How to Save ANY Cast Iron Pan

I destroyed a cast iron pan.  Cue the melancholy violins here.  I don't know what happened! But whatever I did I made it rust, a LOT. 

However, there is hope for these pans! My Mother and Father-in-Law showed me how to restore it.

All you do is wash out your pan with a steel wool sponge and warm water.  Dry with paper towel.  Take another paper towel and put some vegetable oil on it.  Rub this over the pan.  Preheat oven to about 200 degrees (I am actually going to try 230 degrees next time, I think it needed a bit more heat) and bake for 40-60 minutes.  The rust should be gone and the pan should be seasoned.  However, if the pan is REALLY rusted you may have to follow this process a few times. 

The wonderful thing about this is that if you are at a garage sale or a thrift shop and see a beat up cast iron pan with rust, you can save it! Some people may donate something like that (like I almost did) and give up on it when in reality it's a super simple thing to get it back to new.

I hope this helps you guys! This would be really handy to know for presents for Christmas, a bridal shower, kids going to college, etc.