How To Season A Cast Iron Skillet

**MrKhay** · 05-17-2007, 12:29 PM

Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Several Hours
Here's How:

1. Wash skillet in hot, soapy water. Rinse thoroughly and dry completely.
2. Apply a thin coating of melted shortening (Crisco, for example) or vegetable oil with a solf cloth or paper towel.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place skillet UPSIDE DOWN on top oven rack.
4. Place foil on a cookie sheet and place on bottom rack of oven. This will catch the drippings from the skillet.
5. Bake in oven for one hour.
6. Turn oven off. DO NOT OPEN. Allow skillet to cool down in oven (several hours). There may be a film on your cookware, this comes off after use. You will have to use it a couple times as a test.

Tips:

1. Clean skillet after use while still warm with hot water and a plastic scrub brush.
2. DO NOT put in dishwasher or wash with soap or dishwashing detergent.
3. Dry cast iron cookware thoroughly after washing, then spray lightly with vegetable oil (Pam, etc.) Wipe dry and store. Never store cookware with lid on; cast iron cookware needs air circulation.
4. Reseason cookware after cooking beans or acidic foods (such as tomatoes). Frying or cooking foods with fat content helps expedite the seasoning process.
5. Do not use cast iron cookware for storage of food.

What You Need:

* Cast Iron Cookware
* Melted Shortening or oil
* Soft cloth or paper towel
* Aluminum Foil
* Cookie Sheet

For more information on this topic, visit the website at this link: http://www.kitchenemporium.com/info/castiron.html

**MrKhay** · 05-02-2009, 04:39 PM

Niece is getting married. She's getting a cast iron skillet from me as a gift. I'll be sure to provide instructions for the care of the cast iron and how to effectively prepare meals and bakery goods.

Maybe a Dutch Oven. I don't know that the couple are campers, but it never hurts to have a cast iron dutch oven on hand (unless it hits you...that hurts!) Not only will their family be able to cook and eat healthy, they'll have a good weapon.

dgridley · 05-24-2009, 11:46 AM

Friendly bump for a useful topic..

**MrKhay** · 02-26-2010, 04:56 PM

....An update on the wedding gifted cast iron skillet. Thus far, the niece hasn't used it as a clobbering device. The nephew does the cooking, and he hasn't mentioned any difficulties with it yet.

Amen

CindyLouWho · 02-26-2010, 10:50 PM

I love my cast iron frying pan...it makes the best fried potatoes! I also us a cast iron kettle to make chili in. It seems to taste better when made in that.

Every time my husband goes to an auction or a garage sale that has anything cast iron he buys it! We have so many cast iron cooking pans now that I'm running out of room to store them all! I hear they are great for camping but we are NOT the camping kind. I told him if he brings any more home I may start using them on him! LOL

**MrKhay** · 02-27-2010, 03:12 AM

Cast iron pans and ovens are increasingly more difficult to find at garage/yard/rummage sales. They're heirlooms, and are passed down from generation to generation. They rarely make it to the second hand stores.

I have several, and each has a special purpose in the culinary lab.

**j10asen** · 02-27-2010, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrKhay

Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Several Hours
Here's How:

1. Wash skillet in hot, soapy water. Rinse thoroughly and dry completely.
2. Apply a thin coating of melted shortening (Crisco, for example) or vegetable oil with a solf cloth or paper towel.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place skillet UPSIDE DOWN on top oven rack.
4. Place foil on a cookie sheet and place on bottom rack of oven. This will catch the drippings from the skillet.
5. Bake in oven for one hour.
6. Turn oven off. DO NOT OPEN. Allow skillet to cool down in oven (several hours). There may be a film on your cookware, this comes off after use. You will have to use it a couple times as a test.

Tips:

1. Clean skillet after use while still warm with hot water and a plastic scrub brush.
2. DO NOT put in dishwasher or wash with soap or dishwashing detergent.
3. Dry cast iron cookware thoroughly after washing, then spray lightly with vegetable oil (Pam, etc.) Wipe dry and store. Never store cookware with lid on; cast iron cookware needs air circulation.
4. Reseason cookware after cooking beans or acidic foods (such as tomatoes). Frying or cooking foods with fat content helps expedite the seasoning process.
5. Do not use cast iron cookware for storage of food.

What You Need:

* Cast Iron Cookware
* Melted Shortening or oil
* Soft cloth or paper towel
* Aluminum Foil
* Cookie Sheet

For more information on this topic, visit the website at this link: Seasoning and Caring for cast iron cookware

........and I always thought you seasoned with salt and pepper.

Thank you MrKhay for the clarification and the valuable instructions.
you ЯØÇЌ man!

pk · 02-27-2010, 08:55 PM

Quote:

1. Wash skillet in hot, soapy water. Rinse thoroughly and dry completely.
2. Apply a thin coating of melted shortening (Crisco, for example) or vegetable oil with a soft cloth or paper towel.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place skillet UPSIDE DOWN on top oven rack.

What an interesting post, somehow I think I missed it the first time around.

I always did the washing and oiling with Crisco and put in the over but never UPSIDE DOWN. Didn't know about that part.

I use to use cast iron alot years ago because my Mom always used them. But I got spoiled with the easy T-fal and well, my cast iron got put aside. What I was wondering now is, the last time I looked at the fry pan I noticed that there was some rust on it. Is there anyway to remove the rust and have the pan still safe to use?

**MrKhay** · 05-13-2010, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pk

What I was wondering now is, the last time I looked at the fry pan I noticed that there was some rust on it. Is there anyway to remove the rust and have the pan still safe to use?

Rub the rust off with a steel wool pad or a steel scouring pad of some sort. Don't use SOS or Brillo, as these products contain soap. Soap will remove any seasoning, and will set in the pores of the steel. After the rust has been removed, follow the directions for seasoning the pan.

I hope this helps, Patti.

dgridley · 08-26-2011, 03:05 PM

Here's a video:

Fixing a cast iron pan that sticks to food - YouTube

**MrKhay** · 08-26-2011, 03:46 PM

I must say, my cast iron out performs any coated or aluminum cookware out there. Maintaining the seasoning is essential in cast iron cookware performance.

Cast iron cookware is the shizzle in my hizzle.