used. I'm happy that I bought it but that's all the cast iron I care to own. I washed it and will re-season it tomorrow. Oh, and the Texasware bowl is so cool! I found another one on Ebay today in a larger size so I bought it, too. I might have to start putting kitchen crap out in the garden shed. Though I am tossing my air fryer. The cord on it has been getting really hot and doesn't seem safe. I used it today but it's going out for trash pickup tomorrow. Not sure if I'll bother buying another one. (She said, foolishly.)
I have an 8"Wagner Original 1891 ,or thats what the pan says, it's real crusty kinda like one Marie Antoinett told the people to eat from [ which didn't turn out too good for her and family.] I have 2 old corn stick pans but can't read the writing. A few Lodge pans.
I have been reading websites and watching Youtube videos on ways to ID old cast iron, and managed to figure out that my mother's old "no-name" skillet is actually a very old Lodge.
Just a review of the garlic press I recently bought. I give this a "do not bother" and I regret buying it. I used it today for the first time and found that it takes quite a bit of strength to smash the garlic, then the holes in the device get all plugged with garlic debris. I had to use a toothpick to clean it so into the Goodwill pile it goes.
I also tried out this "food flipper" a week or so ago on pork chops. It works OK but I prefer to use tongs. I'll give this to my son the BBQ King to try out before I donate it.