Rusty cast iron pans

How do you get rid of rust on cast iron pans? These are rusty inside and out, they've been subjected to moist conditions while stored in an outside kitchen.

Rub them with Coca Cola. The phosphoric acid will eat the rust (slowly).
After they are clean, I would wash them, then dry on stove top.
They should then get a good rubbing with lard (or the fat/oil of your choice).
They may need a reseasoning, depending on how bad they got.

Cook me up some bacon and eggs for breakfast.

Depending on how bad the rust is, steel wool, sandpaper, and on up to sandblasting will work.
That's the beauty of cast iron, short of cracking it, you really can't hurt it.

Rubbing them with dry, coarse salt. Or a piece of a broken brick. I've had success with both.

Thanks for all your great advice! I love this site!!!

The best and easiest method I've ever used is to shove the whole pan (after unscrewing the wooden handle if it has one

) into a hot outdoor fire and let it die down around the pan. THe pan needs to stay in long enough to burn off any carbon from the fire.
Pull it out hot, or leave it, give it a good wash with steel wool then season it. http://www.permies.com/t/154/cooking-food-preservation-food-choices/cast-iron-skillet-ain-so

Thanks Leila, No elbow grease this way!

I used a wire brush to clean a few up, then rubbed in bacon fat and burned 'em in a fire.

Afterwards, cleaned them off and rubbed in more fat, wiped that clean with a rag and hung 'em up.

Worked great. Cast iron is fantastic.

(And, by burned, I mean toasted them on low coals. Not "chucked them into a raging blaze.")

sounds like fire is a definate help in cleaning. Also, the fat is good cause your seasoning at the same time.
Thanks!

I'm planning on trying this method this weekend.

Nice Jason!