Cast Iron Seasoning

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racer12306

racer12306

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I am starting the process of converting from your standard every day skillets to cast iron. I'm thinking of getting an iron version of each skillet and deep pan that I have plus a good size dutch oven.

Side question: Is there a reason to get a smaller dutch oven, or would it be better to get a bigger version because you can always have too small of a piece?

Main question: How do you season your iron cookware? I've seen a few methods, Lodge suggests their canola based spray but then Googling shows a method with flaxseed oil that is supposed to be really strong.
 
I've always used olive oil. A quick wipe when done cooking, then a swab around the inside with a paper towel and oil.
 
Sounds crazy but to clean them throughly I put them in a campfire until they glow...I let them cool normal (flash cooling will crack them). I then clean with soap and water, dry thoroughly and get warm on the stove and wipe in olive oil. Once this is done, i don't wash them with soap only warm water...nothing works better than cast iron...enjoy!
 
Originally Posted By: racer12306
I am starting the process of converting from your standard every day skillets to cast iron. I'm thinking of getting an iron version of each skillet and deep pan that I have plus a good size dutch oven.

Side question: Is there a reason to get a smaller dutch oven, or would it be better to get a bigger version because you can always have too small of a piece?

Main question: How do you season your iron cookware? I've seen a few methods, Lodge suggests their canola based spray but then Googling shows a method with flaxseed oil that is supposed to be really strong.



........Side question: Is there a reason to get a smaller dutch oven, or would it be better to get a bigger version because you can always have too small of a piece?

always get the bigger version, that is what most women chefs like.
 
Iron is poisonous to the man - don't make chili in there!

Def season with pork or beef fat - fry us up some bacon real quick like!
 
Last edited:
New pot I always wipe down with vegetable oil
Foil bottom oven rack
Put pot upside down on top rack (lid up on top of upside down pot)
Oven on 350° hour or two.
Turn oven off and don't open down let cool all the way down.

I learn you have to use them often to get seasoned right

MAIN trick I learn the hard way....Don't wash in soap, very hot water is all that needed to clean a very seasoned pot.
If you you must just one drop of soap.
 
The exact kind of oil isn't critical, there is no health advantage or disadvantage to using a "good" oil or a "bad" oil. You're not eating it. In the past they would have used lard or some other rendered animal fat. Today we use vegetable oils, but really it's not critical either way.

Use a temperature below the smoking point of the oil and you are good to go. Unless you're using butter that's easy to do as well.

Use a paper towel or a cotton rag, saturate the outside and inside of the pot or pan. Wet with oil the handle, bottom, and cooking surface and sides. Everywhere.

Then place in a pre-heated oven at a low (for an oven) temperature ... whatever the lowest setting on yours happens to be. Let's say 180F.

Let it sit there for "a while" ... say half an hour. What you want is to saturate the somewhat porous cast iron with oil. Then turn the oven off, and open the door slightly to allow everything to air cool. Wait a reasonable amount of time ... another half hour should be good but whatever it takes so that the handle is cool enough to hold.

Use a oven glove or pot holder just for extra safety, remove it and give it another wipe with a dry paper towel or a clean cotton rag to pick up any extra oil residue.

You can now use the pan. Ideally you clean it by wiping with a dry rag but you might need to use water or water and soap with certain food residues. I always dry them immediately on the stove top by placing them on a burner with the lowest heat setting, and wiping with a dry rag after a minute or so.

Soap and / or water will deteriorate the glazed seasoning, so use them sparingly.

Now it's time to re-season the pan (after the first use). Clean it and apply your oil as before. It's a good idea this time to choose an oil with a high smoking point, such as Peanut Oil. This time set the oven to 400F and allow an hour for the pan to "bake" and another hour for it to slowly cool with the door ajar. Wipe clean as before and use freely.

You can re-season from time to time if you want, but generally if you cook with a bit of oil in the pan they naturally re-season themselves. As required, I guess.

You need to be careful that you don't store food in the pan or pot ... transfer to another container before putting leftovers in the fridge. Don't let acidic liquids sit in the pan ... something with tomato for example ... cook it and transfer it to a non-iron container once cooked.

For the same reason you don't want to slow cook an acidic food ... if you are making Chile it's fine to take an afternoon but don't let it run over two days. The acid will remove iron to the point where you might be able to taste it in the dish.

Bonus of course is the iron added to your meals. Women in particular are usually iron-deficient as they regularly lose more blood than men do. Or at least more than the non-handy man, some of us can leak our share over a month just doing what we like around the house and shop ;-)

You won't get "too much" iron from your cookware so fear not on that regard.
 
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Iron is poisonous to the man - don't make chili in there!

Def season with pork or beef fat - fry us up some bacon real quick like!


My chili is generally too large of a batch at a time as I nearly fill a 16qt and then freeze it in portions.

Originally Posted By: Johnny2Bad
The exact kind of oil isn't critical, there is no health advantage or disadvantage to using a "good" oil or a "bad" oil. You're not eating it. In the past they would have used lard or some other rendered animal fat. Today we use vegetable oils, but really it's not critical either way.

Use a temperature below the smoking point of the oil and you are good to go. Unless you're using butter that's easy to do as well.

Use a paper towel or a cotton rag, saturate the outside and inside of the pot or pan. Wet with oil the handle, bottom, and cooking surface and sides. Everywhere.

Then place in a pre-heated oven at a low (for an oven) temperature ... whatever the lowest setting on yours happens to be. Let's say 180F.

Let it sit there for "a while" ... say half an hour. What you want is to saturate the somewhat porous cast iron with oil. Then turn the oven off, and open the door slightly to allow everything to air cool. Wait a reasonable amount of time ... another half hour should be good but whatever it takes so that the handle is cool enough to hold.

Use a oven glove or pot holder just for extra safety, remove it and give it another wipe with a dry paper towel or a clean cotton rag to pick up any extra oil residue.

You can now use the pan. Ideally you clean it by wiping with a dry rag but you might need to use water or water and soap with certain food residues. I always dry them immediately on the stove top by placing them on a burner with the lowest heat setting, and wiping with a dry rag after a minute or so.

Soap and / or water will deteriorate the glazed seasoning, so use them sparingly.

Now it's time to re-season the pan (after the first use). Clean it and apply your oil as before. It's a good idea this time to choose an oil with a high smoking point, such as Peanut Oil. This time set the oven to 400F and allow an hour for the pan to "bake" and another hour for it to slowly cool with the door ajar. Wipe clean as before and use freely.

You can re-season from time to time if you want, but generally if you cook with a bit of oil in the pan they naturally re-season themselves. As required, I guess.

You need to be careful that you don't store food in the pan or pot ... transfer to another container before putting leftovers in the fridge. Don't let acidic liquids sit in the pan ... something with tomato for example ... cook it and transfer it to a non-iron container once cooked.

For the same reason you don't want to slow cook an acidic food ... if you are making Chile it's fine to take an afternoon but don't let it run over two days. The acid will remove iron to the point where you might be able to taste it in the dish.

Bonus of course is the iron added to your meals. Women in particular are usually iron-deficient as they regularly lose more blood than men do. You won't get "too much" iron from your cookware so fear not on that regard.


Thank you for the very detailed write up. This essentially aligns with what I've read, with a few extra items.


I'm very much looking forward to the new cookware.
 
wipe out the brand new skillet
use wesson oil and wipe it out
then pour in enough oil to cover the bottom of the new skillet
set oven to bake, 275 for 2 hours, right side up,lol.
go mow the yard or watch tv, wait for the 2hr timer to go off

pour out the old oil,,,make your cornbread mix, turn oven to 450 F.
Let oven reach 450F, pour oil in skillet just to cover bottom again and place skillet in there for 10 min.

Take out skillet, pour in your mix, batter should cook brown around edge instantly,,you got it right then. Cook for 25 minutes,,go around edge of skillet with knife to loosen edges,,turn skillet upside down, the cornbread should just fall out,,,,I do mine this way, works for me...if the cornbread does not fall out,,try a new batch again. Been doing it for years this way....
 
The best thing, IMO is to use avocado oil first (higher smoke point), then cook some real greasy bacon in there. Bacon fat works great.

Never use soap. Just heat up, get some water in there, rub down with coarse salt if needed...

Some oils go rancid or worse at elevated temperatures. Avocado and olive work for me.
 
i use the crisco method. then depending on what i cooking, i add a tablespoon or so of oil a and smear it around the pan before use.
 
yes and no. iron from the pan does leach into the food. small amount. some who already have an elevated iron count in their blood can be sensitive to this. this can be exacerbated when cooking acidic foods.
 
Before you buy cast iron pans. You should consider buying stamped iron pans, they are way way better when it comes to even heatdesitribution. And they become more non stick over time then cast iron will ever be. They have all the advantages that cast iron has. I have used both cast and stamped iron skillets for 12 years. But now I almost only use the stamped ones. I really like a brand called DeBuyer

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DeBuyer-Mineral-B-Element-Iron-Frypan-Round-10-2-/332077009820?hash=item4d51550b9c:g:DuEAAOSw~OdVXNd6

When it comes to seasoning.. there is a way where you heat a mix of salt and potato peelings. That is the best and fastest way i have tried. You can find videos on YouTube.
 
seems like everybody has different ways of doing it and are happy with their results. Ultimately do what you want and you will be happy
 
I always use Crisco. If you have a gas grill, do it outside on the grill instead of the oven.

These cast iron pans made these days are not as smooth as the older pans. If you can get the old used pans cheap, go for it.
 
Years ago we got preseasoned Lodge pans. The finish was rough so I sanded them smooth and seasoned them.

I wish I had kept the Lodge pre-seasoning. It's very time consuming doing the seasoning -- lesson learned.
 
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