How do you season cast iron?

[kellyk]

O!!! Tell me secret to seasoning the Cast Iron? How often should a person do this? I love my CI but seems to want to stick on me and I'm upset :-(

 

[ribs and steak]

Kellyk
How you season cast iron depends on who made it and what kind it is(enamel, regular?). I have plain cast iron and I season it by first turning on my oven to 350 degrees and putting a foil covered pan on the lowest shelf.

I then coat my CI with cooking oil & invert on the middle shelf & bake for 1 hour. When the hour is up, turn off the oven and leave everything to cool down by itself.

When it comes to sticking you may have to reseason.

 

[Andy M.]

That's basically it. I use shortening in place of oil but either will work.

Enameled cast iron needs no seasoning.

 

[GB]

To add on to the excellent advice given above, know that seasoning a CI pan is an ongoing process. Seasoning gets stronger as you use the pan and cook with fat. The more you cook with fat the stronger the seasoning will get. This takes time. Your pan will not be non stick right away, but eventually it will be. While you are waiting to get to that point just make sure to cook lots of fatty things and that will help a lot.

 

[Callisto in NC]

I don't do the whole 350 degree oven everytime I use mine but I do put shortening on every surface of my CI after every use. When I feel it's getting too YUCK, I fire it in a 550 degree oven for a couple hours and then allow to cool then I do the 350 oven again. It's getting a real good coat on it (I got mine in January). I do make sure I cook bacon in it and allow the fat to cool and then clean it. JMO, it seems to help.

 

[mcnerd]

I purchase pre-seasoned pans and have never had the need to re-season them. I use a copper sponge and water to clean it, wipe it down with a paper towel and about a Tbsp of oil, and then put it back on a still warm burner to dry. After years of use they develop a nice black patina that makes the surface smooth and nonstick.

 

[Chicks]

I seasoned my CI pans when I first got them a hundred years ago and never had to reseason them since. But I use them every day to cook almost everything I prepare. I wash them with light soap and a nylon sponge and air dry, they usually have enough seasoning left so I don't have to oil them before I put them away.

 

[kellyk]

Thanks to all of you!!!!

 

[larry_stewart]

Speaking of cast iron pans, I was watching a food network show ( not sure which one). The host made a comment that to get a pre seasoned cast iron pan, she would go down to the hardware store and pick one up at the local hardware store. I guess maybe this is a regional thing, but is it typical to get a cast iron pan at the hardware store? I never would have thought to look there.

 

[Wyogal]

Yes, pretty typical. The best place around here is a the farm/ranch store which sells everything to feed for your horses to egg timers. The other place is a chain sporting goods/hunting store.

 

[ribs and steak]

Hardware stores are a good start for CI and sporting goods stores(Bass? Gander Mtn,) would have them. the easiest way to know if a store has CI is to ask.

you can also google cast iron cookware that will have more than enough websites to find what you want.

 

[Andy M.]

I bought my pre-seasoned CI skillet at Walmart for $5 less than anywhere else.

 

[ribs and steak]

I've gone to my local wal-mart & all they had were skillets. Granted they were cheap and the brand i wanted but for me there has to be more than just skillets.

 

[Andy M.]

I've gone to my local wal-mart & all they had were skillets. Granted they were cheap and the brand i wanted but for me there has to be more than just skillets.

You may not find everything you need, but if they have what you want, you'd save a few bucks. The Walmart I went to had Lodge two burner reversible griddles, dutch ovens and three sizes of skillets.

 

[mcnerd]

I got a nice oblong Fajita pan with wooden base once and then about six months ago a Wal-Mart they had a 12" round skillet with low sides which has become my everyday all purpose skillet. It is never off the stove.

Sometimes garage or estate sales are the only places to get some variety in cast iron pans. Maybe it will improve as interest in cast-iron continues to (re) grow.