Seasoning cast iron

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

luvs

Master Chef
Joined
Aug 24, 2004
Messages
9,671
Location
da 'burgh
i got a great deal on 4 antique cast iron skillets at a festival last night. i'm trying to season them right now. i rubbed them down with shortening, handles and all, and put them in a 350 oven with baking pans on the lower rack to grab drips. i opened the window in the screen door. have i got it covered?
is it going ttto smoke my house up?
 
Your oven may be too hot. I usually set the oven for the lowest temp and leave them in longer.
 
After reading so many posts about seasoning cast iron, and having tried various techniques myself, I have come to the conclusion that their are several good techniques.

I would have thought that baking in a 350' oven wouldn't work because it wasn't hot enough. I bake mine at 450' until they quit smoking, which creates a relatively hard patina that seals the pan from the outside world. Then, when all has cooled, I wipe them with a thin coat of oil and use as needed.

I have also heard of people who wipe with shortening and season on top of the stove, heating a thin layer until it quits smoking, and repeating to create several cooked on layers.

Others pan-fry things like french-fries, or chicken in a couple inches of oil to season their pans. While still others wipe a coat of shortening or oil on the cooking surface and insides, and start cooking right away, develpoing the seasoning more each time they use the pan.

I'm beginning to think that as long as you get the shortening or oil to lightly coat the metal, and apply heat, the iron will season itself.

The advantage of my method is that it truly seals the pan and makes it virtually stick-free, with a light coating of fresh oil added before use. The pan can then be used to cook almost any type of food without having to worry about off-flavors from metalic ions given up by the pan. The disadvantage is that it smokes up the house something fierce. I have to open all of the windows and doors to avoid setting off the fire alarms. But I only have to do it once for each pan.

My wok is harder to season as it has a non-removable wooden handle. I can't season it in the oven. I have to use the stove-top, which is slower and not as thorough.

In any case, try CC's method. If it works for her, it should work for you, and you will avoid smoking up the house. If you don't like it, try mine, but be prepared to open every window and door. Otherwise, you'll look like this. :sick:

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
I do mine at 350 and it has worked perfectly. I heat the pan up a little first then wipe it down with Crisco. Bake upside down at 350 for an hour then I turn off the oven and leave the pan in the oven to cool slowly. I usually do this at night and once I turn the oven off I just leave the pan until the next morning. Works like a charm every time.
 
thanks, all. :) at the last minute, i decided to just leave the stove at 350, and GB, i did your method exactly. we'll see how they turn out; i'll do the egg test in them. they'll be done in 5 minutes. my pans, i mean.
BTW, i'm glad i have to keep rubber gloves around for my nurses! i used a pair to grease the pan and it kept my hands clean as a whistle! i'm keeping a box in the kitchen from now on for things like greasing pans and draining tuna!
 
I would not use the egg test right away, but that is just me. the first few times I would cook something fatty. I cooked up a pound of bacon for my first one. It helps season the pan and , well, bacon is just so yummy :)
 
The reason I do the low temperature season, or the cooking with oil seasoning -- is because I am forgetful.

I have been known to have cast iron break into pieces, cause I forgot I was seasoning a pan on higher heat, and was in another room.

Then you will hear a dreadful ping, and your pan is done for.
 
uh-oh.
good thing i took out a life insurance policy.
gulp.
my house is filled with a haze of smoke and it reeks of grease.
i can see it now.
Mom will come home from work sometime after 5.
i'll hear shrieks of 'WHY does my house smell like GREASE?!!!!!!! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!!!!!!'
she'll fly up the stairs and into my room and TRY to get out a good swear word, but she won't be able to, cause my Mom doesn't know how to swear properly, and then:wacko: :wacko: :LOL: .
 
Oh no! Well, I hope the sun is out where you are. Open all the door and windows and turn on all the fans. Have a good day luvs.

I think I might like your mom.
She sounds pretty darn cool.
 
lol, guys.
i opened the windows and stuff, pds, and the smoke is clearing.
you'd like my Mom, i think. she is a sweetheart. just don't get her house dirty!
 
Anyway not to have any smokes and still have a good seasoning?

My oven is not working. If I should borrow someone's oven, I don't want to fill their home with smoke.

Also, how long is the seasoning? No one here has mentioned at all!

BTW: Wouldn't the heat in the oven somewhat melt the handle? Many are made of plastic.

And those that comes with a black coating, wouldn't it cause some kind of chemical to be released if heated in an oven?
 
Last edited:
cyberian, try doing it outside on your BBQ. When it is smoking, then you usually leave it for a few minutes. I have never timed mine.
 
I edited my post if you didn't notice. See if you can help me in the addition questions. Or the next person can pick it up.

I don't have a BBQ. Neither do people I know. And I don't see how a pan can fit into a BBQ. Unless it is those large family size ones.

Anymore ideas?
 
cyberian said:
Anyway not to have any smokes and still have a good seasoning?
I actually have never had any problem with smoke when I season my cast iron pans. Just don't open the oven door and you should be fine. Just as a precaution you can turn on the exhaust fan on the stove and crack a window just a bit.


cyberian said:
Also, how long is the seasoning? No one here has mentioned at all!
I am not exactly sure what you mean by this. Are you asking how long the seasoning process takes or how long the seasoning stays on the pan or something altogether different? If you are asking how long the process takes then that depends. The method I use you bake the pan for an hour (coated in Crisco) and then turn of the heat and leave the pan in there overnight. If you are asking how long the seasoning stays on the pan, that also depends. It depends on how you treat your pan. The seasoning can stay on a pan forever. There are people who have cast iron pans that are over 100 years old and have a very good seasoning. The more you use the pan the better the seasoning becomes, just don't use soap on it because the seasoning is just fat that is baked into the pan and soap will get rid of the fat thus getting rid of the seasoning.

cyberian said:
BTW: Wouldn't the heat in the oven somewhat melt the handle? Many are made of plastic.

And those that comes with a black coating, wouldn't it cause some kind of chemical to be released if heated in an oven?
These pans that you are mentioning are NOT cast iron pans. Cast iron pans are ALL cast iron. There is no plastic and not coating. Those pans with plastic handles and black coating do not need to be seasoned. They are ready to use right out of the box. The black coating sounds like it is probably a non stick coating.

Click Here for a very informative page about cast iron care and seasoning. This page is the Lodge Cast Iron page. Lodge is the best known and most respected Cast iron manufacturer in the USA. This page will give you step by step instructions with pictures on how to season and take care of your cast iron pan.

Click Here to see a picture of what a cast iron pan will look like when you buy it at the store.
 
Those pans don't look very ideal for pao'ing. I frequently cook fried rice.

So am I limited to a (iron-casted) wok?

If so, which large store department will I be able to find an iron-casted wok?

I will no doubt be able to find one in Chinatown, but I don't like walking around looking for which stores have it and which don't. I am the walk-in-walk-out type; taking the time to shop is not my thing.
 
Back
Top Bottom